My husband persuaded me to watch the Netflix series on the de’ Medicis, and now I’m determined to convince him that Laurent Binet’s Perspective(s) is better.

In the Preface, an unnamed narrator, purportedly the author, explains how a large stack of antique letters came into his possession and, once translated, became the chronological account that follows, a history that completely changed his opinion of Florence and Florentines.
Following a list of the letter writers and brief identifications, the history opens on New Year’s Day, 1557, with Maria de’ Medici’s letter to her aunt, Catherine de’ Medici, Queen of France and estranged sister of Maria’s father, Cosimo de’ Medici, Duke of Florence. What seems like a chatty letter reveals parents’ attempts to marry off Maria and news of a painter’s death in Saint Lorenzo’s main chapel, purportedly a suicide due to dissatisfaction with the frescos to which he had already dedicated eleven years of his life. In contrast, the second letter from art historian Vasari to Michelangelo not only clarifies that Pontormo, the painter, had been murdered and that Vasari has been charged with solving the murder, but also reveals that a scandalous painting of Cupid and Venus, the latter with Maria de’ Medici’s face, has been found in Pontormo’s quarters.

With two contrasting perspectives on the murder already, letter follows letter, introducing conflicting ideas about the quality of Pontormo’s frescos, the sadness or joy with which various people receive news of his death, information about possible suspects, and the way the painting bearing Maria’s face leaks out to the public. Can anyone trust anyone else? Can Maria’s parents arrange a politically and financially appropriate marriage for now that their daughter’s morality appears to have been compromised? With talk of painters’ jealousies and with the cutthroat politics everyone has come to expect from the various de’ Medici family branches and their powerful allies, the 176 brief letters comprising this historical novel will keep readers turning pages, encountering one perspective after another, breathlessly awaiting the solution to the murder and the next turn of events in the de’ Medici family history.

Thanks to NetGalley and Farrar, Strauss, and Giroux for an advance reader egalley of this captivating new epistolary novel from French author Laurent Binet.

"These are cruel times, my friend, for the defenders of art and beauty."

Perspective(s) is a murder mystery set in 1557 Florence. A bundle of "found" letters between around twenty correspondents comprise the narrative. The Duke, Cosimo de' Medici, his wife The Duchess Eleanor of Toledo, artists of the period including everybody from Vasari to Bronzino to Michelangelo himself, studio assistants and apprentices, two vexing nuns, (followers of Savonarola), and the Queen of France, Catherine de' Medici, to name a few.

Vasari has been appointed by the Duke to investigate the murder of Pontormo, who was busy painting the frescoes in the Basilica of San Lorenzo, said to rival those of the Sistine Chapel, where he was found with his head bashed in and a chisel in his heart.

Vasari has a lot on his plate. In addition to the murder, he's also tasked with locating a Pontormo painting that has gone missing. The offensive painting depicts Venus in a pose with Cupid considered scandalous (the church was going through a phase modifying paintings and sculptures to cover all the naked bits), even more shocking because the face of Venus was that of the Duke's daughter, whose marriage he was trying to arrange. High stakes!

Add to that: political intrigue, demanding nuns (more wine with dinner!), upstairs downstairs shenanigans, assassins, a flood, secret passageways, rebellion, rivaling, gossiping, and at times petty artists and all their art, art revelations and philosophy, and we have a very entertaining novel. Binet captures all their voices, the characters are distinct, and the letters weave a page turning story.

My thanks to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the Advance Reader Copy. (pub date 4/8/2025)

Real Rating: 4.5* of five

From the framing device of a trove of discovered letters forward, this book represents the kind of games I most enjoy authors playing. Binet's the son of an historian, and it shows...for good and ill. The good is the playfulness of his choices to focus narrative attention on; the ill is his necessary fictionalizing of real figures of the well-studied past at times slipping into...absurdity, silliness, OTT recherche Proustian locutionary excess?...well, too-muchness, anyhow.

It is, I'll say clearly and now, well worth the effort to accept without engaging too much critical overdrive. (My worst readerly failing.)

Sort out fact from fiction exactly as much as suits you; nothing in your pleasure will change knowing more than you're told on the pages of the story about the people (note I did not say characters) on these pages. The murdered man emerges as we all do from the memories of those around us, as a blurry-edged shadow. It is unclear to me if he was actually guilty of lèse-majesté—and I do not care to establish this. Or any other of the many interesting side-lights Author Binet shines onto Savonarola's Florence. (I'd be a really bad puritan. I've always got a question they don't like, and am absolutely guaranteed to perform every sex act they abominate...in public, to show how they can't tell *me* what to do!)

The character Vasari is, in a word, adroit. No matter what he's asked to do, or be, or fix, he's got it, understands the assignment and the subtext, has a guy who knows a guy on his side. It's always good to know a Vasari because he might be oily but he's effective. People in power love Vasari-type guys. If you're the guy he knows who's got the connections he can use, you will never get public credit—that's all his—but he won't forget you. Until he does.

No, not a bestie to rely on, but a great guy to read about, and a top-notch sleuth.

As the pages flew by I realized I was in that reading flow state that's ever elusive. I was deep into Author Binet's imagination (Michelangelo as gossipy old queen, Marie de'Medici as old queen in political hot water) and unaware of the ever-advancing hour. When I closed the cover at two-thirty, I was sad to see it all end. I'm not sure why the very slightly repetitious recaps Binet's Vasari offers the reader to explain the resolution of the killing didn't weigh more heavily on my pleasure in the read...my conclusion is that I like Vasari's very natural-feeling shifts in tone. These do, however, slow the story's roll a but more than I myownself would prefer (that missing half-star above). Vasari is, as mentioned before, an operator, so he's bound to have different conversational registers for different people. In an epistolary novel that's both easy to present and easy to explain. No one in this collection of invented letters has an overview of the situation, just one corner of the composition, so everyone's responding to events as honestly as they feel safe doing; but they're all watching their tone because this was a dangerous time (see link to Savonarola above). It's similar to the effect of my doted-on The Case of Cem.

I'm delighted with this read. I'm recommending it to most all y'all because it's fun to see an author summon the attitudes of people long-dead in this honest, ambivalent way. I don't think the readers averse to history will be that tempted, though I hope one or two will try it out.

“These are hard times for art.” – Michelangelo writing to his father in 1509

In the opening of Laurent Binet's "Perspective(s)," a man only known as "B" discovers 176 letters in a 19th-century antique shop. These letters, written by notable figures like Michelangelo and Catherine de' Medici, center around the investigation of the murder of artist Jacopo da Pontormo in 1557 Renaissance Florence. While the focus of the novel is the murder mystery storyline, it also delves into the political and religious power struggles of the era.

Jacopo da Pontormo was found dead in the chapel where he had been working, stabbed with his own chisel and struck by his own hammer. He had been creating a series of frescoes, including a controversial depiction of "Venus and Cupid," in which the face of the nude Venus had been replaced with the face of Maria de' Medici, the daughter of the Duke of Florence. This scandalous artwork created an opportunity for exploitation, potentially to humiliate the duke and his family.

Art historian Giorgio Vasari was selected to investigate the case, and there was no shortage of potential culprits. Could it have been a rival artist, fueled by envy? An individual acting on behalf of the enraged duke? Or perhaps a religious fanatic, inspired by the decrees of Pope Paul IV, who vehemently opposed the "obscene" nudity depicted in art?

The letters are generally brief, and the pace progresses without getting bogged down in details. The area of “perspective” and some art theory is explored, but this is not a technical treatise on art history. The humor is quite prevalent, with the escapades of the renegade nuns being particularly comedic. It is also amusing to see the two-faced double-crossing among the characters. While this fictitious retelling of history is not a thriller in a league with “The Name of the Rose,” it is a quick read and will compel you to check out the frescoes and architecture referred to.

“After all, there is only one noble thing upon this Earth, and that is art. Man is merely a fading stain on a wall.”

Thank you to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and to NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

There are stories that surpass the frame in which they were told, overstepping genres to create a new subtype, using historical fiction to give nods to the literary history they were inspired by, sliding masterfully from whodunnit to a who-are-they character study. 'Perspective(s)' by Laurent Binet is among those alien stories that feel both familiar and refreshingly new, not quite like anything encountered before.

With 'Perspective(s)', Binet writes the epistolary tale of the murder investigation of 16th century painter Pontormo. The master has been found dead, killed with his own tools, and the Duke of Florence would like to know who is responsible for this crime. Or rather, the Duke of Florence would like someone responsible for this crime, a name, preferrably someone who fits the bill and has "the worst instincts of the plebs." And so our story begins, weaving a rich and dense tapestry of political chess, gender and class divide, art versus religion, truth versus justice against the backdrop of the detective story. Over the course of 176 letters, Binet takes us on a walk through Renaissance Florence and the world that surrounds it, leaning on the epistolary genre to shortcut to the historical setting and psychological portraits of each character.

Binet aptly plays with the polysemy of his title. 'Perspective(s)' relates not only to the technique used in painting and the multitude of views expressed in these letters on the matter of Pontormo's death but also to the notion of maintaining one's perspective as the different players reveal themselves through their letter writing, exposing the grander historical and sociopolitical scene as one makes their way through the novel. Ultimately, there is but one perspective to behold; the one guided by the principle of truth. And truth is Binet's preferred means to access the psyche of the multitude of characters he's delicately puppeteering as he weaves his story: manipulation from the powerful who see opportunity in this crime, rational thinking from those dedicated to revealing Pontormo's actual killer, obfuscation of truth and beauty through censorship by the religious preferences du jour. It is all done with finesse and yet Binet's pen never lingers, never spends too much time, striking the right balance between revelation and ambiance again and again.

'Perspective(s)' will be especially delightful to those who've enjoyed French classics and will be able to recognise the multiple nods to famous French writings such as Stendhal's 'Duchess of Palliano' for the preface acting as writer-reader contract and, of course, 'Dangerous Liaisons' by Choderlos de Laclos, the most notorious of all epistolary novels, from which Binet lifts the dominant-submissive relationship between the Marquise de Merteuil and Cécile de Volanges to create his version of emotionally detached and ever-scheming Catherine de Medici luring and using her naive and trusting niece, Maria, the daughter of the Duke of Florence. As someone who views 'Dangerous Liaisons' as one of their favourite pieces of literature, I found lip-smacking pleasure in reading Binet's impeccable rewriting of the Merteuil-Cécile relationship.

However, you needn't be a connoisseur of detective stories, epistolary novels, late medieval art, Renaissance Italy or French literature to fully enjoy and indulge in 'Perspective(s)'. Ultimately, Binet's hidden talent is making the intrigue and its 20 (yes, 20!) correspondents easily accessible to all. This is a universal page-turner that one will devour, like a delicate mille-feuille with oh-so many layers of the human makeup – money, jealousy, vengeance, power, cynicism, art, nudity, religion, page after page of perfectly balanced goodness infused with humour from the very beginning until the end. This five-star rating was ridiculously easy to give. Monsieur Binet, how dare you?

"O tempora, o mores: these people are forever quoting Cicero, but they are far more guilty than we are. They consider themselves the defenders of every virtue, blind to the fact that – since they have abandoned the message of the Gospel – it is their own souls that have been led astray and corrupted."

If you’ve spent any time amongst a group of creative people, you have no doubt witnessed the depths to which artists of any ilk will ravish each other with eloquent, twenty dollar words when in direct contact with each other, while at the same time, barely allowing them a second to fully turn away before plunging a knife fashioned from gossip, intrigue and spite into the back of their so-called peer. It’s gracious and yet altogether simple-minded of us to stand firm in the belief that the truly great artists of our time - like a da Vinci, a Toulouse-Lautrec, a Michelangelo - could ever have been so bothered to traffic down in the depths with the common tea-spillers of their age, but if we are honest with ourselves, we know that these men’s hands were likely filthy with the coarse and unseemly dirt of whispered gossip.

Laurent Binet’s Perspective(s), translated from its original 2023 French release by Sam Taylor, allows us a glimpse into a possible version of a series of events that took place in Florence, Italy in the sixteenth century surrounding the untimely death of Florence’s notoriously rebellious Mannerist painter, Jacopo da Pontormo. In our reality, Pontormo passed away at the age of 62 after spending nearly a decade attempting to complete his final masterpiece depicting his version of the Last Judgment on the choir frescoes of the Basilica of San Lorenzo in what was either an ode or a call to battle with Florence’s most well-known son, Michelangelo. In the reality of Perspective(s), Pontormo is found dead at the foot of his unfinished frescoes on New Year’s Day in 1557 with a massive head wound and an artist’s chisel buried in his chest in an area that fewer than five people have been allowed in for close to a decade.

What follows is an alternate reality told through 176 separate letters from twenty different sources mired in the Italian art world, the Florentine Republic, the crown of France, the Catholic church and…Michelangelo. All participants in this story are at the ready to effuse the accomplishments of their letters’ recipients with one hand while actively sketching out the blueprints of their demise with their other hand. Perspective(s) is all at once a murder mystery, a salacious gossip rag, a princess and the pauper romance, a tale of worker’s struggle and revolution, a high-minded critique of art and a deftly creative take on the death of an artist whose work was both celebrated and reviled for it’s bald-faced rejection of the artistic traditions of its era.

At the heart of Perspective(s) sits the Medici family both in the form of Duke Cosimo I de ’Medici, the head of the Florentine Republic, and his cousin Catherine de ‘Medici, the Queen of France. Much of Pontormo’s work in Florence, including the frescoes at the site of his death, were a result of Medici family patronage despite the content of Pontormo’s work having fallen out of favour with the arrival of a new papal influence in the form of Pope Paul IV. Immediately following reports of Pontormo’s death, Cosimo assigns noted art historian Giorgio Vasari to head up an investigation into his death while also commissioning Agnolo Bronzino, himself a former understudy of Pontormo, to complete the unfinished frescoes and save face for the Florentine Republic.

Vasari’s ensuing investigation drums up evidence of a secret, hidden Pontormo painting depicting the daughter of Cosimo in an deeply unflattering manner unsuitable of a ripe for marriage offspring of a Duke along with the realization that the murderer also took the time to paint over one part of Pontormo’s work on the frescoes. As the missives fly back and forth across sixteenth century Europe, the investigation deepens and it’s effects on the Florentine art scene and the government take shape as accusations and assumptions are tossed around just as casually as each of the corresponding painters seem to refer to each other as “Master”.

If the idea of a historical novel told in a series of letters that centres around the Florentine art world of the sixteenth century and it’s connections to the church and it’s benefactors in the sitting government of the time sounds dense or uninviting, I can assure you that Laurent Binet approaches this subject matter with his signature flair for language and a level of comedy that I was not prepared for. The communications between the many artists involved are a particular source of hilarity as they bounce between near masturbatory compliments of each other’s artistry and catty, damning accusations of their peers in service of throwing one of them under the bus before the same is done to them. The result is a constant moving target of a resolution to a nearly unsolvable murder whose impact has completely shaken the art world and has the potential to destabilize the reign of the Medici family in Florence and stain the reputation of the church. Binet allows his characters, wonderfully modelled on their real life counterparts, to bask in the inimitable glory of their deliciously grandiose statements that lap up the drippings from their own egos and spew them back into a world unprepared. Perspective(s) is a thoughtful and considered tale of mystery and intrigue, gift-wrapped in luscious prose with a touch of flair for the dramatic that only a true artist could convey.

Thank you to both Farrar, Straus & Giroux and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review an advanced copy of what is sure to end up as one of my favourite works of the year. And of course, thank you to Laurent for sharing the wild depths of his mind with all of us and allowing us to wrap ourselves up in his words.

This was an interesting format and setting for a mystery and I would say I haven't rad a book quite like this before. This is a great read for people who love period dramas, especially the Medici and Borgia histories. It's a bit like a puzzle and sometimes it is difficult to find all the pieces but overall, enjoyed!

I so enjoyed this inventive and original novel set in Renaissance Italy, which unfolds in a series of 176 letters by 20 different authors, each of whom has his or her own individual voice – which is quite an achievement in itself. A mystery and detective tale which centres on the artist Jacopo da Pontormo, a real-life Florentine painter who died in 1556/1556 leaving behind an unfinished cycle of frescoes. In this fictionalised retelling Pontormo's death is suspicious, not least because he appears to have been stabbed with his own chisel. The art historian Vasari is tasked with investigating the crime. There are lots of twists and turns, some red herrings and dead ends, and many real-life characters have their place in the narrative, so we get to meet some of the leading figures of the day, from Cosimo de Medici, to Michelangelo, from Bronzino to Leonardo. All come alive in this sometimes gripping, always unpredictable and occasionally amusing story, and Renaissance Florence is vividly and atmospherically portrayed. A real treat of a novel.

While rummaging through an antique shop in Arezzo, a man discovers a bundle of letters that he learns contain important historical information. He spends a small fortune on these letters and here is where our story begins. He begins to translate them from Tuscan. The story that unravels took place in Florence, at the time of the 11th and final Italian war. From here we learn that Jacopo Da Pontormo was found dead. It is belived that he was murdered and through these letters the killer will be discovered. This book is so good and unputdownable. Such a treat for art connoisseurs, ñovers of the Renaissance Florence period , the Medici Family and even Michelangelo.

Perspective (s) is a wonderful story that brings art, history, political plotting and amazingly famous historical characters to life while also enticing you with a murder mystery. 💫💫💫💫💫


Thank you Netgalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for this ARC!

In Perspective by Laurent Binet, historical fiction set in 16th century Florence. We are on the receiving end of letters telling of the murder mystery of an artist. The letters provide all the backstory you will need to understand the climate, the art, the artists, the politics and court intrigue, the patrons, etc. The painter Jacopo da Pontormo (1494-1557) was found dead in the chapel of the Basilica di San Lorenzo in Florence, lying at the foot of the frescoes of The Last Judgment, which he had been working on for a decade. Said to rival the Sistine Chapel in Rome, his masterpiece had been carefully concealed from public view behind wooden screens. There are several signs suggesting he may have been murdered, with a chisel lodged in his heart being a particularly striking clue. The potential blasphemous nature of his frescoes, along with the discovery of a painting in his studio depicting Maria de' Medici—the unmarried eldest daughter of his patron, Duke Cosimo I de' Medici—in a provocative manner, only deepens the mystery surrounding his violent death.

I thought this was a fascinating read. So many historical figures in this story and I love the epistolary narrative of the story. Thank you to Net Galley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for my advance reader copy.

A spicy take instead of a spicy book today:

I spent the first thirty years of my life judging romance readers LOUDLY. I am in no way proud of it, on the contrary I’m ashamed to have shared the same sort of energy as that clown on BookTok with her “Your book is about dragons, what did you learrrrn” reel. I was genuinely perplexed as to why anyone would choose, of their own volition, to spend their time reading low brow, predictable rot about getting railed. I felt that reading lit-fic made me superior and more discerning and intellectually capable.

How far this asshole dickhead has fallen from her perch because this MAGNIFICENT work of literature by Laurent Binet was absolutely wasted on me. Not - and let me make this plain - that I didn’t recognise the beauty and brilliance of Binet’s writing and tale, but merely that I didn’t have the mental bandwidth as a perpetually sleep deprived mother to fully appreciate it.

I salivated over the language, the rhythm of it all. Mooned over the concept of the plot being woven exclusively through letters. Admired the skill necessary to write and manage a double digit cast - couldn’t keep track of them for toffee (would be easier to keep flashing back to the list of correspondents in a paperback than it was an eARC). Couldn’t stop thinking about the intricate labyrinth of the mystery. Savoured the view of Renaissance Florence.

Truly, I adored this book. But three quarters through, and with all the talk of sodomy and the perverted Venus painting, F me, I was ready for someone to get railed and railed HARD.

An absolute masterpiece, make no mistake, and I would recommend it without hesitation for any lit-fic fans.

Thanks kindly to NetGalley for the much appreciated ARC.

[Review as published on GoodReads and Instagram]

Perspective(s) is a novel that really has to be your specific historic cup of tea - but in my case, it was! A murder has taken place in 16th century Florence, and it is up to Giorgio Vasari, painter and architect, and friend to the Grand Duke of Florence, to find the culprit. The whole book is written through letters - not just from Vasari, but from many political interesting figures from that time, including Michelangelo and Catherine de Medici. I think a decent interest and a bit of knowledge about these times is needed to fully enjoy the letters, as the political intrigues of the 16th century Florence are the main focus. There are many letters between many people of interest happening, which sometimes made it a bit hard to follow and remember who was who - so if the topic does not interest you, don't pick it up thinking it'll just be an exciting murder mystery. For a history fan like myself, though, I thought the main value of the book was in all the historical aspects and details, and the unfolding of the plot with murder, betrayal, and some serious Machiavellian plotting was a lovely extra. Finished in four days and cannot wait to get back to Florence someday.

Perspective(s) won’t be for everyone, but wow, was it for me. It’s a mystery told through letters, set in Renaissance Italy, surrounded by the scheming and machinations of the elite. The body of a renowned painter is discovered beside his fresco, with part of the painting clearly altered. Who had the talent to change it, and why? Amidst the investigations, there’s a scandalous elopement, an imprisoned nun, and a workers’ rebellion.

I could have tried to keep track of the various characters and how they connected, but I didn’t even bother, instead reading solely on a vibes basis. Everything was still clear to me, but a heads up that there’s lots of complicated politics and names, and I was happy to let some of it go over my head, but you might not be. I really liked this one: carefully crafted, multivocal, and completely immersive. Thank you NetGalley for the early review copy!

Very unusual book, but entertaining and enjoyable. The whole story is told in letters back and forth to the principle characters. You have a murder mystery, a love story, humorous side stories, and political intrigue. It was quite surprising.

Know that you might (well, I did) find this murder mystery told through letters just a little hard to follow. It's complicated, it's clever and it's twisty. It's also nicely atmospheric and virtually all the characters are based on real people who lived in Renaissance Florence (and elsewhere in Europe). I spent time looking the characters up as I was reading (so I learned something !). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. For those who enjoy a more cerebral mystery.

Thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! The epistolary format was refreshing and kept me hooked through the whole book, and it was surprisingly fast-paced even if there were some slow moments here and there. The mystery, intrigue, and dynamics between these characters (who are very much real people) was so interesting and as someone who knows vaguely about the history in this time period I had a good time. The writing style/prose was rich and made the person behind the letter real, as if they were reading it out to me. Tying the different plot threads must have been difficult, but Binet does a wonderful job keeping the reader hooked throughout the novel. I definitely was.

Rating: 4 stars

PERSPECTIVE(S) by Laurent Binet is a captivating and intricately woven tale, blending historical fiction with a touch of mystery, political intrigue, and rich character dynamics. The story unfolds through a series of letters that reveal both the grandeur and the darker, more twisted aspects of Renaissance Italy, making for an immersive and entertaining reading experience.

The novel begins with our storyteller, who, while on vacation in Tuscany, stumbles upon a bundle of dusty old letters in a quaint antique shop. These letters, once belonging to various figures from 1557 Florence, form the backbone of the narrative and tell a remarkable and multifaceted story. At the heart of this story lies the death of the renowned artist Jacopo da Pontormo, whose nearly completed frescoes in the Chapel of San Lorenzo were said to rival those of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. The murder of Pontormo sets the stage for a gripping investigation, spearheaded by none other than the legendary artist and author Giorgio Vasari.

The plot thickens when a portrait of Cosimo de’ Medici’s young daughter, Maria, is discovered—her image altered in a compromising manner and used as a tool for political blackmail. This revelation propels the investigation deeper into the political machinations of the Medici court and the world of Renaissance Florence, a city rife with power struggles, scandal, and betrayal.

Binet’s storytelling is notably unique as it unfolds entirely through a series of 176 letters, written by an eclectic cast of characters, from royals and artists to assistants, rebels, and even Pope Paul IV. This epistolary style offers a personal and immediate view into the lives and minds of those involved, making each letter a piece of the larger puzzle. The correspondence provides rich insights into the political, cultural, and social fabric of the time, yet it remains accessible thanks to Binet’s skillful use of modern, engaging language.

What makes PERSPECTIVE(S) truly compelling is the way it balances historical detail with a lighthearted tone. The letters are filled with drama, humor, and the occasional salacious tidbit, adding layers of entertainment to the rich historical backdrop. It’s both a fun read and a thought-provoking exploration of Renaissance Italy’s art, politics, and power dynamics.

In conclusion, PERSPECTIVE(S) is a delightful and intellectually satisfying journey through history, with well-developed characters and a plot that keeps you guessing until the final page. It’s a book that is as much about the art of storytelling as it is about the historical figures it brings to life.

3.5 stars
This is an epistolary book which was quite captivating.
I enjoyed the book - the time period and setting really appealed to me. Florence Italy in the time of the Medici and Michaelangelo!
The characters really came alive with what felt like their own voices. Very impressed how the author made the writing style seem to fit the time period being written about. Thankful for the character list at the beginning of the book. It was essential to get to know the characters and their connections.
However the style did seem to slow down the action of the story. Many of the twists seemed diminished to me by the style as well. The ending did wrap up all the loose ends but it seemed slightly awkward in the telling.
I found it very interesting that the story seemed modern in terms of the issues faced by the characters. History repeats over and over and we can learn something about dealing with our current times by reading historical fiction - that is its beauty.

Thank you to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and NetGalley for the e-book.

In Perspective(s), Binet blends a wide cast of characters bursting with personality and a propulsive, epistolary format into a fresh and humorous take on the murder mystery. Readers who are into history, Italy, and/or art will most likely enjoy this read!

Sixteenth century Florence was the home of master artists and noted historical figures. Laurent Binet’s work revolves around the murder of one such artist commissioned to paint church frescoes. This epistolary novel is concerned with finding his murderer. Simultaneously there is a campaign to find and destroy one of his portraits, an offensive painting depicting a young noblewoman which could destroy her reputation. There are letters from artists and their associates, royalty and religious figures. From Michelangelo to Medici, artistic theory and European history are revealed as the tense and twisting searches continue.. There is much to learn in this work about the era; unfortunately, so many opinions and theories I found confusing at times.