City of Silver
by Annamaria Alfieri
Minotaur Books, August 2009, $24.99

For true torture and torment, you can’t beat the Spanish Inquisition. In this historical mystery set in 1650, its tentacles have reached the Spanish Viceroyalty of Peru and the city of Potosi (now Bolivia), one of the 17th century’s great metropolises thanks to the riches of its vast silver mines. The spunky Mother Maria Santa Hilda, abbess of the Convent of Santa Isabella de los Santos Milagros, is the heroine of this story of corruption at the highest levels of government.

When it is found that the silver being coined in Potosi is not pure, the King of Spain sends prosecutor Dr. Francisco de Nestares to ferret out the culprits. Meanwhile, at the convent, Inez de la Morada, the daughter of one of the richest politicians in the city, dies while in the care of the abbess. Although some of the clues suggest suicide, Mother Maria Santa Hilda and the sisters believe otherwise and endeavor to prove the true cause of the girl’s death.

The author has certainly done her research in this debut mystery rich in atmosphere and full of intriguing characters, including the ultra-rich mine owner Antonio De Bermeo y de Novarra Tovar, and the always-squabbling churchmen and politicians. Once the reader gets past the daunting names of the Spanish characters and places, there are lots of twists and treachery in this mystery with a touch of romance.