When young Francesco Angeli sees a golden-haired woman being pulled from the Tiber on a rainy Rome morning, he is shocked to realize that he knows her. It is 1508, and Francesco is a reluctant houseboy to Michelangelo, who is at work on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Francesco prefers the company of the urbane Raphael and the artistic circle that gathers at the home of Imperia, who operates a brothel in the shadow of the Vatican while the all-powerful Pope Julius II turns a blind eye. The woman in the river is one of Imperias ladies, and against his will, Francesco becomes involved in the search for the truth about her death.Meanwhile, rising waters flood the citys streets, turning Romans into refugees and the Coliseum into an emergency refuge, and hungry wolves descend from the hills to stalk the city like ghosts. As Francesco follows the deepening mystery from the backstreets to the popes inner sanctum, he begins to realize that danger and corruption may lurk behind the most beautiful of facades.Praise for The Wolves of St. Peter'sA zesty mix of high-class brothels and high-level corruption make The Wolves of St. Peters a top-notch historical thriller. Buonaguro and Kirk lead us through the murkier side of Renaissance Rome with the help of a cast of enjoyably unpleasant characters, including a grumpy Michelangelo and a serenely dissolute Raphael. Who needs The Borgias? Ross King, Governor Generals Awardwinning author of Leonardo and the Last Supper and Michelangelo and the Popes CeilingAn engrossing historical murder mysteryatmospheric, quirky and compelling. The characters are fresh and full of life: stingy, surly Michelangelo with his three-legged chicken; mean, gouty, immoral Pope Julius II, graceful Raphael and his eccentric circle (including a man who thinks hes a bat). Corrupt, filthy Rome itself comes fully to life, a city struggling to capture its former glory. Thoroughly enjoyable. Sandra Gulland, author of Mistress of the Sun and the Josephine B. TrilogyRenaissance Rome springs to life (and death) in this shape-shifting tale of intrigue, deceit, and murdera sort of post-medieval whodunit. The vibrant cast of characters who stalk these pages range from Pope Julius II and painters Michelangelo and Raphael to an unforgettable assortment of courtesans, aesthetes, and misfits. By turns gritty and sumptuous, The Wolves of St. Peters will keep you raptand guessingtill the end. Oakland Ross, author of The Dark Virgin and The Empire of YearningThis is the third novel by the Canadian team of Buonaguro and Kirk, and its the best so far. The setting is Rome, 1508, and Michelangelo is hard at work on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. The masters houseboy and dogsbody is Francesco Angeli and its Angeli who spots a body floating in the Tiber. It wasnt such an unusual sight in those days, but when the corpse is dragged in, Angeli is astonished to find that he knows the dead woman. The writers are adept at plotting and they make great use of the grand artists who were in Rome at the time, along with the streets, smells and the brothels they attended. There are also floods on the rise to add to the suspense as Angeli hunts for a killer and attends to genius. The Globe and MailIf youre a fan of murder mysteries, youll enjoy this one. Theres a surprise ending that I dont think I could have predicted. Its a good book for someone looking for a suspenseful read. Newstalk 1010