Newbery Medalist Avi returns with a richly imagined, action-packed companion to his bestselling medieval mysteries Midnight Magic and Murder at Midnight.
In Italy, 1492, King Claudio sends Mangus the Magician and his faithful servant boy, Fabrizio, to Venice to steal a manuscript that explains a revolutionary way of accounting -- double-entry bookkeeping. The manuscript is written by the most famous mathematician in the world, the Franciscan Friar, Luca Pacioli. And gaining knowledge of this bookkeeping method could secure one great profits.
But Venice is a dangerous place, full of informers, prisons, and harsh punishments for those who steal its secrets. When Mangus is snatched away into prison, it is up to Fabrizio -- and his mysterious new friend, Bianca -- to navigate the countless islands and foggy canals to find Friar Pacioli before their enemies do, and to save Mangus from being executed.---from the publisher
304 pages 978-0545321976 Ages 9-13
Keywords: mystery, historical fiction, action/adventure, 15th century, magician, magic, mathematics, If You Liked Midnight Magic, If You Liked Murder at Midnight, trilogy, 9 year old, 10 year old, 11 year old, 12 year old
Editor's note: This book is the third in a trilogy and is also considered a stand alone read.