fantastic!
There are two stories between the covers of LUCIFER'S SHADOW. Both stories are set in Venice; the first of which is set in the 18th century at the time of Vivaldi (who plays a role in this story) and the second of which is contemporary. In the first story (which alternates with the modern story) a young man, Lorenzo Scacchi, is an apprentice to his uncle in a printing house. The printing house is somewhat of a vanity press. Lorenzo's adventure starts when his uncle sends him into the Jewish ghetto in the city to pick up a young woman, Rebecca, to play in Vivaldi's orchestra at La Pieta, a church in Venice. Not only is it illegal for Lorenzo to do this, but it is illegal for her to go into the church. If the secret got out, she, her brother and Lorenzo could all face strict punishment. Meanwhile in the present, Daniel Forster has been invited to take a job cataloguing a private book collection of a descendant of the Scacchi family. Daniel becomes involved in some shady business dealings on behalf of Scacchi, but soon discovers that things are not what they seem. The 18th century story weaves in and out of the modern-day story, following chapter by chapter, until they seem to be telling the same story. I cannot begin to do this one justice by telling you about it...you have to read it!
I loved, absolutely LOVED this book. My favorite types of stories are those in which something from the past makes an appearance in the present and has a bearing on the course of the present. This book was phenomenal and I highly recommend it.
