Medici Heist

By Author / Illustrator

Caitlin Schneiderhan

Genre

Historical Fiction

Age range(s)

14+

Publisher

Atom

ISBN

9780349125398

Format

Hardback

Published

06-08-2024

Synopsis

'A stunning debut. Weaving together a cast of loveable rogues, a richly detailed historical setting, and a cinematic thrill ride of a story, Medici Heist knocked us flat!' The Duffer Brothers, creators of Netflix's Stranger Things. 'Riotously readable', the Guardian.

Welcome to Florence, 1517, a world of intrigue and opulence, murder and betrayal. Sharp-witted conwoman Rosa Cellini arrives in the city the same day that the Medici Pope, Leo X, returns to take up the reins of power. This is not a coincidence. The new Pope is extorting a mountain of indulgence money from the people of Florence to bolster his power and standing, and Rosa has a plan to take it back.

To pull off the Renaissance's greatest robbery, she'll recruit a team of highly skilled misfits: Sarra the tinkerer, Khalid the fighter, and Giacomo, the irrepressible master of disguise. But as the authorities draw closer and the Medici's noose pulls tighter around the land, old secrets resurface and tensions in the group start to flare. What began as a robbery could be the key to saving the city itself - if Rosa and company don't destroy each other first.

Get ready for an absolute swashbuckling riot, beginning with a 'mud' pie to the Pope's face, and ending with a climactic heist that would give Danny Ocean a run for his money. Bursting with action, Medici Heist is your next un-put-downable obsession.

'I can't remember the last time I had as much fun with a book . . . I couldn't put this down!' Mackenzi Lee, bestselling author of The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue

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Reviews

Rachel

This is hugely enjoyable. Imagine 'Hustle' in 15th century Florence, I loved it! When Cardinal Medici and his holiness the Pope return to Florence, the mood in the town is unsettled. The townsfolk are content with their republican status and it's soon clear that the Pope has arrived in order to take the town's wealth into its own coffers. Enter the enigmatic Rosa and her band of talented grifters, each with their own reason to rob the papal palace.

Medici Heist is a fast-paced story, helped by short chapters that often end on a knife edge. Subterfuge and intrigue abound as well as plenty of character development about Rosa. Sarra, Khalid and Giacomo - not to mention the appearance of Michelangelo!

I liked the modern dialogue in an ancient setting; it makes the story relatable and could be an introduction to the historical genre and especially to the world of the Médicis. It could also very easily be a film, such is the cinematic scope it offers. This is escapism at its best.

432 pages / Reviewed by Rachel Bolton