The Medici Apprentice is a riveting portrayal of merchant life in Renaissance Europe based on an extraordinary true story of the Medici's attempts to defraud a colleague who had stolen from them. It is 1468. Kit Smith, a bright but pious orphan, is sent under mysterious circumstances to be an apprentice to the Medici bank in London. Debts are high, income low and war is in the air. A new manager conceives of a brilliant plan to finance the wedding of the Duke of Burgundy to the King of England's sister. However, the Medici's success threatens the local guilds and even the bank's own branches battle among themselves to avoid bankruptcy. Kit uncovers the mystery of his parentage and finds love; however, will he help save the bank and risk his soul? Is he an honest man for a dishonest task? This book will appeal to readers who enjoyed the Shardlake Mysteries, Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth, and Dorothy's Dunnett's House of Niccol .