The Late Contessa

by Dorothy Fletcher

Florentine DeathHigh in the hills above Florence was the beautiful old Villa Paradiso—rambling, large, of rough stone smothered in vines—home of Barbara Loomis’s late great-aunt, the Contessa Mercedes d’Albiensi. Her imagination stirred by an unexpected bequest, Barbara feels compelled to visit the villa, and there she is warmly greeted by Mrs. Wadley, her great-aunt’s companion, by the handsome Gianni Monteverdi and his small niece Eleanora, by the Principe and Principessa Monteverdi …But did they really want her there?Death haunted the villa. First a dog dies, wantonly poisoned. Then Barbara becomes terribly ill. Is it possible that her great-aunt’s death was not an accident? And could it be that someone is trying to murder her, too?

Genres: Gothic, Fiction

206 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1971

Reviews

[Nattie]

I made it to page 65 before I began skipping around. The book stinks. I had a feeling I would not like it.

I like my books set in America, Canada, and England. I prefer English only, as I don't like trying to figure out what is being said or having one character translate in English what they already said in a different language. There was too much of that here, and the story didn't capture me.

[Cheryl]

Must confess I love these Gothics from the 1960s and 1970’s! It’s a weakness, I know.

[Dorothy]

Classic 1970's drugstore Gothic paperback book. Nothing exciting but kind of enjoyable.