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The Second Duchess Elizabeth Loupas Books

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The Second Duchess Elizabeth Loupas Books

...You'll love The Second Duchess.

Barbara of Austria, daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor, has no illusions about love in marriage. She accepted the hand of Duke Alfonso d'Este to escape a life in the convent--even though rumors that he murdered his first Duchess swirl through every court of Europe. Familiar with such gossip, Barbara is willing to give her new husband the benefit of the doubt. But he proves to be arrogant and high-handed from the first; just the sort of man who might stop at nothing to dispense with a promiscuous, unwanted young wife not noble enough for his taste.

Marriage proves to be much different than Barbara expected, as she finds herself both attracted and repelled by her handsome, dangerous husband. Against Alfonso's express command, Barbara begins to snoop into the circumstances surrounding Lucrezia's death, and shortly discovers that somebody--or several somebodies--are arranging her own.

The malevolent ghost of Lucrezia hovers nearby, watching the goings-on and commenting acidly, feeding the reader little snips of information on the various players: the Duke himself; his venial aunt, Abbess of the convent where Lucrezia was either murdered, or died of `an imbalance of humours' or took her own life; the duke's woman-hating best friend; his brother, the Cardinal; his spiteful sister, displaced as first lady of Ferarra; Lucrezia's crafty father, Duke Cosimo I of Florence, through his double-dealing ambassador--there seem to be no shortage of people who had reason to want the first Duchess dead. Reasons that might also include killing the next one.

Elizabeth has done a wonderful job evoking the ambiance of a renaissance court. There are no anachronistic `moderns in fancy-dress' people in these pages: deeply religious and/or superstitious, the characters illustrate the wide variety of the sixteenth century, while still demonstrating the human urges common to all ages. As circumstances unfold, they change believably in response, and she carries the reader's sympathies along with them. I especially enjoyed what Elizabeth did with the pathetic, fading ghost of Lucrezia.

I'm even going to forgive her for keeping me, an early riser, up until 2 AM!


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The Second Duchess Elizabeth Loupas Books Reviews

Barbara of Austria weds Alfonso d’Este, Duke of Ferrara, his first wife Lucrezia Medici having found her grave prematurely, possibly murdered. The rumors are that Alfonso poisoned her in revenge for (real or imagined) indiscretions. Barbara tries to ignore the rumors, and despite the fascination of her husband’s intellect and appreciation of the arts, his coldness and certain glints in his eye, never allow his young wife or the reader to drop the suspicions the rumors raise. Loupas’s masterful creation of Barbara’s character follows historical sources, but the novel version of Barbara is a study of a resourceful intelligence determined to find the truth, and discovers that good people can indeed commit heinous crimes, and moreover, evil people can sometimes do the right thing! Thanks, Ms. Loupas for this gem!
A riveting historical novel of love, intrigue, and mystery set in Renaissance Italy. Barbara of Austria becomes the Duke of Ferrara's second wife, but cannot stop herself from investigating the suspicious death of his first wife, the beautiful and wild Lucrezia de' Medici. Lucrezia's alleged murder at the hands of the brooding and violent duke is the subject of Robert Browning's famous poem "The Last Duchess," which was the inspiration for this novel.

Browning's poem may have been the inspiration, but Elizabeth Loupas really took the story above and beyond to a whole new level. There are decadent descriptions of Ferrarese court life--the dresses, the food, the jewels, the elaborate entertainments. Barbara of Austria is no shrinking violet--she's portrayed as a canny and intelligent woman who, despite her inner fear, manages to hold her own against her temperamental husband. The Duke Il Este, Alfonso, is violent and brooding, but also fairly complex and unpredictable.

The mystery in this book is very well done. It's fast-paced without skimping on historical detail or character development. What I liked the best was the inclusion of Lucrezia's point of view. She (or rather, her ghost) interjects at the end of every chapter, presenting a different perspective and dropping tantalizing hints that kept me turning the pages. I would highly recommend this book for all historical fiction fans, especially fans of historical mysteries.
...You'll love The Second Duchess.

Barbara of Austria, daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor, has no illusions about love in marriage. She accepted the hand of Duke Alfonso d'Este to escape a life in the convent--even though rumors that he murdered his first Duchess swirl through every court of Europe. Familiar with such gossip, Barbara is willing to give her new husband the benefit of the doubt. But he proves to be arrogant and high-handed from the first; just the sort of man who might stop at nothing to dispense with a promiscuous, unwanted young wife not noble enough for his taste.

Marriage proves to be much different than Barbara expected, as she finds herself both attracted and repelled by her handsome, dangerous husband. Against Alfonso's express command, Barbara begins to snoop into the circumstances surrounding Lucrezia's death, and shortly discovers that somebody--or several somebodies--are arranging her own.

The malevolent ghost of Lucrezia hovers nearby, watching the goings-on and commenting acidly, feeding the reader little snips of information on the various players the Duke himself; his venial aunt, Abbess of the convent where Lucrezia was either murdered, or died of `an imbalance of humours' or took her own life; the duke's woman-hating best friend; his brother, the Cardinal; his spiteful sister, displaced as first lady of Ferarra; Lucrezia's crafty father, Duke Cosimo I of Florence, through his double-dealing ambassador--there seem to be no shortage of people who had reason to want the first Duchess dead. Reasons that might also include killing the next one.

Elizabeth has done a wonderful job evoking the ambiance of a renaissance court. There are no anachronistic `moderns in fancy-dress' people in these pages deeply religious and/or superstitious, the characters illustrate the wide variety of the sixteenth century, while still demonstrating the human urges common to all ages. As circumstances unfold, they change believably in response, and she carries the reader's sympathies along with them. I especially enjoyed what Elizabeth did with the pathetic, fading ghost of Lucrezia.

I'm even going to forgive her for keeping me, an early riser, up until 2 AM!