Perspectives

*SHORTLISTED FOR THE DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD 2026* 'There is no living writer whose new books I fall on with greater delight than Laurent Binet. . . Perspectives is a proper treat' Naomi Alderman 'A dazzling romp' Guardian Florence,1557. As dawn breaks, a painter is discovered lying on the floor of a church, stabbed through the heart. Above him, the paintings he laboured over for more than a decade. At his home, a hidden portrait scandalously depicting Maria de Medici, daughter of the Duke of Florence, as a naked Venus. Who is the murderer? Who made the painting? As the city erupts in chaos, Giorgio Vasari, the great art historian, is picked to lead the investigation. Letters fly back and forth carrying news of plots and speculation about the killer’s identity – between Maria and her aunt Catherine de’ Medici, the queen of France; between Catherine and her secret agents; and between Vasari and his friend Michelangelo. And the truth, when it comes to light, is as shocking as the bold new artworks that have made Florence the red-hot centre of Europe. Bursting with characters and colour, Perspectives is a mystery like no other that shows us Renaissance Florence as we’ve never seen it before – a dazzling, hugely entertaining novel of court machinations, murder and art. 'Doesn’t get much better than this' Sunday Telegraph 'A racy and enjoyable detective story' The Times 'A dazzling romp' Guardian ' Funny and very gripping' Financial Times

*SHORTLISTED FOR THE DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD 2026* 'There is no living writer whose new books I fall on with greater delight than Laurent Binet. . . Perspectives is a proper treat' Naomi Alderman 'A dazzling romp' Guardian Florence,1557. As dawn breaks, a painter is discovered lying on the floor of a church, stabbed through the heart. Above him, the paintings he laboured over for more than a decade. At his home, a hidden portrait scandalously depicting Maria de Medici, daughter of the Duke of Florence, as a naked Venus. Who is the murderer? Who made the painting? As the city erupts in chaos, Giorgio Vasari, the great art historian, is picked to lead the investigation. Letters fly back and forth carrying news of plots and speculation about the killer’s identity – between Maria and her aunt Catherine de’ Medici, the queen of France; between Catherine and her secret agents; and between Vasari and his friend Michelangelo. And the truth, when it comes to light, is as shocking as the bold new artworks that have made Florence the red-hot centre of Europe. Bursting with characters and colour, Perspectives is a mystery like no other that shows us Renaissance Florence as we’ve never seen it before – a dazzling, hugely entertaining novel of court machinations, murder and art. 'Doesn’t get much better than this' Sunday Telegraph 'A racy and enjoyable detective story' The Times 'A dazzling romp' Guardian ' Funny and very gripping' Financial Times

One of The Washington Post 's 50 Best Novels of the Year Longlisted for the 2026 Dublin Literary Award "As full of epic characters as the Sistine Chapel ceiling . . . Sinfully fun to read." --Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker "[A] thorough success . . . A dazzling romp." --Steven Poole, The Guardian "Historical fiction doesn't get much better than this." --George Cochrane, The Telegraph (5/5 stars) One of Vulture 's Best Books of 2025 (So Far) A pulse-quickening murder mystery set in Renaissance Florence by the renowned author of HHhH . As dawn breaks over the city of Florence on New Year's Day 1557, Jacopo da Pontormo is discovered lying on the floor of a church, stabbed through the heart. Above him are the frescoes he labored over for more than a decade--masterpieces all, rivaling the works of Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel. When guards search his quarters, they find an obscene painting of Venus and Cupid--with the face of Venus replaced by that of Maria de' Medici, the Duke of Florence's oldest daughter. The city erupts in chaos. Who could have committed these crimes: murder and l?se-majest?? Giorgio Vasari, the great art historian, is picked to lead the investigation. Letters start to fly back and forth--between Maria and her aunt Catherine de' Medici, the queen of France; between Catherine and the scheming Piero Strozzi; and between Vasari and Michelangelo--carrying news of political plots and speculations about the identity of Pontormo's killer. The truth, when it comes to light, is as shocking as the bold new artworks that have made Florence the red-hot center of European art and intrigue. Bursting with characters and historical color, Laurent Binet's Perspective(s) is a whodunit like no other--a labyrinthine murder mystery that shows us Renaissance Florence as we've never seen it before. This is a dark, dazzling, unforgettable read.

One of The Washington Post 's 50 Best Novels of the Year Longlisted for the 2026 Dublin Literary Award "As full of epic characters as the Sistine Chapel ceiling . . . Sinfully fun to read." --Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker "[A] thorough success . . . A dazzling romp." --Steven Poole, The Guardian "Historical fiction doesn't get much better than this." --George Cochrane, The Telegraph (5/5 stars) One of Vulture 's Best Books of 2025 (So Far) A pulse-quickening murder mystery set in Renaissance Florence by the renowned author of HHhH . As dawn breaks over the city of Florence on New Year's Day 1557, Jacopo da Pontormo is discovered lying on the floor of a church, stabbed through the heart. Above him are the frescoes he labored over for more than a decade--masterpieces all, rivaling the works of Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel. When guards search his quarters, they find an obscene painting of Venus and Cupid--with the face of Venus replaced by that of Maria de' Medici, the Duke of Florence's oldest daughter. The city erupts in chaos. Who could have committed these crimes: murder and l?se-majest?? Giorgio Vasari, the great art historian, is picked to lead the investigation. Letters start to fly back and forth--between Maria and her aunt Catherine de' Medici, the queen of France; between Catherine and the scheming Piero Strozzi; and between Vasari and Michelangelo--carrying news of political plots and speculations about the identity of Pontormo's killer. The truth, when it comes to light, is as shocking as the bold new artworks that have made Florence the red-hot center of European art and intrigue. Bursting with characters and historical color, Laurent Binet's Perspective(s) is a whodunit like no other--a labyrinthine murder mystery that shows us Renaissance Florence as we've never seen it before. This is a dark, dazzling, unforgettable read.