Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and advanced copy.
I love Lisa Scottoline her books are great. This was a good book but not great one. It lacked the oh wow aspect that I normally get from her books.

Loyalty is Lisa Scottoline at her best again rewarding readers with an historical novel brimming with facts of Sicilly and the grandeur and horrors of society during the age of barons and their slaves under them. There are many characters, portraying lifestyles during that time period but as always, Lisa brings them all together in a mafia-style horrific yet maybe satisfying conclusion. I loved the ARC.

From the lush lemon groves on Sicily, twin brothers, Franco and Roberto set out to improve their station in life wanting to become wealthy owners, not hired help. Along the way, the stories of children kidnapped from wealthy families, a justice-seeking lawyer, a reclusive goatherd, a madhouse and an orphaned albino girl are eventually woven into the brothers' story. Each brother has ambitions, but Franco wants to be the ruler of it all and begins to build his strong army of devoted followers from the worst men he can find. As his power grows, Franco forgets the unconditional love and trust of his blood family and trades it for unconditional devotion and trust from the "family" he has built on fear, strength and money. He forgets his dead mother's words of advice which leads to tragedy. (Never cross a Sicilian mother--dead or alive--there will be consequences!)
Scottoline has again produced a story with rich descriptions of the sights, smells and sounds of a land and it's people from a time gone by; allowing us to see the roots and growth of an organization which became known as the "Mafia."

After loving Scottoline's Eternal, I was intrigued to read Loyalty. While historically and geographically educational about Sicily as Eternal was about Rome, the human interactions and character empathy were not equivalent. A bit more violence at the onset than I would have liked, but if the reader plows through that, the information and the story are rewarding. Fascinating insights into the horrors of mental health facilities in the 1800s as well. An intriguing, and enlightening read.

Loyalty by Lisa Scottoline. Wow, welcome to an introduction to the Mafia, power hungry landlords and Italians who feel they need to rise up with a lot to lose. The story takes place mostly in Palermo on the island of Sicily. There are lots of characters to tell this incredible story.
When a young boy named Dante is kidnapped, no one seems to care or is missing him.
When a lawyer, Gaetano, realizes it might be up to him to find out what happened the adventure begins. Here is where so many story lines begin their journey towards what happens. I believe each character, whether they are bad or good, is loyal is some way, to someone or their Country.
One of my favorite characters is Alfredo. He is a Marrano Jew and keeps his religion a secret for fear of persecution in this feudal society. He has beloved goats that he calls his ‘girls’ and sells goat cheese in the town square. Some of the town folk believe his cheese is magical because it seems to sure some ailments. He won’t have any of that! He prefers to remain private so as not to attract attention to himself. But Alfredo has a very important role in the story finding out what happens to young Dante.
I appreciated the author’s historical timeline in this story. I’m always anxious to read the Author’s Note at the end of the story. I look forward to reading why they decided to write about a particular subject from history. With accurate detail after being well researched, Loyalty doesn’t disappoint.
I will highly recommend this book.
Thank you to Penguin Group Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review.

The best murder mystery ever! More plot twists and surprises than I’ve ever read. This book started out building the plot by taking me to a dark place, but I couldn’t put it down. It was kind of like JR Ewing. I started out liking the bad guy. The historical elements in the story had me googling to see if it was real, because it was so believable. Let me save you some trouble, the author lets you know what was real at the end. I can’t say enough, but read it! Book provided by NetGalley.

Thank you NetGalley. Lisa Scottoline does it again. The history family drama the making of the mafia. A kidnapping just so amazing. More than once while reading I said this book is just so GOOD!

I am a big fan of Lisa Scottoline. I have read almost all of her books. This one is not my favorite.
One of my favorite genres is historical fiction, but LOYALTY was neither my location nor time period for which I usually read.

I enjoyed the intersecting storylines but did find myself a little confused at times because of all of the characters. LOYALTY did not catch my attention like other books, therefore my confusion with the characters might be my own fault for taking more time than usual to complete the book. I did not want to give up on the book. It was a good plot, it is just not a book for me.

I know there will be a lot of people to which this book will appeal. I do not intend to give a bad review. I am only providing my opinion based on my experience reading the book, and books I generally enjoy reading.

I will recommend this book to others, not stating my opinion, either way, especially those who enjoy historical fiction.

Lis Scottoline has turned her thriller writing skills to historical fiction. Readers will be transported to the lush lemon groves of Sicily for this tale of ambition, treachery, and family. Recommended. #Loyalty #NetGalley #SaltMarshAuthors

I usually don’t review a book until I’ve finished reading it, but Lisa Scottoline keeps outdoing herself! This book is phenomenal!! I’ll be back to do a final review soon!

OK...so I finished Loyalty (historical fiction about the beginnings of the Sicilian Mafia) and all I can say is MIO DIO what a story! This book deserves 10+ stars because Scottoline has now become a fantastic historical fiction novelist in addition to all her mysteries/suspense novels. There are a lot of characters in this book, but she has woven them all together at the end for an explosive conclusion, Kudos to you Lisa for your research, great story and thanks for the advanced read copy.

Any novel by Lisa Scottoline is an automatic purchase for me. This book was so different than what she usually writes, but in a very good way. Historical fiction in beautiful Sicily with many twists and turns- what more can you ask for? 4 stars because at time it got a bit confusing for me to keep up with all of the different characters.

First of all - WOW!!!! Lisa absolutely does her research! The story begins with Franco trying to achieve his life long dream of being the boss, no matter the cost. He kidnaps a young child which sets off a dynamic domino affect and alters Sicily's history. Franco sets off to grow his "family" the only way a Mafia boss would. He seeks loyalty to all those around him and will eliminate anyone in his way. He truly loses sight of what true family means.

Each character in Loyalty is painted so vividly that I can visualize what they may have looked like and their mannerisms. Lisa makes you want to get to know those she writes about. She can do this so creatively! She manages to get me to sympathize and empathize with each person she writes about.

BRAVO
Bellissmia

I have read almost all of Lisa's books and this one is definitely a reread over and over again. This book touches on all the emotions that you have. If a tear didn't come to your eyes while reading it then it didn't tug your heartstrings. What a great book .

I enjoyed reading about Italy and how the mafia was started. This book tells the tale of two twin brothers and their journey to form the mafia. could close my eyes and picture what Franco and Roberto looked like. I felt as though it took too long to weave all the characters together. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get into this book. I’m a big Lisa Scottoline fan. This wasn’t one of my favorite books of hers

Lisa Scottoline's standalone is full of memorable Sicilian characters: the power-hungry identical twins who will go to any lengths to be the "top boss" of Palermo; the kidnapped little boy who grows up in a madhouse and the lawyer who forfeits everything to identify and find him; the girl whose light skin causes everyone in Palermo to shun her; and the humble man who, with the help of his four goat "daughters," produces cheese that is widely reputed to cure all ills.

Scottoline has done her research and, in this book, fictionalizes the birth of the Mafia in Sicily. She also writes legal thrillers and, with her daughter, books of witty essays on everyday life, all of which I have thoroughly enjoyed. Unfortunately, the subject matter, the brutality, the melodrama, and the straightforward narration made Loyalty the wrong book at the wrong time for me. However, it may be just the right book for aficionados of historical fiction.

My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

In full disclosure, I’m a Scottoline super fan and Loyalty was not at all what I had anticipated, leaving me off balance for significant portions of the book. First and foremost, Loyalty is not Eternal, which was far beyond a 5 star read. For me, the Eternal characters came off the page into real life as I read it, I felt their absence after I finished and I continue to feel the book’s impact. I credit Lisa’s lifelong passion and dream to write that novel and my passion for the period, as converging into a once in a lifetime reader experience. The fact that Loyalty does not have the same level of impact, although not what I was hoping for, is not in any way a deficiency.

The other issue for me was that Lisa speaks with a much different voice in this work than her usual. It should be obvious that the language and pacing of an early 19th century feudal society is quite different than today. Language is simpler both spoken and in thoughts. Pacing seems slow at times, but it always reflects the speed of life’s movement and the cultural norms. Her themes regarding love, family and justice remain true and powerful. The writing style needed to fit the characters and the era, which it did.

In summary, I rated this book 5 stars although it took some reevaluating as my rationale for this score was quite different from prior 5 star reviews I have given this author. Loyalty is a well researched, highly accurate look at every aspect of life in Sicily in the very early 19th century. On one hand we have beautiful landscapes and nobility. At the other end of the spectrum we have oppressive superstition and unfathomable child abuse. The Mafia storyline in only one of several all of which focus on loyalty, sometimes as a most desirable quality, at other times run amuck crossing the line between good and evil. All of the main characters find themselves in difficult life circumstances. How they survive, to either win or loose, provides powerful outcomes with messages that stand the test of time.

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC and provide a review. And to Lisa, as always, it’s an honor and a privilege to be a recipient of your work. You never fail to provide food for our souls.

This book was so wonderfully written! It is a historical fiction book about what will become the first mafia family.

The author really transported me to Sicily and into the story.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

This book… all 98 chapters….all 480 pages… every storyline….every character- was breathtaking. From the setting to the story to the voices woven on the pages there’s only one word for this MASTERPIECE!

📚 So Many Books
📖 Book Review 📖

📱”Loyalty” by Lisa Scottoline

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ published March 28, 2023

Historical fiction with an author’s note that filled in all the blanks. 😘

Well-written, emotional, action-packed novel full of love and justice, set during the rise of the Mafia in Sicily. I have never really thought much about how the Mafia began but Lisa Scottoline brought it all to life.

    Franco Fiorvanti is a handsome lemon grower toiling on the estate of a baron. He dreams of owning his own grove, but the rigid class system of Sicily thwarts his ambition. Determined to secure a better future, Franco 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—and even the history of Sicily—forever.
    Gaetano Catalano is an idealistic young lawyer whose devotion to justice is tantamount to a calling. He’s a member of the Beati Paoli, a real-life secret society of aristocrats who investigate crime in Palermo, a city riddled with graft. Gaetano sets out to find the boy and punish the kidnapper, but his mission leads him to a darker place than he had ever imagined.
    Meanwhile, Mafalda Pancari is a new mother rejoicing at the birth of her daughter, Lucia, when disaster strikes. And Alfredo D’Antonio is a reclusive goat herder under constant threat of being discovered as a Jew.

How the lives of these unforgettable characters collide makes Loyalty an epic tale of good versus evil, as the story twists and turns to its monumental showdown.

    I loved the scenery, the dramatic and ruggedly beautiful island of Sicily, on the Mediterranean coast, where lush lemon groves and mouth-watering cuisine contrast with a turbulent history of colonization and corruption.

Thank you to @netgalley for the digital ARC.

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I usually don't read too many historical novels but this one was really good.. There were a lot of twists and turns. The ending was better than i thought it would be. I am grateful that netgalley and the publishers let me read this in exchange for an honest review.