Nonna Maria and the Case of the Stolen Necklace - A Novel

Informationen zum Autor Lorenzo Carcaterra is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Safe Place, Sleepers, Apaches, Gangster, Street Boys, Paradise City, Chasers, Midnight Angels, The Wolf, Tin Badges, Payback, Three Dreamers, and Nonna Maria and the Case of the Missing Bride . He is a former writer/producer for Law & Order and has written for National Geographic Traveler, The New York Times Magazine, Details, and Maxim . He lives in New York City. Klappentext "Nonna Maria sets out to clear her goddaughter's name and uncover the checkered past of an unidentifiable victim in this transporting mystery"-- Leseprobe 1. She was found with her back against the side of a pine tree. Dust and scattered cones nestled along the backs of her folded legs, thick strands of dark hair partially covering her face. One of her arms was leaning against the base of the tree and the other was laid out flat, fingers resting on the edge of the curved road. She was motionless, her eyes closed, her lips slightly parted. A gentle wind ruffled her blue-flowered dress, and one of her high-heeled shoes hung loose off her right foot. It was seven in the morning on what would be another brutally hot summer day in Ischia, the sun rising above the calm waters of the port several miles below, its angled rays slowly beginning to wrap the woman in a blanket of warmth. Two carabinieri officers parked their motorcycles at an angle to block off access to the road, patiently waiting for the medical examiner to arrive before allowing the body to be removed. A small group had gathered across the way—men and women who had been preparing to open their shops or head to work, stopped by the sight of the body of a woman none seemed to recognize. The younger of the officers stared at the body, a concerned look on his boyish face. “There’s no blood anywhere,” he said in a low voice. “It’s almost as if she fell over and went to sleep.” “A sleep that lasts forever,” the other officer said, stepping next to the young carabiniere. “Most likely a heart attack did her in. From the looks of it, she’s been here a few hours. That puts the time of death in the middle of the night. Where would she be going? There’s nothing around here at that hour but shuttered shops and a gas station. Closest house is at least a mile down the road.” A carabinieri car came up behind them, braking to a stop in front of the two motorcycles. The two officers turned from the woman’s body and waited for their captain to approach them. Captain Paolo Murino nodded at them and gave a quick glance at the group on the far side of the road. He stepped closer to the dead woman, his eyes taking in the curled body and the area where she had come to rest. “Who called it in?” he asked, without turning his head. “Local fruit peddler,” the younger officer said. “Told me he was driving past on his way down from his farm, his truck packed with deliveries.” “Did he stop to check on her?” Captain Murino asked. “No, sir,” the officer said. “He gave her only a passing look, thought she might have had too much to drink and fell asleep. And he was running late as it was.” “Did he leave you with a name?” The younger carabiniere pulled a notebook from his jacket pocket and flipped open several pages. “Caldani,” he said. “Bernardo Caldani.” “Check him out, make sure he is what he says he is,” Murino said, staring at the younger of the two. “Your first week in Ischia, Franco, and you get to work a homicide. I’m certain that’s not what you expected when you were transferred from Rome. Like anyone else who does a tour on the island, you were looking forward to days filled with quiet street patrols and flirting with tourists.” “What makes you so certain it was a homicide?” the second officer asked. “Well, for one thing, her body would be at r...

Product details

• Authors: Lorenzo Carcaterra
• Publisher: Bantam Books USA
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 02.05.2023
• EAN: 9780593499184
• ISBN: 978-0-593-49918-4
• No. of pages: 288
• Dimensions: 147 mm x 216 mm x 25 mm
• Subject: Fiction > Suspense