Welcome to Litsy!

August 1963.Florence,Italy,a deserted city. Searing heat. Bleary-eyed,sleep deprived Inspector Bordella,a chain-smoker in his mid-50s.Biting hordes of mosquitoes torment him at night.Flashbacks to his years as a soldier in WWII are interspersed throughout.His new police protégé is coincidentally the son of his soldier partner.A highly unusual,deviously clever murder of a wealthy, elderly Signora.A wonderful,eclectic cast characters:semi-retired?

It‘s only Monday, but what a day at work! Popcorn, Sam Adams October Fest (split with my husband), & a book. He is making dinner.🧡

This is the first in a detective series set in Florence, bought it in Florence but decided to read it in August. It's a quick read and enjoyable but won't one that keeps in my mind.

This book is mis-marketed as a cosy mystery.

For a start, the mystery is completely drowned by filler. At first, I was unimpressed, but by the end, the cast of bit-characters we meet in lieu of suspects came to life for me. Expect a character study rather than a whodunit.

And secondly, a lot of the subject matter is dark and/or complex (see comments for CW).

I'm undecided how I feel about this book. I suspect it may linger in my mind.

My Bookspin / Doublespin picks! @TheAromaofBooks 💕

Following on from #cloakanddaggerchristmas it looks like I'm going to have CLOAK AND DAGGER JANUARY!!! 🗡

(Sadly, I already know exactly who did The Mirror Crack'd.. there is an absolutely STUNNING version of it starring Julia McKenzie in the series Agatha Christie's Marple which I recommend +++)

Happy with these picks!

For this literary trip to Florence, here‘s a picture from an actual trip there. : ) I liked this book. It‘s a mystery mostly interesting for its setting, 1960s Florence, and Bordelli often engages in the Florentines‘ favorite summer pastime: complaining about the heat and the mosquitoes. The other characters were perhaps more unique than the MC, especially the eccentric inventor working on ways to save rats from poison. I‘m eager to read more!

I‘ve heard mixed reviews about this author, but I‘ve been curious about his books and they were on sale, so I figured I‘d give it a try. Plus a literary trip to 1960s Florence didn‘t sound bad. : )