Murder and political intrigue are the key elements in this mystery novel set in exotic and politically tense 13th century Sicily. "Murder at the Leopard" uses a detailed knowledge of the period and locale with many of the characters taken straight out of the mosaic of original 13th and 14th century Sicilian contracts. A glittering commercial prize in the wars and politics of the Mediterranean, Sicily has been variously ruled by Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans and the Holy Roman Empire. Ironically, the island's current peace and prosperity has come about only through the oppressive and exploitative 15-year rule of Charles of Anjou, brother to Louis IX, soon to be St. Louis, King of France. Despite the spiritual atmosphere of Holy Week festivities in 1281 Palermo, an angry tension simmering among the native populace rides uneasily just below the surface calm. Still, most residents go about their daily lives as the political intrigue plays out in Naples, the site of Charles' royal court. Charles' justice system becomes reality, however, when a drunken wealthy merchant is murdered in Palermo's streets after leaving The Leopard, a neighborhood tavern.
The owner, Amodeus de Rogerio, takes the murder personally. Unfortunately, he's also the prime suspect and is incarcerated within hours of the murder. His saucy wife, Ysabella, is left with their newly opened business, their 8 year old scamp of a son, and only a limited time to find the real culprit. With streets teeming with paupers and pilgrims, friars and farmers, aristocrats and almoners, all in town for the holidays, Ysabella finds many suspects, both strangers and friends. A second murder soon follows, and the reputation of The Leopard is on the line. Regular customers are fearful of being the next victim, and the multitude of visitors in town for Holy Week don't want to drink in a murderer's den either. In her quest to restore The Leopard's good name and save her husband, Ysabella and her family uncover illicit love affairs, long-kept secrets, and rebel spies. But will she find the killer before the hangman's noose finds her husband? Murder at the Leopard is the first book of a trilogy of murder mysteries set in 13th century Sicily written by RM Vassari and Lucia Olivia Lampe.
The "Vespers Series" is set between 1281 and 1283, a period of violence and tension that saw the overthrow of French Angevin rule by an island-wide uprising known now as the Sicilian Vespers. The tales are richly woven using a detailed knowledge of the period and locale, with many of the characters taken from real life.