Beverle Graves Myers Books In Order

Publication Order of Tito Amato Books

Publication Order of Helluva War Mystery Books

Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas

Beverle Graves Myers is an American bestselling author who writes historical fiction and mystery thrillers. The Kentucky native had always loved storytelling though for her college studies she went to the University of Louisville where she studied history. Once she was done with college, she then earned her MD degree, specializing in psychiatry and went on to practice psychiatry for several years. After more than ten years in psychiatry, she decided to quit and become a full-time author and reports that her mental health has never been better. Her love for the opera, Italy and traditional mystery fiction combined in her “Tito Amato” series of novels to make for intriguing reads that feature an intriguing 18th-century sleuth slash singer. Myers has also written novels that often stray from the mysterious into the creepy set in a variety of places and times. Her short fiction has appeared in the likes of “Crime City Central,” “Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine,” “Spinetingler,” and “Woman’s World.” For her literary excellence, she has been nominated for several awards that include the Kentucky Literary Award, the Derringer, and the Macavity Awards. She loves to read novels that combine interesting historical facts, a unique voice with a dash of culture. Myers loves to read the likes of Robert Barnard, Alan Bradley, Elizabeth Peters, and Steven Saylor. When she is not writing her novels or reading, you can find her walking her beagle-basset hound, or lounging by the pool. Graves currently lives in South Florida with her husband.

Beverle Graves Myers has said that her aim is to immerse her readers in space and time, and hence through the technology, architecture, clothing, furnishings, demography, decorations, and food, she immerses the reader into life in Venice. Due to her extensive research, she has a good understanding of the folklore, philosophies, religion and the people’s common desires and fears. She visited contemporary Venice, where she took in the atmosphere and researched by reading several novels devoted to the baroque era. Her lead character Tito is a castrato vogue protagonist that was inspired by her reading of “Cry to Heaven” by Anne Rice. Myers said she knew such a character would make for an interesting and unique investigator that she could write about over and over without boring her readers. Since she always had a persistent fascination with Venice and Italy, in general, the novel made quite the impact. Each novel that she writes could be read as a standalone even if they have the same lead in Tito Amato. Tito starts out as a youth just coming back to Venice after he had been studying music for several years in Naples. He comes from a dysfunctional family and is dogged by his status as a castrato singer. However, he finally embraces his vocal talents and the opportunities they bring to him, becomes famous and even acquires jealous rivals. On a deeper level, his experience makes him more sensitive towards the weak and he seeks to get them justice.

Myers mixes intrigue, murder, and music in the “Tito Amato” series set in a decadent but alluring 18th century Venice. She handles Tito’s sleuthing with great technique including the sudden epiphanies and inevitable false trails. Tito lives with a clouded reputation even as he is effective at collecting and interpreting clues, unearthing motives even as he worries about his family responsibilities and his future. Her novels have an intriguing set of characters with some having secrets that would bring ruin and shame if they came to light. Some have potentially career-ending secrets and all these characters do their best to thwart Toto’s inquiries. Myers elaboration as seen through Tito’s vision of Venice is the essence of Baroque art as exemplified by the music architecture and paintings in the novels. She writes in an ornamental as well as realistic style that is perfect for communicating the essence of era. From the descriptions of the decorations, furnishings, buildings to the corruption and elegance of the social texture, there is no one better at writing a baroque novel. They are at once gorgeously detailed historical novels yet at the same time suspenseful murder mysteries to keep one on the edge of their seat.

Beverle Graves Myers’ “Interrupted Aria” is a novel set in 1731 Venice. The glittering city is facing the disintegration of her seagoing empire and is single-minded in the quest to go down in frenzy of music, masquerade, and pleasure. The most prevalent entertainment of its day is the Opera, whose gods are the castrato that entertain its demanding crowds it. Tito Amato is a castrato was mutilated as a boy so that he would not lose his enthralling soprano. He is now back in Venice alongside a castrato named Felice whose voice unfortunately failed. Tito is left devastated when his best friend dies of poison and another is unjustly accused and arrested on opening night. Alarmed that the business elite that owns the opera are pressurizing the authorities to shut down the case, Tito goes into sleuthing mode to find the true killer. The possible suspects may include the cast of his operas such as an ambitious composer, a libertine nobleman, a jealous soprano, and a rich family determined to ruin the theater. There is carnival joviality all around Tito and it is making the passions of the Venetians to rise to an ominous crescendo. But he is soon to find that the most bizarre secrets are hidden behind the mask of seemingly innocent friends and family.

Myers’ second novel “Painted Veil” is set in 1734 Venice where Tito Amato the castrato soprano foolishly lets his fame go to his head. He neglects his vocal practice and instead engages in dubious pleasures which soon negatively impact his career. He is soon demoted to auxiliary roles as a visiting star overshadows him. The murder of Luca Cavalieri a scene painter provides the opportunity he needed to reclaim his position as he thinks it is the chance to get back in the good graces of the opera house by resolving the case. Given his reputation, the director of the theater believes he can do a good job investigating and gives him the go-ahead. When the body of the painter washes up, Tito gets some important clues that he thinks he can use to find the motive of the homicide and the identity of the killer. Their biggest clue is that the killer wears the mask of Palantinus. Teaming up with an Englishman named Augustus Rumbolt, Tito goes on a grand tour of Venice. Their investigations see them traversing the depths of the city given to pleasure and masquerade and reveals the multiple facets of the city.

Tito Amato returns in “Cruel Music” a novel set in 1740 Venice. Amato just came back from tour and is expecting to spend some quality time with his family. But he comes back to learn that Alessandro his merchant brother has been charged with the capital crime of smuggling. The senator who holds the power to set him free or have him hanged is also interested in having the next pope as a Venetian. To get him to release his brother he asks that Tito go to Rome and perform for an influential music-loving cardinal, who will have a huge say in who will become the next pope. As he sings for Cardinal Fabiani and his rich friends Tito is also spying and getting a firsthand look into the workings of Rome. Pope Clement XII is fast losing his grip and St Peter’s throne looks like it will be going to either of two cardinals. One is a humble cardinal with a mysterious past and a gift of healing and another is a noble Venetian who loves his electrical experiments. But the discovery of a dead body in Fabian’s garden complicates things as the man believes the victim was murdered by a member of his staff. Tito thinks there is a more complex motive at hand and his investigations and revelations could affect one of the most momentous elections in Rome and alter the course of history.