The Forger and the Thief

An enjoyable read set in Florence in 1966. There are a lot of characters each with their own story. These stories are beautifully intertwined to create an interesting read.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

The Forger and the Thief is a full-on Gothic novel with all the trademark tropes of the genre: horror, death, and romance, with a suitable side-order of religious references and morality.

The story is set in Florence in 1966. It revolves around five people, although there is a substantial supporting cast. Although they all have names, the chapters refer to them by the iconic types they represent: the Guest, the Wife, the Student, the Cleaner (more accurately the Thief) and the Policeman. All but the Student have guilty secrets in their past and even the Student, though not carrying any guilt, is living with the horror of having survived the Nazi death camps.

The characters are drawn with a fairly broad brush (though some who are painted very dark do redeem themselves at the end). That’s fine in a Gothic novel and it does mean that, although the story seems confusing at first with several parallel narratives that only slowly come to intertwine, there is none of that flipping backwards and forwards to remember who people are that can take you out of a story. You always know whether we are looking at the woman fleeing an abusive husband, or the concentration camp survivor, or the policewoman (a more significant character than the Policeman, I thought, but casual sexism was all the rage in 1966). There is a lot of fun as we begin to see the links between them.

The narrative takes place in November. The winter rains have turned the river Arno into a raging torrent, which bursts its banks and floods Florence. The River itself features as a character in the novel and the sense of its destructive power is one of the strongest things about the book.

As the river hits town, all the plans and intrigues of the characters are literally swept up in the cataclysm that will leave several of them dead. I’m certainly not going to spoil the suspense by telling you which ones.

This is not a deep and meaningful book but it does race along. Like all the best stories it leaves you wanting to know what happens next. I didn’t start with high expectations, but I was soon caught up in the narrative, putting aside some much worthier books as I rushed on to get to the end.

A fun read for a dark and stormy night.

Pour yourself a glass of decadent Brunello di Montalcino and get comfy because you are about to enjoy a fantastic stand-alone thriller, The Forger And The Thief, by Kiwi author, Kirsten McKenzie. The tasting notes for this wine read: “Full-bodied and dense, the deeply interlocked layers of dark fruit nearly tripping over the ropey, chewy tannin structure.” Pretty much sums up this read. 

McKenzie draws from the historical Arno River floods for this novel set in Florence, November 1966. It’s during this month that the rains typically turn the Arno into a raging torrent, and like the previous 8 times since 1333, the banks burst and the river floods Florence in a catastrophic manner. Reading this book brought to mind finding a sign on a Florentine street indicating the reaches of one historic flood; we couldn’t imagine what it would have been like in such a precious art-filled city. McKenzie has penned what we couldn’t imagine. 
McKenzie expertly weaves the secrets hidden in her cast of five strangers together with the raging river to create an intriguing tale. The cast includes “a wife on the run, a student searching for stolen art, a cleaner who has lined more than his pockets, a policeman whose career is almost over, and a wedding guest who should never have received an invite.” Each character is on a secret mission in Florence, but they soon discover that the unpredictable Arno has other plans in mind and they are thrown off course like the ominous river. Her character’s motivations are clear and logical, but what stands out foremost is McKenzie’s unbelievable characterization. It is unparalleled. I’ve just finished reading and noted the rain lashing as the wind rattles my windows and knocks over something on my deck. I sit frozen, not wanting to meet Leo Kubin in the hallway….even with the lights on. This storm has created a perfect atmosphere for my first historical thriller, a truly magnificent masterpiece by an extremely gifted writer. 

You’ll absolutely love McKenzie’s writing style. I giggled gleefully realizing that I’d found a new favourite author. You’ll become instantly absorbed in her wonderfully descriptive writing full of metaphors and similes and appreciate the frequent injections of subtle humour. I love how this woman expresses herself and I’m not alone in this thought. You MUST look up tomwilliamsauthor.co.uk and read a blog post about this book entitled ‘Altavilla, Florence One Star review’. You’ll be laughing. Guaranteed. I love to learn as I read and McKenzie fed that desire with facts about Florentine art, the Arno floods, mud angels as well as revealing a team who hunted Hitler’s art collection. 

Don’t let her wicked prose nor descriptive writing trick you….it’s a thriller. Be prepared. ON SHELVES NOW.

I’m anxiously awaiting her next novel, Ithaca Bound, a historical fiction novel set in an imaginary fort along Hadrian’s wall.

this was a really enjoyable mystery, it had an Agatha Christie feel to it and I enjoyed trying to solve it.

I picked The Forger and the Thief while browsing my next book to read on NetGalley and I must say I'm very happy with my choice. I would describe this book as upmarket as the writing is slow at times, but it more than compensates with the beautiful language and the keen observations the writer makes that really transport you into the story.

Here's why this is a standout book for me:

- It wasn't predictable - It's really hard nowadays to find a thriller where you can't guess the ending half-way through. This author isn't afraid to kill its darlings (and their enemies too)! Also, it didn't have one bad guy that had to be caught, but it had many bad characters (and even the so-called good characters had a bad side to them). 

- The river as a character - I really loved that the river had her own say and was a powerful voice at that. Some descriptions in these chapters left me speechless at how well they were executed "When the tree barreled into the boat, flinging [character name removed] overboard, The River wrapped her watery arms around his failing body. She caressed him, and cooled him, carrying him like a mother, safe in her flow. Like all children, he tried fighting with her, bucking against her rules and discipline, pushing himself to the surface, stealing a breath, fighting against her embrace, begging for release."

- There were unexpected notes of humor - the book isn't funny per se, but the authored skillfully broke tension in some parts of the book by adding some comical descriptions such as "with a hangover larger than the trash problem in Rome" or "He tapped a croissant - as solid as the marble statue of David. All around the room, Richard noted other guests picking at their croissants with the grim determination seen on climbers clinging to the icy sides of Mount Everest".

- The characters were well developed - each character had their own motivations, fears and ambitions. The author showed them as real human beings as many had a good and a bad side to them. They weren't necessarily likable, but I was able to empathize with their pain and that made them compelling. I also enjoyed that the author revealed their secrets in layer, bringing our attention to the same scene or moment in the past of that character, but each time revealing yet another secret. I felt like I was putting together multiple puzzles at the same time as I was progressing through the story.

-There were elements of magical realism - I'm not sure if this is just my interpretation of the events, but there were parts where an artist can inflict pain to its models by simply painting them on canvas. This was both surreal but also believable when reading the book.

The only thing I would say perhaps I would likes less of (however much I actually enjoyed it) were the descriptions of the devastation brought on by the river. This is really well executed, but I felt like the book can do with a bit less of that because there were passages where I'd skimmed over just because they sounded very similar to what I read a few pages earlier. That being said, the  story did pace itself and the river came on (and affected the characters) gradually, getting worse as the story progressed.

This is an excellent read for anyone who likes thrillers with a more literary flavor. However, if you're after something fast-paced and full of surprises on every page then this might not be a book for you.

This book was a wonderful experience. I love books which follow multiple characters and eventually, they weave all into one coherent story. The book did an awesome job in story telling and keeping people interested in reading. I devoured that book because I was so amazed by it. My favourite "character* if you can really call her that is the river. It was a unique and lovely experience and I enjoyed reading her chapters most. However, there was Leo, the artist who captured my interest as well, so I am going to keep my eyes open for that meeting the author promised us at the end. (I need to get my hands on that book, no matter what I have to do...) 
The only issue I had was the title. Yes, both the thief and the forger are characters in this book but the book has much more main characters than just those two. 
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a free ARC!

This was an enjoyable thriller that is set in Florence in 1966. The author has created well-developed characters with interesting back stories. She has beautifully woven their stories together to create an excellent read.

I would like to thank Kirsten McKenzie, BooksGoSocial and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book. I'll be posting my review on Goodreads and Amazon

An engaging historical mystery that takes readers deep into a cataclysmic coming together of several characters during an approaching flood in Florence in the 1960s. McKenzie does a particularly good job with the setting and the feel for Italy of the times. There's plenty of misogyny on show, which may put some readers off, and there aren't a whole host of likable characters, but there's plenty to hold interest and keep the pages turning.

This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and action with wonderful world building.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

In a nostalgic setting, the author weaves a tale which is reminiscent of Murder on the Orient Express but much, much darker.  I love these ensemble style books where the cast of characters is so strong you can’t point to any single one as the main protagonist.  Don’t be fooled by the almost romantic context of Europe in the 1960s - this book will keep you awake at night!

Wow! This book was so interesting! There were so many things that twisted random pieces into a well-placed story!

“FIVE STRANGERS IN FLORENCE, EACH WITH A DANGEROUS SECRET. AND AN APOCALYPTIC FLOOD THREATENING TO REVEAL EVERYTHING.”

And reveal everything it did! The five strangers each have a point of view in the story, but there is one more POV that I found so intriguing! The River. It got to speak to the reader about what it was doing, what it wanted.

The five strangers each give the reader a chance to see what is happening in their lives, alternating chapters from each POV. These people are strangers, and yet their lives begin to intersect in little pieces here and there, then a little more, and more. It created an all-consuming story that I absolutely could not put down!

This flood is absolutely horrific, and the terrors just don’t stop coming as one thing after another happens. The writing was wonderful, drawing the scenes in my mind in a way that made me forget my surroundings and focus solely on the story.

I loved the addition of the River’s perspective. A river is not a character, and yet in this story, it truly was. Reading about the river’s thoughts and anger brought life to the body of water. I loved it!

The story was fascinating. In the beginning, I was intrigued by these separate characters and what they were each doing. Then, as they started to bump into one another, I was sucked into what was going on! There was only one conclusion to one character’s story that I was a bit confused by. There is a paranormal element that didn’t quite fit with the rest of the story. It was still interesting, it just felt like it didn’t flow with the rest of what was happening.

Overall, I thought this was an exciting story that kept me glued to the book. The writing was great, and the storytelling was excellent!

I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

Incredibly well done suspense mystery that left me guessing until the very end.  It was fun to be kept guessing and to have to read until the end to solve the mystery.  I am ALWAYS up for a good challenge when it comes to figuring out who the guilty party is.

Loved this book from the first page until the last. The characters are both wonderful and hideous, the crimes involved and downright evil in places. The attention to setting is beautifully done and the portrayal of the river clever, while the blending of all the storylines is masterful. No hesitation in recommending this book.

5 people,  an epic flood, fantastic history and some scary villians make an epic mix. Due to end of year busyness I wasn't able to sit and luxuriate in this book like I usually would.  The way Kirsten has woven the story and written the characters meant I didn't have to wonder about where I was up to and what the characters were doing.   The book stayed with me it was THAT GOOD.

What a challenging read. I felt like a wrung out rag when I finally finished reading it. There are several storylines that intertwine and are worth following to the end. What seemed to be a simple case of a missing wallet and passport turned into something more. A simple cleaner at the museum has a secret life that can’t be imagined and is not revealed until the very end. 
Don’t miss this book based on a real event of the flooding of Florence and the loss of life and much irreplaceable artwork. This is the only book I’ve read that a River had a voice. Lol it was quite interesting. 
I started reading and then it got stuck in my iPad and I couldn’t get it to reopen sigh. 
I received an Arc from NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley.

i thought this book was really good and really ctue. it's full of likeable characters and that makes it even more amazing!!