The Light in the Ruins (Vintage Contemporaries) (2013 original; edició 2014)

Though it seemed to drag, the book held my interest enough to complete it. Set in two different time periods, 1945 when WWII is beginning to end, though the Germans still try to kill as many as possible, and then forwarding to 1955 when a Florence police detective tries to solve the mystery of why the family Rosatis, who were quite wealthy in 1945, when they discover Etruscan art in tombs on the their property.

As the Nazi's loot the tombs and try to get as much art work as possible to give to Hitler and his guards who are looting art throughout Europe wherever they can find it. During this time period, the author weaves a love story of one of the Rosati daughters who falls in love with an SS man whose mission is to supervise the stealing of the art.

In 1955, someone is brutally killing the remaining Rosatis, and it is up to Serafina Bettini, a wise detective who was maimed during an attempt to crush the Germans in their villas. Serafina is mandated to discoverer why the hearts are removed from the victims ten years after the war is over. ( )

As much as I feel Midwives was Bohjalian's best, this was a very good book. It has a WWII component, but looks more at the aftermath of the war. Set alternately in 1955 and 1944 in Italy, the story is a murder mystery in the "present" and a war/love story in the past. The Rosati family is at the center of both narratives. In 1955, Francesca Rosati and her mother-in-law, the Marquesa, Beatrice Rosati have been brutally murdered in two separate attacks. Clearly someone is targeting the family, but who and why? The remaining members, Christina, Beatrice's daughter and Vittore, Beatrice's son and his family are forced to confront war memories and atrocities to try to anticipate the murderer's next move. The detective on the case Serafina Bettini also has war scars (literally) to confront. During the war, she was a partisan, and was nearly killed in a horrible burning incident -- of which she has no memory. Her name, chosen by her after the war means "burning girl" and she has thick scars over most of her back, neck, and only has a partial ear on one side. As she investigates the case, she is learning more about her own war involvement, especially her burns. In 1943, the Rosatis were gentry? minor royalty? it's hard to draw a current comparison to their titles. They believed, naively or arrogantly that their social position,their money, and their remote Tuscan villa would protect them from the war -- and it largely did until Germany started losing. Vittore was serving at the Uffizi in Florence, trying to alternately protect the artworks from the bombing to come and from the greedy Germans. An Etruscan tomb was part of his parents' estate, so when his Nazi commander hears of this, he insists on a visit. This is where worlds collide. Christina falls in love with a young German officer, Friedrich Streiker and they see each other for about 6 months until the British begin to invade. This, along with certain concessions by the Marquese, brand them as collaborators, or at the very least, sympathizers. Meanwhile, Marco, Francesca's husband is serving in Sicily, which becomes the first site of the British liberators who come north after victory in Africa. As the Germans plan their hasty retreat, they converge on the villa and a perfect storm of Marco's return, partisan activity, and German brutality meet. As a result, the reason for a vendetta becomes clear. In her investigation, Serafina gets some answers to her memory gaps and ultimately solves the murders. What is so fascinating to consider here is the devastation the war created -- not just in its prime, but in its aftermath -- on the place, the people, the national psyche. How people move forward (or not) after tragedy and trauma is both inspiring, mind-boggling, and a little disturbing. As an audio book, the story really came to life with Italian accents, different male and female readers and the creepy voice and narration of the killer who gleefully recounts all the details of the murders. I was hooked! ( )

Gruesome.
WWII and a psychotic killer rolled into one story. ( )

Fascinating story set in Italy during World War II and a decade or so afterwards. Three parts, which kept shifting from one to the other: a wealthy Italian family during the war, the German Occupation, and the architectural ruins on their estate; the murder investigations years afterwards in which a woman detective investigates the killings of some members of that family, in which their hearts have been cut out; and musings by the murderer as the murders are planned and carried out. The ruins, tombs from Etruscan times, play a large part in the story. I kept reading and couldn't put the book down, to discover the murderer along with motivation. I did change my mind several times. Interesting description of the German Occupation in 1943-44. ( )

I'm not sure if I want to rate this a 3 or 4. I couldn't put it down. The story certainly moves right along. Brutal and sad-a truly tough one to read. ( )