Publisher's Weekly Review
In this less than successful thriller with supernatural trimmings from Masello (Blood and Ice), Dante expert David Franco, whose beloved sister, Sarah, has advanced breast cancer, unexpectedly gets an offer that could enable him to save her life. Kathryn Van Owen, a major donor to the Chicago academic library where he works, asks him to track down a mirror bearing an image of the legendary Medusa, which she claims was crafted by Renaissance artist Benvenuto Cellini. Success would lead not only to a promotion but to a $1 million reward that could be applied to Sarah's treatment. The trail takes Franco to Florence and Paris, where he's pursued by the usual assortment of shadowy assassins and aided by Olivia Levi, an attractive Italian tour guide and scholar with her own offbeat theories. The burgeoning romance and frequent brushes with death all follow formula, while the conceit that the mirror holds the secret of eternal life fails to convince. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Some mysterious people want to get their hands on an ancient mirror, La Medusa, that is rumored to have mystical powers. Some other people (equally mysterious but apparently quite evil, too) will do anything, up to and including murder, to keep the mirror's whereabouts a secret. In the middle stands David Franco, a young art historian, who is going to risk his own life although he doesn't know that right away to find the mirror. Blood and Ice (2009), the author's previous novel, was a rousing action-horror adventure. This book is rather less rousing, due to its slower pace and more familiar ancient-conspiracy theme (and the frequent exposition-clogged narrative passages). It's a good book, though, with a solid story and a likable protagonist, but it feels overlong. A little judicious pruning might have turned it from a good book to a great one, but devout fans of conspiracy-themed thrillers should find it to their liking.--Pitt, David Copyright 2010 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Benvenuto Cellini was a master artisan of Renaissance Italy. He was also a necromancer. Combining these two talents, he created a powerful and dangerous amulet crafted from the legendary Medusa's pond after slaying her. This amulet granted the user eternal life but was lost in the mists of time. Jump ahead to the present day. David Franco, a young scholar at Chicago's Newberry Library, is approached by a mysterious woman searching for the amulet. He is offered significant financial compensation and the assurance that this treasure will heal his dying sister. Before long, David starts his globe-trotting adventure and is caught in a centuries-old life-and-death struggle. -VERDICT Masello's (Blood and Ice; Bestiary) latest thriller is an engrossing and fun read. While similar in content to the novels of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child and historical detail to Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian, this work adds a supernatural twist. Recommended for those who like to delve into the past. [Library marketing.]-Jennifer Zoethout, Pickering P.L., Ont. (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.