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Signatures in Stone
Four travelers—an art critic, an aspiring painter, an aristocrat, and a mystery writer—meet in Italy’s eerie Monster Park of Bomarzo during the Fascist era. The park’s grotesque statues hide an alchemical secret. They point out a pathway to self-knowledge that leads through hell before ascending to the light. Finestone, the art critic, sees the park as a cosmic tool to alter fate, while Daphne, the mystery writer, believes hidden signs and signatures can reveal the future and uncover the truth of past events. When a murder in the park shocks the group, Daphne becomes the prime suspect. To solve the murder and clear her name, she must confront her own demons and read the signs scattered all around her. In solving the murder, she’ll also crack the code of the Monster Park, and discover the source of its life-transforming power. Overall Winner of the Daphne Du Maurier Prize for Mystery & Suspense Writing.
The new 2023 edition commemorates the 500th anniversary of the Bomarzo Monster Park, and is illustrated with Tarot-inspired drawings by Carolyn Florek.
The new 2023 edition commemorates the 500th anniversary of the Bomarzo Monster Park, and is illustrated with Tarot-inspired drawings by Carolyn Florek.
280 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2013
4 people are currently reading
172 people want to read
About the author
Linda Lappin
14 books61 followersLinda Lappin is a prize-winning poet, novelist, travel writer, literary translator and writing teacher who divides her time between Italy and the USA. She has published four novels, Katherine’s Wish, Signatures in Stone, which won the 2014 Daphne Du Maurier Award for mystery writing, and Loving Modigliani: The Afterlife of Jeanne Hébuterne, and The Etruscan
Her creative writing book: The Soul of Place: Ideas and Exercises for Conjuring the Genius Loci published by Travelers Tales in 2015 won the gold medal in the Nautilus Awards in the field of creativity. She holds an MFA from the University of Iowa Writing Workshop. For her work in literary translation, she received the Poggioli Prize from PEN and two National Endowment for the Arts grants.
Her creative writing book: The Soul of Place: Ideas and Exercises for Conjuring the Genius Loci published by Travelers Tales in 2015 won the gold medal in the Nautilus Awards in the field of creativity. She holds an MFA from the University of Iowa Writing Workshop. For her work in literary translation, she received the Poggioli Prize from PEN and two National Endowment for the Arts grants.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 1, 2015
Ensconced by her forceful publisher Nigel in a rundown villa in the Italian town of Bomarzo, writer Daphne DuBlanc (Marilyn Mosley is her nom de plume) is stuck for an idea for her next Edna Rutherford mystery. It doesn’t help that she has smoked the last of the hashish she secretly brought from Paris. “Without inspiration I could not write. What was needed was a new batch of signatures, those curious messages our waking life sends us from our unconscious, which I have come to see as promptings from the muse, and even as a spiritual guide for my own existence.” But as she begins to explore the villa, which is filled with priceless artistic treasures, and the neighboring 16th-century sculpture garden known as the Monster Park, Daphne finds signs and clues—a broken head of a china doll, a pearl button, an ancient map—to deeper mysteries about this strange place and its inhabitants: the gatekeeper Manu and his daughter Amelia, Professor Firestone, an American art history scholar writing about the Monster Garden, Clive, a novice painter, and even the down-at-heel aristocratic Nigel.
VERDICT Deftly mixing fascinating art history and murder with an exotic atmospheric setting (the Bomarzo garden actually exists), dramatic historical period (1928 fascist Italy), and fully fleshed characters, Lappin (The Etruscan) has written a hallucinatory gothic mystery in which no one is as they appear. Daphne is a most memorable, if a bit unreliable (thanks to her opium habit), narrator. Readers looking for an intelligent summer mystery will find much to savor here. http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/201...
VERDICT Deftly mixing fascinating art history and murder with an exotic atmospheric setting (the Bomarzo garden actually exists), dramatic historical period (1928 fascist Italy), and fully fleshed characters, Lappin (The Etruscan) has written a hallucinatory gothic mystery in which no one is as they appear. Daphne is a most memorable, if a bit unreliable (thanks to her opium habit), narrator. Readers looking for an intelligent summer mystery will find much to savor here. http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/201...
March 2, 2014
This is a masterfully written cozy mystery that takes you to Italy. The descriptions of Italy are wonderful, and gives you the true essence of the place.
The story takes place in 1928. The heroine, Daphne, is a writer of mysteries living in Paris, who has a taste for hashish. She is having trouble completing her next book, so her publisher takes her to Italy to get her away so she can write in peace.
The fun starts when they arrive at a old rundown villa with a surly maid and a garden full of mysterious statues.
The story slowly and beautifully unfolds, and is expertly told. Some of the best writing I've seen in a while.
The story takes place in 1928. The heroine, Daphne, is a writer of mysteries living in Paris, who has a taste for hashish. She is having trouble completing her next book, so her publisher takes her to Italy to get her away so she can write in peace.
The fun starts when they arrive at a old rundown villa with a surly maid and a garden full of mysterious statues.
The story slowly and beautifully unfolds, and is expertly told. Some of the best writing I've seen in a while.
November 1, 2024
Signatures in Stone by Linda Lappin starts as a simple travel tale with a long drive through the countryside of Italy in March 1928. It’s Tuscia, as the narrator tells us, and their destination is Bomarzo. If you’re unfamiliar with that part of Italy, like me, then it’s worth looking for the place online; even the map puts you in the mood for a good story.
Leaving Paris in a hurry, Daphne, who is the narrator and an author beginning to find success in England and in America in the late 1920s lets us know what’s important for a detective writer: ‘I also packed my little Florentine notebook.’ I would have done the same.
Miss Marilyn Moseley is Daphne’s penname for her successful detective novels, in which she has created a heroine called Edna Rutherford; it is their relationship with the narrator of Signatures in Stone that begins to intrigue the reader. Are these perhaps all the different women that Daphne (or Linda) could be?
The poet from St. Louis is mentioned to establish the Anglo-American literary scene of the era and helps the reader understand both the literary background of Daphne and the rich, intriguing references that begin to accumulate around the mysterious visit beyond the locked gates.
Leaving Paris in a hurry, Daphne, who is the narrator and an author beginning to find success in England and in America in the late 1920s lets us know what’s important for a detective writer: ‘I also packed my little Florentine notebook.’ I would have done the same.
Miss Marilyn Moseley is Daphne’s penname for her successful detective novels, in which she has created a heroine called Edna Rutherford; it is their relationship with the narrator of Signatures in Stone that begins to intrigue the reader. Are these perhaps all the different women that Daphne (or Linda) could be?
The poet from St. Louis is mentioned to establish the Anglo-American literary scene of the era and helps the reader understand both the literary background of Daphne and the rich, intriguing references that begin to accumulate around the mysterious visit beyond the locked gates.
January 7, 2024
Signatures in Stone is an occult mystery thriller that had me on the edge of my seat until the last page.
Daphne an author from Paris with a murky past is brought to Bomarzo, Italy with her agent Nigel to seek inspiration in the gorgeous Italian countryside. Accompanying them is Clive, an American artist whose talent as a painter leaves much to the imagination. An old villa tucked away in the hills of the moody landscape is where the author's descriptive prose of the natural surroundings really brings the story to life, instilling a sense of foreboding nicely juxtaposed with the ancient setting. When the three arrive at the villa, they discover an unrefined servant named Amelia, whose odd behaviours and cold stares unsettle Daphne. Also staying at the villa is a Dr. Finestone, an academic working on a research project of the mysterious garden which becomes the main focus of this story. The garden is a long overgrown 16th century creation full of grotesque statues of mythical beasts whose purpose is unclear. The monster park will serve as labyrinth, mirror, and crime scene for the characters whose lives become synchronous with the garden's ability to hide and seek the darkness within.
This story had an occult storyline, showcasing the process of individuation through the mysterious Sacred Wood, a real life garden park from the Renaissance. The characters, specifically Daphne descend into their past, fears, desires, and secrets the more they/she explored the garden and its cryptic statuary. The writing was beautifully descriptive capturing the ancient supernatural feel of the setting and era. The story had a dark glamour about it, with its sensual lyricism, old villa, arcane secrets, and intriguing objects serving as the "signatures" or synchronistic clues leading Daphne into a philosophical investigation into the truth.
Part alchemical, part psychological, with a gothic plot and esoteric message, Signatures in Stone is a garden of delight and fright.
I will definitely be reading the author's other books as her gothic mystery writing was so unique and captivating.
If you liked The Cloisters by Katy Hays, this book has a similar vibe.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Daphne an author from Paris with a murky past is brought to Bomarzo, Italy with her agent Nigel to seek inspiration in the gorgeous Italian countryside. Accompanying them is Clive, an American artist whose talent as a painter leaves much to the imagination. An old villa tucked away in the hills of the moody landscape is where the author's descriptive prose of the natural surroundings really brings the story to life, instilling a sense of foreboding nicely juxtaposed with the ancient setting. When the three arrive at the villa, they discover an unrefined servant named Amelia, whose odd behaviours and cold stares unsettle Daphne. Also staying at the villa is a Dr. Finestone, an academic working on a research project of the mysterious garden which becomes the main focus of this story. The garden is a long overgrown 16th century creation full of grotesque statues of mythical beasts whose purpose is unclear. The monster park will serve as labyrinth, mirror, and crime scene for the characters whose lives become synchronous with the garden's ability to hide and seek the darkness within.
This story had an occult storyline, showcasing the process of individuation through the mysterious Sacred Wood, a real life garden park from the Renaissance. The characters, specifically Daphne descend into their past, fears, desires, and secrets the more they/she explored the garden and its cryptic statuary. The writing was beautifully descriptive capturing the ancient supernatural feel of the setting and era. The story had a dark glamour about it, with its sensual lyricism, old villa, arcane secrets, and intriguing objects serving as the "signatures" or synchronistic clues leading Daphne into a philosophical investigation into the truth.
Part alchemical, part psychological, with a gothic plot and esoteric message, Signatures in Stone is a garden of delight and fright.
I will definitely be reading the author's other books as her gothic mystery writing was so unique and captivating.
If you liked The Cloisters by Katy Hays, this book has a similar vibe.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 24, 2013
I first became acquainted with the wonderful writings of Linda Lappin when I first read her highly rated novel based on the final years of Katherine Mansfield, Katherine's Wish. I thought she captured with amazing perspicuity the persona of Mansfield and her complex personal relationships. I vowed to follow her career and next read her very atmospheric, some felt it was apt to describe it as Gothic, The Etruscan, a mystery set in Italy between the world wars. I loved it for the prose and the perfectly realized central character.
I think Signatures in Stone is Lappin's best work to date, and that is saying a lot. Set in the 1920s the central character, Daphne comes from Paris to overcome writers block and to clear her head from too much hash. She arrives in Bomazo, Italy with her agent Nigel, allegedly an English aristocrat, who has been promising her an advance on the book she is supposed to be working for a while. They have booked part of an old run down villa. Of course it comes with some mysterious servants. Nigel brought along his friend Clive, a sexual opportunist who ends up having an affair with Daphne, considerably older than he. Also staying at the villa is an art expert, Dr. Firestone. Dr. Firestone is there to direct the restoration of a garden called, "The Sacred Wood". The heart of the story begins as we see Daphne become more and more fixated on the mysterious and sinister statues. Italy was once seen in English literture, in the tradition of works by D. H. Lawrence and E. M. Forster among others, as an exotic almost exotic tropical place where you do thinks you might do back at home.
Nobody is quite what they seem to be. Everybody is out for everybody else, body, soul, and purse.
Daphne loves hash and Signatures in Stone lets us see how creativity sometimes feels like a hashish dream.
There is a murder with plenty of suspects. I was very taken up into the investigation of the crime.
Signatures in Stone is a fascinating book, deeply evoking the mysteries in the history of the garden of stones and beyond this Tuscan history.
I think Signatures in Stone is Lappin's best work to date, and that is saying a lot. Set in the 1920s the central character, Daphne comes from Paris to overcome writers block and to clear her head from too much hash. She arrives in Bomazo, Italy with her agent Nigel, allegedly an English aristocrat, who has been promising her an advance on the book she is supposed to be working for a while. They have booked part of an old run down villa. Of course it comes with some mysterious servants. Nigel brought along his friend Clive, a sexual opportunist who ends up having an affair with Daphne, considerably older than he. Also staying at the villa is an art expert, Dr. Firestone. Dr. Firestone is there to direct the restoration of a garden called, "The Sacred Wood". The heart of the story begins as we see Daphne become more and more fixated on the mysterious and sinister statues. Italy was once seen in English literture, in the tradition of works by D. H. Lawrence and E. M. Forster among others, as an exotic almost exotic tropical place where you do thinks you might do back at home.
Nobody is quite what they seem to be. Everybody is out for everybody else, body, soul, and purse.
Daphne loves hash and Signatures in Stone lets us see how creativity sometimes feels like a hashish dream.
There is a murder with plenty of suspects. I was very taken up into the investigation of the crime.
Signatures in Stone is a fascinating book, deeply evoking the mysteries in the history of the garden of stones and beyond this Tuscan history.
August 26, 2013
I received this book for free through a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
This was a really excellent, well put together, old fashioned, Gothic mystery. The characters were very human--with plenty of interesting flaws that kept them from being entirely likeable but also made the story very real. The setting was incredible. The blending of the mystery with the surreal aspects of drug usage was well done. Every once in awhile the plot lagged a bit but then it would pick up again. It was hard to make myself put it down last night so I could get some sleep and I had to bring it to work and finish it over lunch.
The ending was a little weak and too quickly wrapped up, but all in all a book I am sure I will reread and one that I highly recommend.
This was a really excellent, well put together, old fashioned, Gothic mystery. The characters were very human--with plenty of interesting flaws that kept them from being entirely likeable but also made the story very real. The setting was incredible. The blending of the mystery with the surreal aspects of drug usage was well done. Every once in awhile the plot lagged a bit but then it would pick up again. It was hard to make myself put it down last night so I could get some sleep and I had to bring it to work and finish it over lunch.
The ending was a little weak and too quickly wrapped up, but all in all a book I am sure I will reread and one that I highly recommend.
April 19, 2013
In March, I'd offered to review Lappin's Signatures in Stone. Being half-Italian, I was attracted to the book because of its subject matter -- art history, 1920's Italy and mystery, my favorite genre.
I was not particularly interested in its gothic quality, but I was soon drawn in and didn't want to put the book down.
The writing spirited me through more quickly than expected -- a real page turner. I look forward to reading her next novel and the author's two previous ones.
Highly recommended for suspense, intrigue, intricacy and a study of the minds of people who aren't always what they appear to be.
I was not particularly interested in its gothic quality, but I was soon drawn in and didn't want to put the book down.
The writing spirited me through more quickly than expected -- a real page turner. I look forward to reading her next novel and the author's two previous ones.
Highly recommended for suspense, intrigue, intricacy and a study of the minds of people who aren't always what they appear to be.
February 18, 2021
Written with alluring style, grace, and suspense. Lappin makes you grapple with complex characters who aren't always what they first seem, interestingly, this includes the art both in the decaying villa and the monster sculpture garden. She has us observe our shadow selves in bringing to our attention that how we see things can be a reflection of our own states, or past demons. The monsters in the garden are reflections rather than objective forms. The story itself and the build-up to murder, who, why, how... is done with careful finesse. A dynamic, rich story unfolds in multiple layers. A pull you in mystery.
March 22, 2014
As with Linda Lappin's other books, this one draws you in by your senses. I could smell, taste, and hear each scene she describes. It is a lavish mystery replete with art, increasing suspense, wild undergrowth, history, esotericism, addiction, and sex. The heroine is rather flawed which draws one in even more. I am looking forward to the second novel in the series!
June 17, 2014
Signatures in Stone is a literary mystery. While the pace is slower than most other books I tend to read, it suited the story. The characters are complex and deep and flawed. The mystery based in mythology, and Gothic feel, kept me reading. But Ms. Lappin's writing, lush and lyrical, is what I loved.
June 1, 2017
Lappin's book won the Daphne du Maurier Award for best mystery, and it deserved it. This mystery, set in Italy, involves wonderfully developed characters, all of whom carry baggage that lead the reader to suspect each of them throughout the novel. A reader who likes clever writing a d exotic places will not be disappointed. A reader who loves a good mystery also will not be disappointed.
December 26, 2023
I think it's an atmospheric and well plotted mystery featuring a cast of unlikely characters. I liked the storytelling and how the author makes the story work in a place like Bomarzo, a cross between a lisergic dream and an alchemic picture.
Well done, intriguing
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Well done, intriguing
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
June 14, 2015
A beautifully written, atmospheric novel set in Bomarzo, Italy. I've been reading everything I can find about Bomarzo, as I prepare to visit, and I'm so pleased that my quest led me to this intriguing book about an English mystery novelist in 1920s Italy.
April 10, 2024
Novel set in BOMARZO, Lazio
The story is set between the two World Wars, a time when ancient fortunes wither away and succeeding generations are left to fend for themselves with a blend of self-pity and begrudging resourcefulness. Such is the plight of Daphne, a British writer of occult mysteries living a pauper’s existence in Paris (though she notably possesses a few sartorial luxuries from her past life). The heroine is coerced out of her opium induced decline by her devious publisher who whisks her off to a dilapidated palazzo in Bomarzo. There she is contractually obliged to write her next novel. ‘Publish or die’ has real financial implications but Daphne is not easily cowed. Her character is fiery yet flawed, and her clear-eyed introspection and witty observations carry the plot forward.
From the outset, the motley cast of characters who inhabit the palazzo are not quite what they seem. As Daphne grapples with writer’s block and an unexpected liaison with a younger man, she is inexplicably drawn to the lurid Monster Park adjacent to the palazzo. She soon finds herself in danger for her life and is eventually accused of a murder that takes place in that very same park. Thanks to a series of ‘signatures’-those signs and coincidences loaded with hidden significance-Daphne unwittingly helps the Italian detective solve the murder and unmask the true perpetrators.
In her evocative narrative, Lappin taps into all our senses and encourages the reader to consider the existence of other dimensions. But it is her sardonic protagonist who keeps us firmly grounded in the physical world. It is worthwhile mentioning that Signatures in Stone won the DAPHNE DU MAURIER AWARD for Excellence in Mystery and Suspense Writing.
Lilianne Milgrom for the TripFiction Team
The story is set between the two World Wars, a time when ancient fortunes wither away and succeeding generations are left to fend for themselves with a blend of self-pity and begrudging resourcefulness. Such is the plight of Daphne, a British writer of occult mysteries living a pauper’s existence in Paris (though she notably possesses a few sartorial luxuries from her past life). The heroine is coerced out of her opium induced decline by her devious publisher who whisks her off to a dilapidated palazzo in Bomarzo. There she is contractually obliged to write her next novel. ‘Publish or die’ has real financial implications but Daphne is not easily cowed. Her character is fiery yet flawed, and her clear-eyed introspection and witty observations carry the plot forward.
From the outset, the motley cast of characters who inhabit the palazzo are not quite what they seem. As Daphne grapples with writer’s block and an unexpected liaison with a younger man, she is inexplicably drawn to the lurid Monster Park adjacent to the palazzo. She soon finds herself in danger for her life and is eventually accused of a murder that takes place in that very same park. Thanks to a series of ‘signatures’-those signs and coincidences loaded with hidden significance-Daphne unwittingly helps the Italian detective solve the murder and unmask the true perpetrators.
In her evocative narrative, Lappin taps into all our senses and encourages the reader to consider the existence of other dimensions. But it is her sardonic protagonist who keeps us firmly grounded in the physical world. It is worthwhile mentioning that Signatures in Stone won the DAPHNE DU MAURIER AWARD for Excellence in Mystery and Suspense Writing.
Lilianne Milgrom for the TripFiction Team
April 15, 2024
Signatures in Stone: A Bomarzo Mystery by Linda Lappin transports readers into the mesmerizing realm of the Monster Park of Bomarzo, an enigmatic Baroque sculpture garden in Italy. Lappin masterfully crafts a narrative that intertwines captivating characters with a strong sense of place, drawing readers into a world where the lines between reality and fantasy blur.
Set against the backdrop of the park, the novel follows four travelers—Daphne, Nigel, Clive, and Professor Finestone—as they find themselves drawn together in a dilapidated villa near the park. Each character brings their own secrets and desires, adding layers of complexity to the unfolding mystery. Love and (tastefully written) lust permeate the book, and characters are not who they appear to be.
Professor Finestone's groundbreaking discovery about the park's design adds an intriguing layer to the story, revealing it as a transformative experience that delves into the darker aspects of life.
As the group explores the haunting sculptures, they become entangled in a web of intrigue and danger, with Daphne finding herself at the center of a shocking homicide investigation that eventually resonate with her own tragic life experiences. “Ghostly” scenes turn out to have oh-so-real origins.
Lappin's narrative skillfully navigates the intertwining threads of mystery, history, and the supernatural, offering readers a thrilling journey through Renaissance Italy's gardens.
The Monster Park of Bomarzo emerges as a character in its own right, its eerie atmosphere adding depth and richness to the story.
With its blend of suspense, historical detail, and Gothic-in-Wonderland ambiance, "Signatures in Stone" is a gripping tale that makes for an unforgettable reading experience.
Set against the backdrop of the park, the novel follows four travelers—Daphne, Nigel, Clive, and Professor Finestone—as they find themselves drawn together in a dilapidated villa near the park. Each character brings their own secrets and desires, adding layers of complexity to the unfolding mystery. Love and (tastefully written) lust permeate the book, and characters are not who they appear to be.
Professor Finestone's groundbreaking discovery about the park's design adds an intriguing layer to the story, revealing it as a transformative experience that delves into the darker aspects of life.
As the group explores the haunting sculptures, they become entangled in a web of intrigue and danger, with Daphne finding herself at the center of a shocking homicide investigation that eventually resonate with her own tragic life experiences. “Ghostly” scenes turn out to have oh-so-real origins.
Lappin's narrative skillfully navigates the intertwining threads of mystery, history, and the supernatural, offering readers a thrilling journey through Renaissance Italy's gardens.
The Monster Park of Bomarzo emerges as a character in its own right, its eerie atmosphere adding depth and richness to the story.
With its blend of suspense, historical detail, and Gothic-in-Wonderland ambiance, "Signatures in Stone" is a gripping tale that makes for an unforgettable reading experience.
September 13, 2024
Winner, Daphne Du Maurier Award 2014
Critic Nina Auerbach, of Women and Demons and Our Vampires, Ourselves made this comment about this novel:
"I loved Signatures in Stone: its haunting settings, terrifying Etruscan tombs, and the emergence of well-named Daphne rejuvenated at the end."
From Library Journal "Lappin has penned an intelligent summer mystery"
From I Love a Mystery "Lappin is a modern day Agatha Christie with prose that is like eating dark chocolate, it just gets better the more you partake."
From Mystery Scene Magazine "Written in an elegant, relaxed style, with a plot that peels back slowly, the book bewitches"
Critic Nina Auerbach, of Women and Demons and Our Vampires, Ourselves made this comment about this novel:
"I loved Signatures in Stone: its haunting settings, terrifying Etruscan tombs, and the emergence of well-named Daphne rejuvenated at the end."
From Library Journal "Lappin has penned an intelligent summer mystery"
From I Love a Mystery "Lappin is a modern day Agatha Christie with prose that is like eating dark chocolate, it just gets better the more you partake."
From Mystery Scene Magazine "Written in an elegant, relaxed style, with a plot that peels back slowly, the book bewitches"
Want to Read
December 5, 2023Thanks to Pleasure Boat Studio and NetGalley for this ARC! This edition of Signatures in Stone by Linda Lappin came out in November 2023.
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