Some Bitter Taste

A taught thriller set in the fascinating city of Florence, Some Bitter Taste by magdalennabb is well worth reading. The likeable, but extremely serious hero, Marshall Gaurnaccia, is forced to investigate the murder of a middle-aged woman with a mysterious past. His investigation leads the reader into an involved plot which involves the Holocaust, unrequited love and family feuds. Sarah, the murdered woman, has many secrets in her past which makes finding the motive and the murderer very difficult.

When the Marshall also has to investigate a robbery from a rich and dying man, he regards this as somewhat of a nuisance because he really wants to discover the murderer but the twists and turns of these two convuluted plots keep the reader guessing until the end when all becomes clear.

Florence is like another character in this book. Well-described and vivid, the different areas of the city are known by the author inside-out. The heat and humidity, the crowds, the secret lanes and the beautiful gardens and villa are all painted with a clear brush.

I'll definitely be reading more by this author!