The Book of Unholy Mischief

A Novel

De: Elle Newmark

Narrado por: Raul Esparza

In a world of violence and intrigue, who guards the truth?

It is 1498, dawn of the Renaissance, and Venice teems with rumors about an ancient book believed to hold the secrets of power—alchemy, love, and even immortality. Some will stop at nothing to find it; others will die to protect it. As intrigue grips Her Most Serene Republic, Luciano, a light-fingered, streetwise orphan, gets caught up in the madness. The doge’s enigmatic chef takes him into the palace kitchen as an apprentice, where he is initiated into the chef’s deliciously mysterious world—itself alive with dangerous secrets. After Luciano witnesses an inexplicable murder, he embarks on a perilous journey to uncover the truth. What he discovers will test his loyalty, show him the dark side of men’s souls, and threaten his love for an audacious convent girl. But it will also swing open the shutters of his mind, and leave an indelible mark on his soul.

A luminous and seductive novel, The Chef ’s Apprentice is, at its heart, a high-spirited tribute to the fruits of knowledge and the extraordinary power of those who hold its key.©2008 Elle Newmark; (P)2008 Simon & Schuster, Inc.

This beautiful story spoke to my heart.

The cadence of the story never wavered. From start to finish to story and characters created a magical and smart read. I will listen again one day and know I’ll love it even more.

great story

well done. enjoyed listening while working. worth the one credit for the 10 hours or so of story

Depends on how young you think young adut is..

First and foremost, a well written historical based fiction is appropriate for any age that can separate fact from fiction. Having said that, many adults aren't ready either. But I liked this story. And if the behavior of the early church is shocking and upsetting to religious folk - get over it. It's what it was. Mostly, it's a mystery and adventure with a nice big buttery chunk of history in a format that educates while entertaining. Think of it as Dickens for the Pope crowd - there's a lot of "scary" stuff in his work too. :)

Very enjoyable!

Fascinating and exciting. Kept my attention start to finish. I wasn’t ready for it to be over.

Not the same as The Chef's Apprentice

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Says it's the same and is word for word, but skips parts of the Chefs Apprentice very noticeably. Great Narator but can't finish the book as it's incomplete. References things in the print version not in audible. Says it's the same book but is not. Don't know why and I'm disappointed that the complete audio is not available. The print version says previously published as The Book Of Unholy Mischief. Not sure what happened. Large chunks missing makes it impossible to.

Read the print version of "The Chef's Apprentice".

Highly entertaining

I found this book engaging, often humorous, and well-written. It is definitely not young adult, as the first reviewer suggests. Although not everything is completely plausible, taken as a whole, it was well-researched and internally consistent. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Delicious reading

Oddly, this book has been published under 3 different titles: Bones of the Dead, The Chef's Apprentice, and The Book of Unholy Mischief. I discovered this when doing research for my book club discussion. What a way to confuse! The premise is interesting (I won't spoil), but it's a little murky to me how the chefs' secrets began and were handed down from generation to generation. The narrative sparkles and provides insight into the daily lives, especially cuisine 15th and 16th century Venice. The wrap-up was a bit rushed and I'd like to have known more about what happened to Luciano and his family and why he...well, that would be a spoiler, too.

unholy laughter

I loved this book. Raul Esparza had me envisioning him as Luciano and it was a pleasant listen.

Mystery, historical fiction, and food!

What more can I ask for! I started it while traveling in Italy, finished while traveling in Spain. Perfect.

Story and narrator were incredible.

the narration was amazing. the story held my interest throughout. I have purchased the hardbound and keep it in my guest library.