The Malice of Fortune

“A thrilling whodunit” as Leonardo da Vinci and Niccolò Machiavelli join forces to find a serial killer in this historical thriller (Entertainment Weekly).

A beloved son of the House of Borgia is brutally murdered just as the controversial noble family is about to consolidate power, followed by a string of ruthless killings that require no less than the brilliant minds of Niccolò Machiavelli and Leonardo da Vinci to unravel. While da Vinci uses the principles of science to sleuth out the killer, Machiavelli probes the machinations of human nature as two of the Renaissance’s greatest men travel through an Italy torn apart by war and teeming with Borgia politics to discover a truth that will shake the foundations of western civilization.

“Intricate, rewarding. . . . The Malice of Fortune is reminiscent of Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose . . . a finely wrought history.” —The Denver Post

“Epic . . . a dense narrative, permeated by the sights, sounds and smells of Renaissance Italy.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Absorbing and intelligent . . . fans of superior historical mystery writers such as Steven Saylor and Laura Jo Rowland will be enthralled.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“A pleasure . . . Ennis is an uncommonly graceful writer.” —USA Today

“A heady mix of The Da Vinci Code, Borgia politics and The Silence of the Lambs. Think of it as CSI: Italy circa 1502, with Machiavelli as a detective and psychological profiler and da Vinci as history’s first forensic pathologist.” —CNN

“Leonardo da Vinci and Niccolo Machiavelli join their considerable forces in this teeming historical thriller. . . . They make an exceptional team.” —Daily News