After receiving an invitation to a prestigious wedding in Constantinople, Theodosia begins planning, shopping for new clothing for herself and daughter, and gifts for the bride and groom. While talking with a close friend of hers, she hears some worrisome news about the groom and his reputation, and asks one of her servants to discreetly follow the young man to determine if these rumors are true or false. For if they are true, the young woman about to be married—the younger daughter of a friend of hers—will likely have an unhappy marriage ahead of her.
This cozy, historical fiction murder mystery was a beautiful description of life in early 20th century Constantinople. While it focused mostly on the wealthier lifestyles, it did also include a small amount about those who were among the less fortunate. This was a different type of book that what I am used to seeing from Ms. Gaucci as it is not primarily based on historical events or taking place in the middle of WWII. I received a review copy of this book, and as I have her WWII historical fiction novels, I enjoyed this one too.
The descriptions of the people and places are quite vivid. And it makes it easy to imagine being in the middle of a street market in Constantinople during this time period. And while I did figure out the “who-done-it” part of the story, there were quite a few surprising twists and turns along the path to revealing much of the how and why as well as the who behind the murder. For me, this was a nice, relaxing read. One where I could sit and immerse myself in the setting and the culture described within the book. And I believe that was one of my favorite aspects of this story.
If you like historical fiction with a touch of cozy mystery added in, then you will very much enjoy reading this book. I look forward to seeing what Ms. Gaucci provides her readers with her next novel. Whether that is a return to her WWII historical fiction or another cozy mystery, we are sure to enjoy the descriptions of what life would have been like in that time period and location.
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