Interesting and good historical content of intrigue and plotting from the mid 16th century Venice, as well as how society worked then with their strange societal landscape. I had thought there would be more of the female assassin focus but the bulk of the mystery/thriller aspect came in the second half. 

A lot of the book was painting the picture of a Venice Courtesan - basically a mix of a Geisha and a high end, well educated Escort or prostitute. I felt like most of the first half of the story was about Valentina’s and her fellow courtesan’s world with navigating all her clients - still interesting but not what I thought I was getting into. That being said, I enjoyed the second half a lot more than the first. 

I did enjoy the friendships and loyalty of the women in the book. It painted a great picture of having each other’s backs in a world of men. 

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine.