Loyalty by Lisa Scottoline ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

I'm catching up on my backlogged TBR pile and I recently picked up Loyalty by Lisa Scottoline. It is a bit different than the other Scottoline books I've read. It is historical fiction set in Sicily. There is a bit of the suspense that Scottoline is known for.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

March 2023; G.P. Putnam's Sons; 978-0525539803
audio, ebook, print (432 pages); historical fiction

I can't say that this is my favorite Scottoline book but it definitely had its interesting moments. I think it was more the time period that I didn't like rather than the actual story. I don't think an actual time frame is given but I would think that it is the early 1800s.

This was a really corrupt and unenlightened period of time. The period's corruption, poverty, and lawlessness were a poignant backdrop for the story.

The story begins with the kidnapping of a young boy who is then "hidden" away at an insane asylum (or madhouse as it is referred to). The doctor just goes through the motions of diagnosing the boy with madness and has him locked up. There is no medical treatment for the people here. They are just locked up and forgotten about. It's really sad and depressing especially since this was true of the time period.

What I found most interesting was the storyline involving the rise of the first mafia family. I had heard the term "self-made men" in relation to crime families in the U.S. And seeing how this mafia formed really underscored this term. At first, these men were hired to protect the lemon groves and the product when it went to market. Through their scheming, they made themselves into wealthy landowners in their own right.

The storylines merge together but not in ways you will expect.

I like when authors provide insight into the historical record that they based their books on. Scottoline provides a number of resources both in terms of a reading list at the end of the book as well as other materials on her website. This is great because the story did pique my interest in the time period and the region.

Buy Loyalty at Amazon 

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour. 

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