Domino

Accustomed to delving into Europe's cultural past in research for books like Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling and Brunelleschi's Dome, it's only natural that, when dedicating himself to fiction, Ross King would set his plot in a time of mysteries, masked balls, and operas. From the painting of the Sistine Chapel to the construction of the dome of the Church of Santa Maria del Fiore, his talent for historical settings has won over audiences and critics, making DOMINÓ a fascinating journey into the tumultuous world of London in the 1770s. Sophisticated and sensual, the book follows the journey of the young and unhappy painter George Cautley. Ambitious, he leaves his father's home, a country parish priest, to meet 'influential people' in the capital of the Empire. Adrift in the gilded world of 18th-century London, he dreams of conquering the world, the elegant mansions, and the theaters of Europe. And of meeting his idol, the prestigious artist Sir Endymion Starker. In his clumsy attempts, he encounters not only Starker but also Elonora, his tragic lover, as well as the mysterious and beautiful Lady Beauclair. Captivating, Petronella Beauclair agrees to pose for George. During sessions in the small attic where the painter's studio is located, she tells him the scandalous story of Tristano, a castrato singer in Handel's opera company fifty years earlier. Amidst a labyrinth of characters whose fates intersect at costume parties and in real-life retreats, nothing is as it seems, and Cautley finds himself on the verge of committing acts he never would have dreamed possible: sadomasochism and murder. Filled with mystery and suspense immersed in vivid historical detail, DOMINÓ is also a contemplative account of the world's disguises and the search for hidden truth.