A Comedy of Murders

Here is the wittiest historical mystery to come along since "The Name of the Rose." "A Comedy of Murders" stars as amateur sleuths the unlikely duo of Leonardo da Vinci and a young dwarf. The court of the Duke of Milan is in turmoil. In this autumn of 1498 there are threats from within and without. The French are preparing to march across the Alps and claim the dukedom with armed force. The Venetians to the east and the army of the Borgia pope to the south would also be happy to grab their slice when the conditions are right. They only await a signal. The Duke is informed by his chief of security that a mysterious individual known as the Griffin is operating a ring of assassins within the court itself. The first attempt on his life is made during a hunting party visit to a monastery in Pavia where the plot is thwarted by a young and highly intelligent dwarf named Niccolo. In gratitude, the Duke brings Niccolo to his court where a mutual admiration blossoms between the brilliant young man and the resident artist Leonardo da Vinci. When a score of cardinals attached to the court begin to perish under decidedly odd circumstances, including an overdose of aphrodisiac, the angry attention of the Borgias is drawn to Milan. As the dead body count multiplies and invasaion threatens, it is Leonardo and Niccolo who attempt to untangle the motives and methods of the assassinations, vendettas, and simple murders. Due to Leonardo's anatomy studies and inventions, including a flying machine, the two amateurs draw conclusions that could spell their own doom unless the artist and his young friend can use their wits to reveal the killers even as their enemies close in.