The 17th century Papal Court is glittering and vicious . . .

Brilliant composer Nicolo Gallo is drawn to Rome seeking fame and a benefactor. The greatest artistic patrons in the city are the Barberini brothers: nephews of the Pope and wealthy, ruthless princes of the church. Their family is the ultimate power in a city that values power above piety—and their influence is far from benign.

Joining the life of sumptuous spectacles and glorious music at the Palazzo Barberini, Nicolo is drawn into a volatile triangle with fiercely ambitious soprano, Leonora Baroni, and impetuous, superstar castrato, Marc’Antonio Pasqualini. The three are bound by music and much more.

As Nicolo and Leonora strive to rise in Rome’s competitive musical hierarchy, each faces a stark decision: achievement beyond their dreams, or love.

Leonora chooses artistic achievement. An audacious decision at a time when females cannot perform outside private salons. Yet Leonora rises to become a serious rival to the greatest castrato of the era.

Nicolo chooses love. And not just any love—love for Marc’Antonio, the powerful Cardinal Antonio Barberini’s unwilling paramour.

Then Nicolo becomes ill. He believes he has been poisoned. Marc’Antonio and Leonora must overcome their mutual loathing to try to save their beloved friend, and to gather evidence. Because Nicolo is certain who is trying to kill him. But certitude and truth often diverge. It appears that Nicolo has made multiple enemies.

The characters in The Cardinal’s Nightingale don’t just write and perform opera in all its theatrical glory; they live opera with all the drama and serpentine plot-twists that implies.

Praise for The Cardinal’s Nightingale:

“Brilliant! Readers will be consumed by the tender male love story and the tale of a fierce female soprano determined to be recognized for her talents that intertwine to form this novel’s heart. Oh, and there’s a crime to solve. As The Cardinal’s Nightingale unfolds, readers must make up their minds not only who is guilty of the crime of poisoning, but more importantly: if we all must die, what is worth living for?”

Michelle Moran
Bestselling author of Cleopatra’s Daughter

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“Atmospheric and intoxicating.”

Simon Turney
Author of Caligula

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“Vivid, sensory and unputdownable. The Cardinal’s Nightingale offers readers a romantic and engaging story, embroidered with music and staged against the background of 17th century Rome, a city of danger, seduction, and unfettered power.”

Carol McGrath
Author of The She Wolf Queens Trilogy