Search - Death of the Duchess (Italian Renaissance, Bk 1)

First Sigismundo historical mystery set in Renaissance Italy and featuring the afore-mentioned detective with his newly-acquired sidekick, Benno. Sigismundo is currently employed by The Duke, who asks him to investigate the disappearance of a young noblewoman set to be married to a young man from a family that is feuding with her own. The Duke has decreed this marriage as a way to bring the two families together, and neither of them is happy. So who kidnapped the girl? Did her own father spirit her away for safe-keeping, did the boy's father kidnap her, or is someone else involved? It's up to Sigismundo to find out. I like the main character and his grubby sidekick and the historical detail was interesting. The mystery itself was fairly easy to solve--one of those cases of spotting the baddie right off, but not being sure why or how.