The Laureate (Nico Argenti #1)

August 1464: Young Nico Argenti returns from the university with a law degree. He is eager to begin his career, but instead finds his city of Florence shaken by the death of Cosimo de Medici, patriarch of the Medici dynasty. It is a perfect opportunity for power hungry aristocrats to seize control of the Republic. A Florentine Chancellor, who has been tracking Nico’s accomplishments at the university, recruits Nico to uncover details of the plot before it can destabilize the goverment. Nico's hunt for a hired assassin pits his youthful idealism against sinister reality. Can he tame the conflicts and discover the assassin's intended victim before it is too late?

To unravel the clues, Nico seeks help from his cousin Donato, who owns the finest restaurant in Florence, and Bianca, a very special lady. Nico's childhood friend artist Sandro Botticelli connects Nico with a leading Florentine family that holds the key.