The Botticelli Secret by Marina Fiorato

Is it 'National Treasure' meets 'The DaVinci Code' in 15th c. Italy?  Fiorato has created a mystery/romantic comedy romp involving political intrigue among the rival city states of Italy, as slowly unraveled by Luciana Vetra, a young, beautiful prostitute/part-time artist model and her unlikely sidekick, a young novice at the local monastery who also happens to be a member of the royal family of Florence.  The mystery revolves around decoding clues in a new painting by Botticelli, La Primavera, in which a political plot that could start a war is shown in the symbolism of the human figures and other elements in the painting.  Who's involved, and who's on the side of the young couple?  This is a fun read, with lots of period detail and a well-described romp through Italy to discover clues.  There are numerous plot twists and unlikely escapes of our intrepid pair to keep the story moving along.  514 p.