Reviews
"This superior
religious artifact quest thriller from Carcaterra (Sleepers)
careens through the streets of Florence with quick stops at various
museums and galleries for interesting sidebars on the life and work of
Michelangelo ("the Divine One"). Two major groups are trying to find
three Michelangelo statues, the Midnight Angels, long thought to be myth
rather than reality: the secretive Vittoria Society, whose members
locate stolen and lost art objects and return them to their rightful
owners, and the Immortals, led by the Raven, a master thief who's as
dangerous as he is ruthless. Early on, Kate Westcott, an American art
student in Florence and the ward of the Vittoria Society's leader,
tracks down the Midnight Angels, aided by her handsome Italian
boyfriend, Marco. Many people die as Kate and friends fight to prevent
the Immortals from stealing the Angels. The author's solid,
well-executed premise will keep readers turning the pages."
–- Publishers Weekly
"Midnight Angels is a riveting and ingenious read that will
keep you turning the pages until the wee hours. Carcaterra
knows Italy well and he brings the city of Florence to life
in all its dark and bloody splendor. This book crackles with
action, fabulous characters, witty dialog, and fine,
literate writing. If you want to read a real book with a
truly gripping art historical backdrop, pick up Midnight
Angels."
–- Douglas
Preston, author of The Monster of Florence
“Lorenzo Carcaterra knows gritty storytelling, knows Italy,
and pulls the two together as only he could in this masterful thriller.
Midnight Angels is a true page-turner, but you’ll want to linger on
every last paragraph like an early evening stroll through Florence.”
–- Alafair Burke,
author of 212
"Author Lorenzo Carcaterra, who is known for his work as a
writer/producer on the TV series “Law and Order" as well as the movie
“Sleepers,” delivers a highly charged story with “Midnight Angels.”
Packed with thrilling chases, intriguing characters, and vivid
descriptions of Florentine culture and landscapes, the
novel keeps up a dizzying pace with its captivating storyline."
–- Las Vegas Review
"This is an action packed thriller that grips the audience
from the moment the American student and her Italian boyfriend begin exploring the streets of Florence and never slows down
as readers
will join them on their perilous tour. Fast-paced and filled with
action, fans relish this exhilarating art world thriller as the two
secretive societies and the Rome Art Squad, all with different
intentions, converge on Kate and Marco."
–- Genre Go Round Reviews
"Carcaterra, best known for the
bestseller “Sleepers” that became a film starring Brad Pitt, makes his
own case for literary stardom here with an elegantly crafted tale that
follows the pursuit of three statues fashioned by Michelangelo himself.
Kate Westcott, an American art student studying in Florence, takes
center stage in the quest, accompanied by her handsome playboy boy
friend Marco. Their efforts are both aided and later opposed by the
mysterious Vittoria Society who, along with a much more violent group
known as the Immortals, have their own nefarious reasons for wanting the
statues in handTreasure hunts always make for fun reading, but
Carcaterra imbues the classy “Midnight Angels” with a savvy sense of the
surprisingly cutthroat art world. This is the book Dan Brown wanted to
write before he lost himself in “The Lost Symbol.” A smooth and sultry
portrait of intrigue that never wavers or disappoints, drawn in broad
brush strokes colored red for blood."
–-Jon land, The Providence Journal
"Lorenzo Carcaterra, a former
writer/producer of Law & Order, stages his latest novel against the
dramatic backdrop of the fabled Renaissance city Florence, Italy. This
story of mystery and suspense revolves around Kate Westcott, an art
historian, who travels to Florence to study the work of Michelangelo.
With Marco Scudarti, a fellow art student, she discovers a secret
chamber in a corridor that has been sealed since the time of the Medicis.
In the chamber are Michelangelo’s Midnight Angels, three incredible
sculptures, which could be either the find of a lifetime or the
beginning of a nightmare. The Italian setting is so intimate and
sensual, the characters and plot seem to leap from the printed page.
Fast paced and brilliantly written, this book rings so true it grips
readers and holds them until the very last page."
–- Larry Cox, Tucson Citizen
"MIDNIGHT ANGELS is loads of fun and
packed with serious tension. Chock-full of thrilling chase scenes,
Lorenzo Carcaterra’s latest is sure to please mystery fans as well as
travel hounds, history lovers and art aficionados."
–-
Kate Ayers, Book Reporter
"Lorenzo Carcaterra, author of the
best-selling novel "Sleepers" and other gritty crime novels, jumps on
the Dan Brown ("The Da Vinci Code") bandwagon with his latest novel,
"Midnight Angels." The thriller follows Kate Wescott, an American art
history student, on a romp through Florence, Italy, in search of a lost
Michelangelo masterpiece ? three angel sculptures known as the Midnight
Angels.
Treasure hunting is in Kate's blood. Kate's parents were the founders of
the secretive Vittoria Society (named for Signora Vittoria Colonna, the
only woman ever known to have captured Michelango's heart), a collection
of artists, historians and treasure hunters dedicated to finding lost
works of art and returning them to their rightful owners. When Kate was
a small child, her parents were murdered during a quest. She ws raised
by professor Richard Dylan Edwards, a member of the Vittoria Society who
nurtured Kate's interest in art and prepared her to take her place in
the society. In Kate's search to find and safeguard the Midnight Angels,
she is aided by her handsome Italian boyfriend, Marco, and watched over
by Edwards and the Vittoria Society. Also watching are members of
another secret society, the Immortals. The Immortals are also treasure
hunters, but their motives are not so altruistic. Led by the mysterious
figure known as the Raven, the murderous Immortals seek art only for the
highest price it will fetch on the black market. As if two shadowy
groups were not enough, Kate and Marco also have to contend with Antonio
Rumore, a detective from the Rome Art Squad, an elite police unit that
recovers stolen art. Kate and Marco have quite an adventure on their
hands as they lead the secret societies and the police on a fast-paced
chase through the streets of Florence. "Midnight Angels" offers plenty
of action and some fun Michelango factoids ? he apparently suffered from
constipation and complained about it often (no veggies in Renaissance
Italy). "Midnight Angels" is a slick and entertaining summertime
diversion..."
–- Julie Williamson, Deseret
News
"Piazza Santa Croce, Uffizi Gallery, Ponte Vecchio, the magnificent
Duomo: All familiar sites to those who have traveled to Florence, Italy.
One author who knows the magnificent city of the Medicis backward and
forward is Lorenzo Carcaterra, a movie script writer (Law and Order)
who has visited Italy every year since he was a wee lad. For those
who can’t afford to go, for those who have already been, but forgotten
much, Carcaterra’s new thriller is just the ticket.
“Midnight Angels” interweaves the rich tapestry of Florence with the
adventures of Kate Westcott, an art historian who comes to Florence to
study the work of Michelangelo. She already knows a lot about the fabled
artist, but discovers more with her pal Marco Scudarti, another art
student. Wandering the cobblestoned streets of the beautiful city
they stumble into a secret room in a corridor that has been sealed and
forgotten since the time of the Medicis. Inside, they discover three
sculptures that have never before been seen, only rumored to exist: the
Midnight Angels.
What a find. And what a danger! Art thieves are on their tails, as is
the Rome Art Squad.
Everyone wants the Midnight Angels. Are Kate and Marco still in the
ballgame?"
–-Dave Wood, New Richmond
Times
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