Another great book by Lisa Scottoline! A great historical fiction novel about Sicily! Very engaging characters that are followed expanding years until the conclusion is revealed!

Where to begin? So many plots and sub-plots. While I love Scottoline’s legal thrillers, it took me a bit to get into this piece of historical fiction. It was an epic tale of good and evil and there was lots of evil, misery and cruelty. I did enjoy the book and the sweeping saga.

3.5*
It's 1810 Sicily and there are multiple threads at play in the novel. First, the book starts with an unsettling account of a little boy kidnapped and sent to a mental institution. Meanwhile, the farms are owned by the elite while the workers toil for little recompense. Franco and his twin Roberto are tired of never being allowed to own property or run their own business. They decide to take things into their own hands and band together with some loyal friends to change the status quo. They set up an organization that uses intimidation and violence to force others to comply with their mandates.

Gaetano is an earnest lawyer who is part of a secret organization that investigates crimes that the authorities overlook. He offers to spearhead an effort to locate the little boy who’s missing. But his efforts are complicated by the unwillingness of anyone to talk about the child, his name, his family, or the circumstances of the disappearance. Gaetano’s commitment to locating the child results in his own arrest and a prison sentence.

Two other sympathetic characters are key elements in the plot. There’s Lucia who was ostracized, along with her mother, shortly after her birth. She is albino and when she was born a tragedy occurred and the superstitious townsfolk blamed the disaster on the strange child. The second character is Alfredo, the last Jewish man left in Sicily. He keeps to himself and makes cheese from his goats who he refers to as his “daughters”. Despite telling everyone the cheese is not magical, people proclaim it to have healing powers and it leads to problems for Alfredo.

The plot jumps 15 years into the future and we find the abducted Dante (no longer a young child) has met Lucia and she would like to help him. Gaetano has been released from prison and continues his pursuit of the truth about the kidnapping case. Franco’s growing empire of thugs has become a mafia organization and his brother Roberto is beginning to tire of playing second fiddle. Tensions rise within the family.

Scottoline has written a riveting story of the beginnings of the mafia in Sicily. What starts out as brothers wanting a fair shot, devolves into an organization marked by brutality and coercion. In contrast to them, is the genuine goodness of Gaetano, Dante, Lucia and Alfredo. The author has tried to incorporate a number of elements into her complex plot. Each of the storylines could stand on its own. Perhaps mixing them together was too ambitious, making the book too complicated and broad.

I am normally a huge fan of Lisa Scottoline but did not like this book. There were so many disjointed stories going on and she brought them together at the end but for me it was hard to follow. Franco Fiorvanti is a lemon grower toiling on the estate of a baron. He is determined to secure a better future and will do anything to prove his loyalty to the baron. But when the baron asks him to kidnap a little boy named Dante, Franco makes a decision that will change his life forever.
Gaetano Catalano is a young lawyer who is a member of the Beati Paoli, a real-life secret society of men who investigate crime in Palermo. Gaetano sets out to find the boy who has been kidnapped, but his mission leads him to a darker place than he had ever imagined.
Mafalda Pancari is a new mother rejoicing at the birth of her daughter, Lucia, when disaster strikes. Alfredo D’Antonio is a reclusive goatherd under constant threat of being discovered as a Jew. At the end all of these lives come together to describe early Sicily. It was just very hard to follow.

I'm catching up on my backlogged TBR pile and I recently picked up Loyalty by Lisa Scottoline. It is a bit different than the other Scottoline books I've read. It is historical fiction set in Sicily. There is a bit of the suspense that Scottoline is known for.

I can't say that this is my favorite Scottoline book but it definitely had its interesting moments. I think it was more the time period that I didn't like rather than the actual story. I don't think an actual time frame is given but I would think that it is the early 1800s.

This was a really corrupt and unenlightened period of time. The period's corruption, poverty, and lawlessness were a poignant backdrop for the story.

The story begins with the kidnapping of a young boy who is then "hidden" away at an insane asylum (or madhouse as it is referred to). The doctor just goes through the motions of diagnosing the boy with madness and has him locked up. There is no medical treatment for the people here. They are just locked up and forgotten about. It's really sad and depressing especially since this was true of the time period.

What I found most interesting was the storyline involving the rise of the first mafia family. I had heard the term "self-made men" in relation to crime families in the U.S. And seeing how this mafia formed really underscored this term. At first, these men were hired to protect the lemon groves and the product when it went to market. Through their scheming, they made themselves into wealthy landowners in their own right.

The storylines merge together but not in ways you will expect.

I like when authors provide insight into the historical record that they based their books on. Scottoline provides a number of resources both in terms of a reading list at the end of the book as well as other materials on her website. This is great because the story did pique my interest in the time period and the region.

My review is published at Girl Who Reads - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2023/05/loyalty-by-lisa-scottoline-review.html

Lisa Scottoline's gripping second historical novel begins in Sicily in 1810 with the kidnapping of a little boy, Dante, which leads to the beginnings of the Mafia fifteen years later.

The rich narrative beautifully captures Sicily particularly its culture and food. There's multiple characters and subplots, but the author successfully manages to tie them together leading to not one, but two spectacular final chapters.

Loyalty is as scrumptious and tasty as ful-coarse Italian meal.

I love this author and pick up any book of hers to read without even reading the back cover because I know I’m going to like it. Loyalty was surprisingly NOT one of those books. It was hard to follow and not at all what this author typically writes. It is more of an historical fiction genre and not at all what I would have expected, or wanted to read, from this author. I did not even finish this book and would not recommend to others. Just not my type of book.

Scottoline has written a historical fiction suspense book. It is Sicily and the Mafia is just forming. Two brothers have the ambition of owning their own property but wit that dream comes some hard decisions. None of the dons want to give that privilege up - after all they have been born to it. A page turner that does not disappoint.

This was a total different kind of writing style for Lisa Scottoline and I just wasn’t a fan. I prefer her other works. But I understand they can’t or don’t want to always stick to the same style. I’ll still always read what she writes. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for review

I am a big fan of Scottoline. Her latest work was a bit different from her previous ones. While her writing is always skillful, this latest foray wasn't as satisfying as her previous ones.
It is obvious that she, as always, does extensive research and background on her themes. This one deftly examined the beginnings of the Mafia in Sicily. The story she wove was fascinating but there were so many concurrent storylines that it was hard to keep track of all the happenings. It was also tricky to keep track of the various characters and their interwoven relationships, although a character tree was provided at the outset of the story. The inherent violence was ever-present which was written in what seemed the way it was. Yet, the storylines seemed too neatly concluded by the end.
I especially liked the follow-up at the book's conclusion providing additional information on research. Even though this wasn't my favorite, I look forward to her next book.

*Many thanks to Penguin Group / Putnam Sons and NetGalley for my gifted eARC*

I am a huge Lisa Scottoline fan, so I requested this book without even reading the synopsis. This is a different take then her previous novels, and this one was not my favorite.

A young boy is kidnapped and he grows up in a mad house...okay doesn't sound bad, right? There are just way to many characters I was confused the whole time. Sadly because there were so many characters I just didn't connect with any of them and I basically skimmed a lot of parts. I will definitely read Scottoline's next book, this one just was not for me unfortunately

Its a lot of stories to keep track of and back and forth in time. So while it was a good story it took tine to get invested. It wasn't one that made me want to keep reading unlike her other books ive read.

A Highly Satisfying and Intriguing read

SUMMARY
Sicily Italy. Franco Fiorvante dreams of owning his own lemon grove one day. But for now, he labors hard on the estate of Baron Zito. Determined to secure a prosperous future, Franco will do anything to prove his loyalty to the Baron. But when the Baron asks Franco to arrange the kidnapping of a young boy, Franco crosses a point of no return and sets in motion the making of the world's first Mafia family.

Gaetano Catalano is an idealistic young Catholic lawyer totally devoted to justice. He is a member of the Beati Paoli, a real-life secret society of aristocrats who investigate crimes. The Beati Paoli and Gaetano set out to find the young kidnapped boy, but soon Gaetano becomes obsessed with the case. He risks losing his job and family to find the boy and bring him home.

Dante, the five-year-old kidnapped boy, grows up in a madhouse without even knowing his last name. By the time he is a young man, the madhouse is falling apart, and Dante doubts his sanity. He meets Lucia, a girl with a tragic past, and they fall in love. Once Dante is released from his lifelong prison, he sets out to find his kidnapper, his family, and his true identity.

REVIEW
Loyalty is an intriguing historical fiction story of the creation and rise of one of the earliest Mafia families in Sicily. The Fiorvanti family depicted in the book is fictional, but the origins of the Mafia depicted in the novel are true, according to the author Lisa Scottoline. Scottoline says the Mafia’s earliest roots can be traced to the lemon groves around Palermo because of a combination of legal, social, political, and even agricultural factors that existed, all of which are highlighted in the book.

Scottoline novels typically flesh out the relationship between law and justice, and Loyalty is no different. There are several converging and intriguing storylines and a multitude of characters. Each of the characters deeply explores their own form of loyalty to family and to faith. The writing is captivating and makes for a highly satisfying, although slightly challenging read.

Scottoline traveled all over Sicily to research this book. Her vivid descriptions reflect her travel experiences. She had cataloged all of her travels with videos and narrative on her website, which serves as a perfect companion to the book. I encourage anyone who has read or is interested in reading this book to check out her website.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.


Publisher G. P. Putnam’s Sons
Published March 28, 2023
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

🍋BOOK REVIEW🍋

Loyalty
By Lisa Scottoline
Release Date: 3/28/23
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

This book was not at all what I was expecting! I’ve never read any of Scottoline’s historical fiction, but I’ve read so many of her thriller books so of course I requested it. It took me a while to get into it, but once I did I couldn’t put it down! I was very confused at the multitude of characters and how they would ever come together, but when they did it blew me away! I am not usually a big historical fiction reader but this one was amazing! This just solidifies my opinion that @lisascottoline could write anything and it would be amazing!

Read if you like:
•many character POVs
•goat cheese
•mysterious historical fiction
•books set in Italy
•lemons (🫠)

Thank you @netgalley and tagged publishers for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I wasnt sure about this book at first. The reviews were great but it took me a little bit to get into it but once i did, i was hooked. Such a great story!

I haven't read a book by Lisa Scottoline that I didn't like. This book details the start of the Mafia, and follows the lives of several people in Palermo. As the strong prevail, the weak keep fighting to do what's right. The story is broken down in to several smaller stories about different individuals and then at some point they all come together. She detailed so much about Sicily and how the people lived during the time. She certainly has done the research to make you feel like you are being transported to a different place and time in history!

This was an all-time favorite for me. I love Lisa Scottoline as both an author and as a personality. I believe I’ve read every one of her books and loved each.

Loyalty by Lisa Scottoline was another great read.. Lisa has never disappointed me. I’m getting impatient in my older years & the introduction of all of the characters in the book became tedious but I’m very glad I stuck with it. The book explodes with action, romance, family drama & totally enjoyable reading till the very end. The impatience in the beginning was my fault so don’t let it stop you from reading this great book. I have read all of Lisa’s books & she just keeps getting better. I enjoyed her notes at the end about visiting Sicily & how she set about to write this great book. I would recommend it to anyone that enjoys a great story & it would hold a masculine reader’s attention also.

I have enjoyed Lisa Scottoline's foray into historical fiction immensely! This is another great read! We follow multiple characters throughout the novel whose stories become intertwined. The story begins with the kidnapping of a young boy. A faithful man decides it is his mission to find him and other boys who were kidnapped as well. The mafia plays a big role in the novel which is where loyalty comes into play. There is a crew of outcasts whose paths cross in the end. The author paints a rich backdrop of Sicily in the 1900s and brings the characters vividly to life. There is drama and adventure. I loved this book! Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the ARC!

This book is very slow starting out and is very different from most of Lisa Scottoline's books. It is well worth the wait, and once I got into it, I couldn't put it down. Though it is fiction, it made me believe that this was really how the mafioso started and I could certainly understand the reason it was formed. You can see the power struggle between siblings and what havoc power wrecks on a family. It was a very good book, and I have recommended my library director use it for his Book Club.