Staff Pick: Perspectives
Published on 26th August 2025
Renaissance Florence is the setting for this murder mystery in Laurent Binet’s historical novel Perspectives. On New Year’s Day, 1577, Jacopo da Pontormo is found murdered before his pièce de résistance that he worked on for over a decade. The only clue: a repainted section of the fresco that was not done by Pontormo’s hand. Art historian turned detective, Giorgio Vasari, is tasked with uncovering the murderer at the request of Duke Cosimo de’ Medici.
The drama of Florentine society unfolds in the letters between well-known correspondents, such as Michaelangelo, Bronzino and Eleanor of Toledo. No one is ruled out as a suspect.
It’s an entertaining read and makes you feel as if you are reading through the gossip columns of the 1500s. Although I initially found it difficult to keep track of the names of the 20 correspondents and who they were, I eventually got into the rhythm of the story. The colourful cast of characters each have their own hidden agendas and motives. If you’re a fan of art, drama and murder mysteries, then this is the novel for you.
Borrow the book today from your local library!
Emily Sheehy, Ballymun Library