A Death in Tuscany

Michele Ferrara, Book 2

De: Michele Giuttari

Narrado por: Sean Barrett

In the picturesque Tuscan hill town of Scandicci, the body of a girl is discovered. Scantily dressed, she is lying by the edge of the woods. The local police investigate the case - but after a week, they still haven’t even identified her, let alone got to the bottom of how she died. Frustrated by the lack of progress, Chief Superintendent Michele Ferrara, head of Florence’s elite Squadra Mobile, decides to step in. Because toxins were discovered in the girl’s body, many assumed that she died of a self-inflicted drugs overdose. But Ferrara quickly realises that the truth is darker than that: he believes that the girl was murdered.

And when he delves deeper, there are many aspects to the case that convince Ferrara that the girl’s death is part of a sinister conspiracy - a conspiracy that has its roots in the very foundations of Tuscan society…

©2009 Michele Giuttari (P)2011 Hachette Digital

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Neat plotting, distinctively Italian characters and a good pace make A Death in Tuscany an enjoyable read, with the added bonus of its Florentine setting."( Sunday Telegraph)

"A Death in Tuscany is not to be devoured in one sitting. Rather it is one of those books one hates to finish." (Irish Times)

"The plot is intricately woven, with enough gasp-worthy twists to sustain a reader to the end." (Financial Times)

"The plot is clever and fast-moving, the atmosphere, not surprisingly, authentic." (The Times)

Disappointing on many levels

I bought this for two reasons: I'm planning a trip to Tuscany and was hoping for the sort of local color other mystery writers provide--Parker for Boston, Connelly for LA, Johnson for Wyoming, Sandford for Minneapolis and environs, for example. There's virtually none of that here and, except for the Mafia connection, it could have been set almost anywhere. Also, I like good mysteries, but this is not one. Finally, the narrator does all the Italian characters with something like either an Oxcam or Cockney accent, depending on their class and background. Cannot recommend.