The Viper of Milan by Marjorie Bowen

1360, Lombardy, Italy. The tyrant Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Duke of Milan ruthlessly employs treachery and murder to maintain his power in a court steeped in intrigue. As his armies overrun Northern Italy, it seems that nothing and no one can stem the tide of his conquests... With the possible exception of one man: the dispossessed Duke of Verona, Mastino della Scala.

Whilst the Duke of Milan displays unbelievable cruelty and black-heartedness, he also has a genius for evil, patience and beauty. Battling him, the Duke of Verona struggles to contain his anger. But will Verona tarnish his morality and turn from honesty in the fight for power?

The Viper of Milan takes us to the colourful and violent world of fourteenth-century Italy where success seems to be doomed and the pendulum of power can swing both ways.