In the twelfth century AD, Venice is little more than an agglomeration of small islands snatched from the muddy tides. The magnificent city-lagoon of Venice, the rich and powerful Serene Republic, is yet to be born. Here, in this northern backwater, a group of artisans have proven themselves to be unrivalled in an art form that produces works of such astounding beauty that many consider it mystical in nature and think its practitioners possessed of otherworldly gifts: glassmaking. Presciently aware of the power they wield and the role they will play in the Venice of the future, the Venetian glassmakers inhabit a world of esoteric practices and secret knowledge that they protect at all costs. Into this world steps Edgardo D’Arduino, a cleric and a professional copyist. Edgardo’s eyesight has begun to waver—a curse for a man who makes his living copying sacred texts. But he has heard stories, perhaps legends, that in Venice, city of glassmakers, there exists a stone, the “lapides ad legendum,” that can restore one’s sight. However, finding men who have knowledge of this wondrous stone proves almost impossible. After much searching, Edgardo meets a mysterious man who offers him a deal: he will lead him to the makers of the lapides ad legendum in exchange for Edgardo’s stealing a secret Arabic scientific text that is kept in the abbey where Edgardo lodges. When a series of horrific crimes shakes the cloistered world of the glassmakers, Edgardo realizes that there is much more at stake than his faltering eyesight.

Roberto Tiraboschi
Roberto Tiraboschi was born in Bergamo, Italy. He is known as one of Italy’s most stylish screenwriters and playwrights, having worked with Nobel laureate Dario Fo and written screenplays for a number of Italian directors, including Marco Pontecorvo, Silvio Soldini, and Liliana Cavani among others. His novels have enjoyed success with both critics and readers. The Eye Stone (Europa, 2015) was his English debut.

• May 28 2015
  Open Letters Monthly, an Arts and Literature Review: "The novel simply but engagingly unfolds through a series of bizarre discoveries"
  
• May 19 2015
  Shelf Awareness: " Discover: A noir situated in beautifully evoked 12-century Venice."
  
• May 14 2015
  Pulp Den: "fans of mystery lovers will find it a good read, as well as having a strong twist at the end."
  
• Apr 28 2015
  Book Reviews by Eric Boss: "this is a compelling, enlightening read with characters exhibiting both strength and weakness in physical and moral terms"
  
• Mar 2 2015
  Pulp Den: 5 Star rating, "highly recommended."