Mystery Annotation

The Light in the Ruins  by Chris Bohjalian

Genre:  Historical Mystery, Mystery

Date of Publication:  July 2013

Publisher:  Doubleday

Number of Pages:  320

ISBN Number -  978-0385534819

Storyline:  Character-driven

Tone:  Disturbing, Dramatic; Strong Sense of Place, Suspenseful

Writing Style -  Compelling


Plot Summary -   

     Most of this gripping murder mystery alternates between 1943-1944 (World War II Italy) and 1955 (Post-WWII Italy).

      In 1943, Marchese and Marchesa Rosatti face a dilemma when their stately villa in the Tuscan hills becomes occupied by the Germans. While the family reluctantly hosts the Nazis, their 18 year-old daughter, Christina, begins an affair with a German lieutenant, causing resentment and accusations of conspiracy among the townspeople and the villa employees. The Rosattis are forced to endure many heartbreaks at the hands of the Nazis with the loss of family members and their once opulent estate reduced to ruins.

     In 1955, the Rosatti's daughter-in-law, Francesca, is the victim of a grusome murder, her heart found extracted from her body. It is not long before another Rosatti is found murdered in the same fashion, leaving the remaining members of the family fearing for their lives. Homicide detective Serafina takes on the case, believing that the murderer may  be someone that held a grievance against the family during World War II. While Serafina, a former partisan during the war, pursues the serial killer, she discovers she has a direct link to the Rosatti family when found severely burned in a battle.

My opinion: I had not read a mystery in years and wasn't sure what to expect. I found The Light in the Ruins so intriguing and engrossing that I did not want to put down the book! I love novels that are character-driven with a strong sense of place so this title fit the bill! I would like to read another mystery like this in the near future. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes suspenseful mysteries.

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