AUTHOR: Lorenzo de Medici
PUBLISHER: Espasa
GENRE: Fiction
READER’S NAME: Cristina de la Torre, PhD
DATE: May 29, 2021

As a simple “beach read” I would rate it a 7-8. A clever, well-written who-done-it, easy to read, nicely paced. Las cartas robadas shows the many layers hidden under the apparent reality of events, and explores the ever fascinating devious things people will do for money, prestige, revenge. The narrative consists of two intertwined parts: one that takes place during the early 17th century when the letters in the title were written, and another contemporary one when academics are investigating those texts. 

There are some minor bothersome (for this reader) loose ends that are just left hanging (like the hit -and-run death of one of the characters), but altogether the twists and turns of the plot, spiced with a side of love affair and crisp dialogue, are entertaining and keep the reader’s attention and curiosity, There is, however, nothing in the text that makes one look at the world differently or that remains indelibly with the reader. In other words, there is not much of a  “take-away”.

In terms of possibility of dissemination in the United States this novel totally falls out of range according to my understanding of this project’s guidelines and purpose. To the point, I do not know why the Ministry of Culture of Spain or any of the other enterprises affiliated with this project would want to invest in having this novel translated into English or even published in Spanish. It was originally written in

Italian by the scion of one of Italy’s foremost families and subsequently (quite nimbly) translated into Spanish. The book deals with historical events only remotely linked to Spain and adds nothing to the understanding of anything related to the Spanish world  or culture then or now.