The King of Italy

Immerse yourself in a sweeping family saga spanning decades and including many famous names, including Benito Mussolini and King Victor Immanuel II.
In New York Times bestselling author Kent Heckenlively's fiction debut, The King of Italy, we first meet Vincenzo Nicosia as a young boy in Sicily, watching as his father is sent to jail for nearly beating a man to death. The person he blames more than anybody else for this is Alessandro de Leone, the Duke du Taormina, and the illegitimate son of King Victor Immanuel II, the unifier of Italy in the 1870s.
Vincenzo is approached by Benito Mussolini as part of his plan to take control in Italy, which involves dealing justice to the long-hated Duke. After completing his part of the plan, Vincenzo is betrayed by Mussolini and forced to flee to America.
In San Francisco, far away from the troubles in Italy, Vincenzo struggles to forget his past and forge a new life as a builder. But the past never...