Italy

Fiction

FIC ADLER
Elizabeth Adler
Summer in Tuscany
When Nonna suddenly inherits a villa in her native village in Tuscany, she convinces her daughter to accompany her on the trip from New York to Italy. Upon arriving, they are thrown into the whirlwind that is Italy: the enticing food, unforgettable vistas, charming locals, and unexpected romance.

FIC CAPELLA
Anthony Capella
The Food of Love
Food lovers rejoice! Italian cuisine, from earthy to gourmet, saturates the pages of this story about chef Bruno, who agrees to help his friend Tomasso woo Laura, an American art student. She delights in the food, never knowing that Bruno prepares each dish not to help Tomasso, but to reflect his own love for her.

FIC CRAIG
Amanda Craig
Love in Idleness: A Novel
This lighthearted play on Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” sees eight adults and three children vacationing in Tuscany. With the help of nearby fairies, the children try to find a way to help the adults fix the problems keeping them from happiness and love.

FIC ECO
Umberto Eco
The Name of the Rose
An intriguing, complex novel that is part mystery, part philosophy, part history. It is the year 1327, and Franciscans in an Italian abbey are suspected of heresy, but Brother William of Baskerville’s investigation is suddenly overshadowed by seven bizarre deaths and he must use logic and determination to uncover the truth behind the abbey’s secrets.

PBK GRACE
Carol Grace
That’s Amore
Anne Marie has long dreamed of visiting Italy and seeing Giovanni, the charming exchange student with whom she shared her first kiss. Upon arriving in Italy, Giovanni is hard to find, and not just for her; mysterious Italian Marco Moretti seems to show up wherever Anne Marie does, leading her to believe he is also on Giovanni’s trail, and that her old friend may be in trouble.

FIC HELLENGA
Robert Hellenga
The Sixteen Pleasures
In 1966, Margot, a book conservator, goes to Florence to help after the Arno River floods, and when she finds a rare manuscript of erotica in a convent library, the mother superior sends her to sell the book to raise money. On this journey, Margot reexamines her life and explores her sensuality in an affair with an art conservator.

FIC MARCIANO
Francesca Marciano
Casa Rossa
Preparing her family home for sale, Alina uncovers clues to her family’s past, focusing on three generations of women: her grandmother, her mother, and her sister. This intricately plotted story moves between Paris, New York and Italy as it explores the lives of these strong, though flawed, women.

FIC SMITH
D. L. Smith
The Miracles of Santo Fico
Fast-paced, amusing tale of Leo, who returns to his native village of Santo Fico to find the town changed—and not all for the better. Why is the local priest haunted by his past? Is there hope for Leo to rekindle a romance with Marta, the town beauty? Can he create a miracle big enough to revive the spirit of Santo Fico?

FIC VREELAND
Susan Vreeland
The Passion of Artemisia
Fact-based fiction set against the backdrops of Rome, Florence and Genoa. Recreates the life of Renaissance artist Artemisia Gentileschi, whose search for love, forgiveness, and wholeness through her art led to her successes as a painter, which include being the first woman to be accepted to Italy ’s Accademia dell’Arte.

Mystery

MYS BROWN
Marshall Brown
The Wooden Leg of Inspector Anders
Ever since Inspector Anders of the Rome Police lost his leg ten years ago, he has made moral compromises with the corruption of the Italian state, but when he ventures into southern Italy to investigate the murder of a judge, he becomes mesmerized by the victim's widow, who convinces him the Mafia was behind the murder.

MYS DIBDIN
Michael Dibdin
Cosi Fan Tutti: An Aurelio Zen Mystery
Aurelio Zen, Commander of Naples' harbor detail, tries to help a seductive Neapolitan widow separate her daughters from their possibly Mafia-associated fiancées and finds himself mistaken for the head of Naples' most powerful crime family as he investigates a bizarre series of crimes.

MYS GILBERT
Michael Francis Gilbert
The Long Journey Home
John Gabriel Benedict, presumed dead as a plane crash victim, leads a wandering life in southern Italy until he is a fugitive from the Mafia, the Union Corse and a powerful British computer corporation.

MYS HAMILTON
Lyn Hamilton
The Etruscan Chimera: An Archaeological Mystery
A billionaire recluse hires Lara McClintoch to purchase a rare Etruscan sculpture for his collection. Unfortunately, Lara believes it is a fake and returns to deal with the sculpture’s owner, only to stumble upon his dead body. Lara’s journey to find out the truth about the statue’s origins is a fun, intelligent mystery blending art, history, and European flavor.

MYS LEON
Donna Leon
Death and Judgment
When a high-powered Italian lawyer is found shot dead on the Padua-Venice train, police dismiss the crime as a robbery gone bad, but Detective Guido Brunetti isn’t so sure. He sees a connection between the case and another murder, which eventually leads him to an international drug and prostitution ring run by Venice ’s most influential citizens.

MYS PEARS
Iain Pears
Death and Restoration: A Jonathon Argyll Mystery
Intrigue set against Italy ’s art world brings Jonathan Argyll and art squad investigator Flavia di Stefano together as they investigate a stolen Madonna icon and the murder of a crooked art dealer. As the absorbing history of the Madonna comes to light Jonathan and Flavia must track down a band of art thieves who believe the painting has miraculous powers.

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