BookBrowse Reviews The Curse of Pietro Houdini by Derek B. Miller

BookBrowse:

An absorbing tale of a fictional art heist set against the real-life bombing of Italy's Montecassino Abbey during World War II.

Derek B. Miller's sixth novel, The Curse of Pietro Houdini, opens in the town of Cassino, Italy, in 1943. The titular character is on his way to Montecassino, an ancient abbey, where he's been hired to restore the church's crumbling frescoes. Passing through the village, he sees a child being beaten by several others and intervenes. He learns the 14-year-old, whom both agree will be called Massimo, has been orphaned by the Allied bombing of Rome and is heading to Naples, alone, to find relatives. Pietro, aware that Naples is at the war's current front line, convinces Massimo to join him as his assistant. The teen soon discovers, however, that Pietro is a con man, hoping to steal "loot" from the abbey before the Nazis can, and together they form a daring plan to "rescue" three works by the Renaissance master Titian. Along the way the pair are joined in their exploits by a colorful collection of individuals also fleeing the German army, including a limping donkey named Ferrari.

The Curse of Pietro Houdini is top-notch historical fiction, and the author's ability to weave fascinating details about WWII-era Italy into his plot is stellar. Miller includes not only little-known facts about the war – that Americans dropped more bombs on Montecassino than any other single building, for instance, and that mules were parachuted behind enemy lines in areas where trucks were impractical – but esoterica about art and art restoration as well as monastic life. I found myself frequently querying Google for more information about the many subjects the author touches on, surprised to find how much of the work is based on fact. The abundant historical tidbits are a major draw, and their inclusion is so seamless that it doesn't slow the action a bit.

But the plot is so much richer than a simple period piece or art heist yarn; everything about it is complex, from the relationships between the characters to the moral ambiguities one must navigate in wartime. It's part buddy adventure, part coming-of-age story, part action-adventure tale. It's at times laugh-out-loud funny and at others heartbreakingly tragic (and occasionally it's both at the same time – a neat trick for any author to pull off). Miller also doesn't shy away from the violence of war; even his most innocent characters are forced to lie, steal, and murder to achieve their ends.

Miller's writing, too, is gorgeous, vividly describing moments of beauty amid the horror. At one point, for example, a young woman plays her flute for Massimo and the other members of the group of escapees:

"Without an invitation or introduction, she raised the slender silver instrument to her lips…[S]he paused when her lower lip rested against the riser of the embouchure. For what, Massimo didn't know. When to begin is something that only a musician can know. In a room devoid of sound, a building devoid of art, a country devoid of hope, she waited for something to arrive – something that moved through her – and, once she began to play, it filled that void with everything that was missing."

Massimo narrates the tale, and through the teenager's voice the characters come to life so vividly that it's hard to remember they're fictional. In recalling Pietro later in life, Massimo states, "The man I knew was a thinker and a storyteller and a liar who had as little reverence for the facts as P.T. Barnum." Not only do we get to know the central duo intimately, but even the minor characters are imbued with personality. Friar Ryba, for example, appears on just one page but leaves an indelible impression as he single-handedly confronts a group of Nazis. (Massimo observes "Ryba stood over six foot four and had enormous shoulders, and if he had not turned his life to God he might have chosen to become a tank.") The members of Massimo and Pietro's entourage are uniquely and lovingly drawn, and even the German officers who make brief appearances throughout the book are multifaceted.

In short, The Curse of Pietro Houdini checks all the boxes for truly great historical fiction: authentic, likable characters, exquisite writing, engrossing plot, and absorbing historical detail. I strongly suspect it'll end up on my "best of" list for the year, and perhaps for the decade; it's one of those novels that stays with you long after you've finished it. This is a must-read for fans of World War II fiction, particularly those who've enjoyed novels like All the Light We Cannot See and City of Thieves. Highly recommended.

This review first ran in the February 21, 2024 issue of BookBrowse Recommends.