Maggie Rose

MAGGIE ROSE'S NOVEL DARK DANTE REVIEWS Top review from Amazon, United Kingdom R. J. Peckham MAGGIE ROSE SIX BULLET POINTS She was born, brought up and educated in the Northwest of England before moving to Italy. She lives and works in Milan and spends long periods in Scotland for her writing and theatre work. She is a member of the Scottish Society of Playwrights. She is a dramatist, teacher and translator She teaches British Theatre Studies and Performance at Milan University, where The M.A. programme combines theory and practice, sometimes including the contribution of dramatists and theatre practitioners from the UK and Italy. One of her passions is building cultural bridges between the UK and Italy. She hopes Dark Dante, as well as being an entertaining mystery thriller, will work as one of those bridges After twenty or so plays, a documentary and many critical works, Dark Dante is her first novel Her favourite place for rehearsing and discovering more about Shakespeare and his plays is a garden setting Dark Dante (Troubador, October 2021, available on Amazon) unfolds in Florence in the spring of 2000, exactly seven hundred years after Dante Alighieri set his Inferno there; disgusted with the corruption of his contemporaries, the poet decides to punish the ill-doers of his day in his magnificent poem. In this engaging and evocative mystery thriller, a string of horrendous murders is committed in quick succession. Seeing that the Italian police are making little headway finding the culprit, Maria Farrell, the niece of the first victim, Peter Farrell, decides to investigate. Because of a family feud, she never met Peter, a specialist in art history, who lived in Florence most of his life. A theatre director from Manchester, Maria shrewdly exploits her professional skills and knowledge of Shakespeare’s theatre in her attempt to solve the murders. Caught in a web of mystery and grappling to understand the mindset of the Italians she encounters, this unusual detective follows “the Dante trail”, in the conviction that somebody in Florence, obsessed by Dante, may have decided to mete out the punishments described in the Inferno all those centuries before. Maria’s investigation reveals much about her uncle Peter and the fascinating medley of friends in his inner circle. And importantly a growing friendship with one of the detectives on the murder case leads Maria to reconsider her priorities in life. About to leave for England, she resolves to return to Florence very soon to see her new friend and hopefully discover more about the enigmatic figure of ‘Dark Dante’ REVIEWS from Goodreads Robin Price Apr 15, 2022 Robin Price rated it it was amazing The author has a keen intellect which is put to good purpose in this novel. Her thoughts on Shakespeare and Dante add a rich texture to a beautifully written and absorbing plot. There's mystery and intrigue, a minimum of graphic detail, all woven into the tapestry of a Florence shown with warts and all. I absolutely loved this book. It's a perfect novel for anyone who likes Donna Leon, Kate Ellis, Andrea Camilleri and Elly Griffiths. Five stars are not enough to do it justice. (less) Top review from Amazon, United Kingdom R. J. Peckham 5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining read Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 September 2021 I greatly enjoyed reading Dark Dante ! It is brilliant how the author has woven Dante into the plot. Not that I ever knew much about Dante, but I know a little bit more now... I found it very entertaining to read, and it moves along at a good pace keeping the reader interested and intrigued. It also provides so many insights into the Italian memes and mores, as well as amusing comparisons with the Brits, their different attitudes to politics, style etc. Seems to me it promises to be a big success. Riccardo Cassarino, translator and teacher Maggie Rose takes you on a twisted, full-fledged Dantesque journey into Florence’s magical but mysterious vicoli at the dawn of the new millenium. Rose’s is a veiled Florence, concealing eerie crevices and corners that were not meant to see light. Follow the Dante trail with Maria Farrell, the protagonist, and unravel the intricate web of compelling mystery, obscure connections and concealed truths, both past and present, to which, as well as Dante’s Inferno, Shakespeare is the key: like Prince Hamlet, Maria believes that ‘readiness is all’. By turns dark and exciting, Dark Dante is a book you will find hard to put down. Rating: 4 out of 5 stars, Amazon and Goodreads. I recently read The Divine Comedy and so I found this book really interesting, it is such a great and unique premise that had me on the edge of my seat and wondering what would happen next. A great read Member Profile: https://www.netgalley.com/publisher/member/865607 Thank you, The NetGalley Team Dana Horahger-Rufolo, theatre critic and writer 5,0 su 5 stelle I couldn't put this thriller down. Recensito in Germania il 10 ottobre 2021 Acquisto verificato This book is really interesting and I couldn't stop myself from reading it at one long sitting. Everything meshes and works together, and the theme of copying criminal incidents Dante describes is buried in the book. I would have liked a bit more remorse on the part of the criminal, but that may be why I generally avoid murder mysteries. Amazon, Germany. Jan Sewell 5.0 out of 5 stars A real page-turner Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 October 2021 Florence and the gorgeous Tuscan landscape are the setting for a series of horrific murders with a glamorous, eccentric cast of suspects in Maggie Rose’s page-turning thriller - an extraordinary debut novel. Cliente da 10 anni 4,0 su 5 stelle Enthralling Recensito in Italia il 25 ottobre 2021 Acquisto verificato Quite an absorbing story. Because of my acquaintance on the Grand Tour I’ve been particularly taken by the plot regarding the complex relationship between the English and Italy. Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. Member Profile: https://www.netgalley.com/publisher/member/512077 Thank you, The NetGalley Team Rating: 4 out of 5 stars Full Text: Dark Dante by Maggie Rose is an intriguing mystery that has its dark moments as well as a great deal of less ominous moments. Using Dante's work as a plot device is a double edge sword, though I think it is pulled off pretty well. When a classic text is offered as part of a plot, readers come to the story with varying expectations. Some will want every detail to speak to that work, in this case Dante's Inferno. Some, which is the group I fall into, are content with it playing enough of a part without being obtrusive to the current story. I think there is enough allusion to the Inferno to satisfy most of both groups. I also don't think it matters what the reader's familiarity with Dante is either. I would imagine that someone who has only heard of it or only read it once will enjoy it. I don't know how many times I've read the Commedia or how many translations (I happen to prefer Ciardi's verse translation though prose translations are good for casual reading). I used Ciardi when I taught so that is my most read. That familiarity with Dante did not detract from enjoying the story. So I do think that if how much or how little Dante is here is why someone didn't enjoy this novel it might speak more to posturing than actual dissatisfaction. What I also liked was the use of drama, primarily Shakespeare, in the story as well. The play between the cultures within which each was created and how they are now perceived and "used" made for a nice undercurrent throughout the book. There may be something available to answer my next question but I really just didn't look. I am wondering if this is the beginning of a series, whether a "Dante" series or more generally a Maria Farrell series. The slower pace and the background of several characters made this feel a lot like a first book in a series. Many such books spend a little more time on things that let you know about the potentially returning characters, and I think those elements in this book is what might make some feel it was slow. I personally thought it was nicely paced, though admittedly slower than many mystery/thrillers. I would recommend this to readers who like methodical mysteries and especially ones with literary references. If you lean more toward the thriller than the mystery genre it may be more iffy for you, but if you like literary allusions that will push it over to the positive side for you. graham w 4.0 out of 5 stars A great can't put down read Reviewed in France on November 7, 2021 Verified Purchase Loved it! Read it in two straight sittings, couldn’t put it down. And really appreciated the insight into Italian culture. A passion for art and literature is so well conveyed through the characters and scenario. The little details that make each character credible and the places so real. IL MANIFESTO, 6 gennaio 2022 Itala Vivan Dentro un castello medievale si dipana una intricata matassa delittuosa «Dark Dante», l’esordio letterario di Maggie Rose rientra nel genere thriller. È un romanzo ambientato in Toscana, tra Firenze e i colli senesi, e percorre la vita di Maria Farrell. Itala Vivan L’Inghilterra, come si sa, è la patria della detective story classica, anche se le colorazioni più accese del thriller contemporaneo sono di derivazione americana. Ed ecco che nell’anno delle celebrazioni dantesche la scrittrice inglese Maggie Rose contribuisce alla festa con un movimentato romanzo giallo, Dark Dante. A Mystery Thriller (Troubador Publishing Ltd, pp. 277) che compare appunto in Inghilterra ma è ambientato a Firenze e ispirato all’Inferno. Vi si racconta come il giorno di Pasqua del 2000 – a 700 anni esatti dal giorno in cui l’Alighieri intraprese il suo viaggio nell’aldilà – la giovane regista teatrale Maria Farrell venga bruscamente svegliata, a Manchester, da una telefonata mattutina che l’informa che suo zio Peter, noto storico dell’arte, è stato assassinato nell'appartamento fiorentino dove da molti anni risiedeva. In quanto erede. Maria è convocata dal notaio dello zio, e prende il primo aereo per l’Italia, abbandonando la compagnia teatrale con cui stava preparando un importante debutto nella sua città. A Firenze viene inghiottita dal bizzarro ambiente frequentato dallo zio – un’eccentrica mescolanza di nobili toscani anglofili, anziane signore ingioiellate, e ambigui personaggi corrotti – scoprendo i fili sotterranei del sottobosco del mercato di reperti archeologici trafugati da abili lestofanti che si servono del giro dei tombaroli locali. Mentre l’incapace polizia italiana non riesce a individuare i responsabili dei delitti che si susseguono a catena, l’astuta regista inglese intuisce che i crimini compongono un puzzle la cui chiave sta nel testo dell’Inferno. Così, fra una vacanza sui colli senesi e un soggiorno in un caratteristico castello medievale, Maria Farrell riesce a dipanare l’intricata matassa criminale e anche a trovare un nuovo amore tutto italiano. E approfitta dell’avventura per rifarsi il guardaroba in perfetto Italian style. Il romanzo è una divertente cavalcata mozzafiato attraverso l’esotico mondo angloitaliano che prospera a Firenze e che qui viene visto con una ironia bonaria che ne accentua, sorridendo, gli stereotipi. Il lettore inglese vi troverà, insieme ai versi danteschi, anche delle interessanti piste per itinerari di viaggio, e più ancora per delle esplorazioni gastronomiche in quella cucina italiana che è da sempre una delle maggiori attrazioni turistiche del nostro paese. Maggie Rose, cui dobbiamo questo libro attraente, è nata nel nord della Gran Bretagna ma vive a Milano. dove insegna teatro all’Università degli Studi. È autrice di testi teatrali e regista, accreditata presso la Scottish Society of Playwrights e lo Scotland’s Playwrights Studio. Dark Dante. A Mystery Thriller è il suo primo romanzo. ________________________________________ INTERVIEWS AND PODCASTS Talk Radio Europe, the Book Programme. Interviewer, Hannah Murray, 18 October at 5pm (UK time) Listen to the interview: https://www.talkradioeurope.com/clients/mrose091121.mp3 Swiss Radio, Interviewer, Michaela Daghini, for Seidisera-Magazine, Saturday 18 December 2021 Listen to the interview: https://www.rsi.ch/rete-uno/programmi/intrattenimento/seidisera-magazine/Seidisera-Magazine-14901114.html?f=podcast-shows Read the interview in Rebcat online magazine www.rebcatcreations.com/magazine Listen to Rebcat’s podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1pYiaZBCdpfLIexs1ldlFq?si=pmlPnBOnSIyq5OJXf9jN6g&utm_source=whatsapp ARTICLES The Florentine, November 2021 https://www.theflorentine.net/2021/11/18/books-inspired-by-tuscany-for-cool-weather-reading/ Trip Fiction, November 2021 https://www.tripfiction.com/talking-location-with-author-maggie-rose-florence/