The Toys of War: An Italian Renaissance Mystery

Leonardo pays a debt to Cesare Borgia that involves him in a deadly conspiracy with Cesare's condotierre.Cesare Borgia is enamoured with designs of battle machines he discovered in Leonardo da Vinci's workshop. In "Artists and Assassins", the previous book, Cesare offered his assistance to save Leonardo from assassination and to help with Leonardo's investigation into destroyed Florentine art work. Ultimately Cesare facilitated Leonardo's disappearance from the retaliation of two powerful families. Leonardo's debt for these "kindnesses" must be paid.In the "Toys of War" Leonardo finds himself in the fallen city of Faenza with Cesare's condottiere where he witnesses the brutal execution of the patriot woman "Diamante." Maestro Leonardo attempts to reconcile his new profession as engineer to Cesare with his philosophy of non- violence and finds himself caught in the middle of a sinister plan by Cesare's condottiere to kill him.When a Sentry is strangled by a man with strong hands and two captains are murdered with Leonardo's own tools, a wedge is driven between the artist/engineer and his patron, an alienation that could prove fatal to Leonardo.Placed under guard by Cesare, the Maestro manages to send word of his plight to Niccolo of Pavia, now a Bergamini Courtier. Niccolo enlists the services of the traveling commedia dell' arte players known as I Comici Buffoni to help prove Leonard's innocence and expose the plot behind the murders.Leonardo and Niccolo find themselves in the Adriatic port of Sinigaglia, where the condottiere's trap is to be sprung. If the trap succeeds Leonardo is in mortal danger from the conspirators. Here Leonardo comes to realize the real "toys of war" are not the battle weapons he designs for Cesare, but something much more repugnant and horrifying!