Nick Zuliani hails from Venice, though his mother is English. Estranged from his father, he has become a bit of a wheeler-dealer and conman. An unfortunate incident (told in one of my short stories) results in him fleeing the Serene Republic. But, as bodyguard to Friar Alberoni, he ends up at the heart of the Mongol Empire in the 13th century where he has to solve some unusual murder cases.
BOOK ONE: CITY OF THE DEAD
Nick Zuliani thinks that his journey to fabled Xanadu will make his fortune. But he gets embroiled in the murder of Francesco Pisano. Sneaking into the Inner Palace of Kubilai Khan, he begins to unravel the threads of deceit and corruption at the heart of the Mongol Empire.
Though his heart is still with his beloved Caterina Dolfin in Venice, he forms a liaison with the wild beauty, Gurbesu, who along with Chinese official, Lin Chu-Tsai, helps him solve the crime.
This is the first in a new series published by Severn House, and is now available in paperback.
Nick Zuliani also appears in stories in the Medieval Murderers books "Sword of Shame" and "Lost Prophecies" published by Simon and Schuster. And his latter years are now chronicled in the MAMMOTH BOOK OF HISTORICAL CRIME FICTION.
BOOK TWO: A DEADLY INJUSTICE
Nick Zuliani and Lin Chu-Tsai are sent to a provincial town to investigate the case of a young Chinese girl condemned to death for murder. They encounter an acting troupe, and a soon-to-be-famous playwright who is keen to see Mongol justice being taken to task. Zuliani and Lin are faced with a dilemma. Do they comfirm the girl's guilt in the face of contrary evidence in order to save themselves? Or stand up to the local Mongol governor, and risk the wrath of the Great Khan?
PUBLISHED IN 2011
