The Sandro Cellini Mysteries, Books 1-3: Three sinister crimes in one, set in the dark heart of modern Italy

by Christobel Kent

Three sinister crimes in one, set against the backdrop of the the faded decadence and small-town claustrophobia of contemporary Florence'Brooding Italian noir' Independent on Sunday'Suspense, atmosphere, and the architectural beauty of Florence... Fantastic' Irish ExaminerA Time of MourningSandro Cellini - ex-policeman, good husband and newly-minted private detective - is at first unwilling to see any connection between the disappearance of a young English girl from among Florence's hard-drinking community of foreign arts students, and the suicide of an elderly Jewish architect. But as he investigates the circumstances more closely, Sandro's first case turns out to be darker and more complex than he could have imagined...A Fine and Private PlaceJust as Sandro gets to grips with the reality of life as a private detective, an old case comes back to haunt him. As heattempts to uncover the truth of Loni Meadows's violent and lonely death, he finds himself drawn into the lives of the a highly strung arts community and the closed world they inhabit in the Casentino's isolated hillsThe Dead SeasonFlorence's inhabitants have fled to the hills, but Sandro Cellini will not be joining the holidaymakers this year - a man has vanished into thin air, leaving his pregnant wife abandoned. Meanwhile, bankteller Roxana Delfino is trapped in the city heat, worrying for her aging mother and puzzling over the disappearance of one of her regular clients. When the weather finally breaks, it brings with it a shocking revelation.

1464 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 2, 2013

About the author

Christobel Kent was born in London in 1962 and now lives in Cambridge with her husband and four children; in between she lived in Florence. She worked in publishing for several years, most recently as Publicity Director at Andre Deutsch. Her debut novel A Party in San Niccolo, was published in 2003.

Series:
* Sandro Cellini

Reviews

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a change to have a reasonably well-adjusted male detective with a happy, if, slightly unconventional "family". The stories are well-observed and a love and knowledge of the location are obvious. The large cast of characters is well-drawn and observed. Very enjoyable.

[Gail Stocker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seedy Florence, brand new to me. Enjoyable. I will read more by this author.

[Penny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed these Books, - Christabel Kent's writing may worry many people because she and her ageing detective Sandro Cellini do seem to uncover the seediest side of the city of Florence - but it is there and one hopes that a loveable honest man like Sandro is actually around to ferret out the not so obvious villains. Suffice it to say that having started on the first of this trilogy I have been pretty much involved with Sandro's problems for the past two and a half weeks - and I am a bit sorry that I don't have another to get in to straight away ....not there is any shortage of books to read on my shelves!