38 likes
There is no proof that I didn't need this book.
so-soI enjoyed this crime novel about a serial killer in Florence. The police aspects feel authentic (the author draws from his own experience) and I liked the Florence setting & some of the characters. The theme of homophobia troubled me although I read it as a reflection of society rather than the author‘s own views. His wife was one-dimensional. So it lacked the interest & banter that enrich Donna Leon‘s or Louise Penny‘s books for example.
pickI‘m learning Penelope Fitzgerald was a special writer. Fell in love with The Blue Flower earlier this year, and have now read this one - a bad good marriage in 1950‘s Florence with a doctor too rational to acknowledge his emotions. Ok, that‘s humble. Now hand it over to Penelope and her backhanded, almost absurd, striking lines. 🥰
pickAugust 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.🧡
pickAfter my trip to Italy I wanted to learn more about this family.
pickSerendipity lead me to this novel at the Library, it‘s been around for a while. I do enjoy a good historical mystery, and this generally fits the bill, although the historical premise is a bit shaky. Wilson posits a fictional reason for the disappearance of Hans Holbein in 1543 that involves the (factual) Prebendaries Plot to bring down Thomas Cranmer and restore Catholic rule. I enjoyed “meeting” his protagonist, London goldsmith Thomas Treviot.
