The Rossetti Letter (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: carabinieri office, Andrew Kent, Spanish Conspiracy, Alessandra Rossetti (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

When the Venetian courtesan Alessandra Rossetti wrote a letter that exposed the 1618 Spanish Conspiracy, Venice was saved. Four hundred years later in Phillips's lovingly researched half-historical, half-contemporary debut, Claire Donovan, an American graduate student, struggles to finish her dissertation on the courtesan's brave act. Claire attends a Venice conference to check out the work of British superstar historian Andrew Kent, who sees Rossetti as nothing more than the pawn of very powerful men in a diplomatic double cross: once Andrew's work is published, his ideas could derail Claire's fledgling career. Phillips, developing parallel plots, unspools Alessandra's story directly to the reader in detail denied Claire and Andrew, who overcome their initial animosity to solve the greater mystery. Academic machinations and missing manuscripts soon add complications. Further, Claire has to deal with her difficult teenage charge, Gwendolyn Fy, and with Giancarlo Baldessari, a handsome and rich admirer. Andrew has to deal with his gorgeous harridan of an Italian girlfriend—and, inevitably, his growing attraction to Claire. Such a profusion of textual plots and characters spread out over past and present recalls A.S. Byatt's Possession, but Phillips, while not aiming as high, misses her mark. Despite a nicely detailed Venice, a clear affection for the main characters and extensive period touches, Phillips's ambitious debut founders long before its predictable happy ending. (Mar.)
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From Booklist

With impeccable research into seventeenth-century Venetian politics, Phillips plots an intriguing literary suspense debut novel contrasted with the delightful modern romance between two rival academics. For Claire Donovan, it is critical that her thesis regarding the role of Alessandra Rossetti, a Venetian courtesan in the Spanish conspiracy to overthrow the Venetian government, be accepted as her entry into her chosen profession. On learning that an academic conference in Venice features a Cambridge professor who may refute her theories, she is desperate enough to take on the thankless task of chaperoning a troubled teen to Venice to finance her trip. Not only will a Harvard doctorate fulfill Claire's academic aspirations, it will also be her ticket out of the bad memories of a failed marriage. The parallel tale of Alessandra Rossetti gives the reader a compelling look at the mind of an intellectually curious young woman forced into the life of a courtesan because of poverty and loss of family. Moving effortlessly from the seventeenth to the twenty-first century and back, Phillips crafts an entertaining story with intrigue, espionage, and romance in both centuries. Laurie Sundborg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Pocket; First Edition. 1 in number line edition (March 6, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416527370
• ISBN-13: 978-1416527374
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 5.8 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #888,691 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars delightful combination historical fiction and contemporary academic romantic mystery, March 10, 2007

By	Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews (#1 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

PH.D candidate Claire Donovan's thesis focuses on the role courtesan Alessandra Rossetti played in preventing a Spanish Conspiracy to overthrow the Venetian Republic government in 1618. A letter written by Rossetti is the primary source for Claire's paper and related efforts to obtain recognition for the seventeenth century heroine amongst historians.

Cambridge University History Professor Andrew Kent disagrees with Claire's basic premise. He feels the evidence is rather strong that Rossetti abetted the Spanish cause to remove from power the Venetian government. His efforts if proven correct destroy her thesis. Andrew and Claire agree to work together to uncover the truth behind the renowned Venetian courtesan.

Mindful in some ways of Lauren Willig's Eloise Kelly tales, THE ROSSETTI LETTER is a delightful combination historical fiction and contemporary academic romantic mystery. Due to rotating perspective, readers ironically know more about Rossetti and the 1618 Spanish Conspiracy than the history professor and the graduate student. Though some minor subplots like those involving Andrew's Italian girlfriend and Claire's Italian suitor and her chaperoning a fourteen years old teenage "ward provide some insight into their characters, these feel intrusive as the prime theme is for the modern day academic "sleuths" to uncover the almost four century old secrets of what occurred. Overall fans will enjoy this entertaining historiography tale seen through rose colored glasses.

Harriet Klausner

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A disappointment - 17th Century Story much better than the modern one, June 10, 2007

By	A. Johnson - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I picked this up off of a table of new books at Barnes and Noble, and was extremely disappointed. This book was set in the 17th century and modern times. Alessandra Rossetti was a significantly more compelling character than the modern Claire. This would have been fine if four-fifths of the book was Alessandra, but four-fifths of the book followed Claire. Claire's story was cliched. I simply did not believe that she had finished all of her doctorate but her dissertation in early modern european history, specializing in Venice and could not read Italian with sufficient speed.

Perhaps if you are a fan of romantic suspense this book would be enjoyable. However, at many points I had to put it down because I was frustrated with the plot. I did give it three stars, because I did very much enjoy the 17th century story. If that had been the whole book, I would have given it five stars.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful narrative with a vivid portrait of Venice now and then, April 3, 2007

By	Stephanie Cowell (New York, New York United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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THE ROSSETTI LETTER follows two engrossing stories. First, the young courtesan, forced by necessity into that profession in early seventeenth century Venice and her involvement in the Spanish conspiracy. Second, the contemporary historian Claire who goes to search for the truth of the courtesan in the Venice of today, dragging a troublesome 14-year-old girl whom she must chaperone for the week, finding possible love and wonderful ancient letters and libraries along the way. A mystery slowly evolves along with an old tragic love story and a possible quirky new one. I loved it as a reader and as a fellow novelist -- I am the author of Penguin's MARRYING MOZART.