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Bearer of Bad News: A Novel
A sharply funny and moving debut in which a young woman accepts a job that takes her though the Italian Dolomites and into an international mystery far greater—and more personal—than she could have ever expected.
For someone who hates secrets, Las Vegas hairdresser Lucy Rey is about to be faced with a whole bunch of them. After discovering that her fiancé has left her without so much as a goodbye, Lucy finds herself short on funds and desperate for a change of scenery. Enter a most unusual job a Bearer of Bad News.
Sure, it’s a little strange—the job description has few details, and the bad news is more like a vaguely worded threat—but Lucy can’t say no to the an all-expenses-paid trip to the Italian Dolomites, plus a generous bonus if she proves she’s delivered the message. Then she learns that her task is just the tip of the iceberg.
Launched into a world of betrayal and greed involving eighty-year-old secrets, stolen jewels, and a World War II-era mystery, Lucy is in way over her head—and she’s connected to this story in ways she never could have imagined.
For fans of Maria Semple’s Where’d You Go, Bernadette and Nita Prose’s The Maid, Elisabeth Dini’s Bearer of Bad News is an exhilarating romp that deftly explores the weight of secrets, the power of friendship, and how, by healing the wounds of the past, we can build a brighter tomorrow.
For someone who hates secrets, Las Vegas hairdresser Lucy Rey is about to be faced with a whole bunch of them. After discovering that her fiancé has left her without so much as a goodbye, Lucy finds herself short on funds and desperate for a change of scenery. Enter a most unusual job a Bearer of Bad News.
Sure, it’s a little strange—the job description has few details, and the bad news is more like a vaguely worded threat—but Lucy can’t say no to the an all-expenses-paid trip to the Italian Dolomites, plus a generous bonus if she proves she’s delivered the message. Then she learns that her task is just the tip of the iceberg.
Launched into a world of betrayal and greed involving eighty-year-old secrets, stolen jewels, and a World War II-era mystery, Lucy is in way over her head—and she’s connected to this story in ways she never could have imagined.
For fans of Maria Semple’s Where’d You Go, Bernadette and Nita Prose’s The Maid, Elisabeth Dini’s Bearer of Bad News is an exhilarating romp that deftly explores the weight of secrets, the power of friendship, and how, by healing the wounds of the past, we can build a brighter tomorrow.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 29, 2025
156 people are currently reading
16618 people want to read
About the author
Elisabeth Dini
2 books97 followersElisabeth Dini is the author of BEARER OF BAD NEWS. A lawyer and former prosecutor at the International Criminal Court, Elisabeth is a graduate of Brandeis University and Stanford Law School. Born in Nevada, she currently lives in the Netherlands with her husband and a bevy of mostly well-adjusted houseplants. Visit her online at ElisabethDini.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 345 reviews
May 31, 2025
I had a hard time getting into this book. At first I was enjoying it and then it started to drag for me. I fought through and really enjoyed the final part of the story.
June 30, 2025
this is a julian hate club sorry but hope he rots xoxo (and also very excited for this new venture for the main character with her literal found family)
May 3, 2025
A really solid debut, a mix of international intrigue, historical fiction, and mystery.
Lucy is blindsided by the betrayal of her fiancé Julian, and wants to move away from town but has a big lease to contend with. She definitely doesn’t want to ask her estranged grandmother, a reclusive retired Oscar winning actress, for any help. She has a gay bestie, Adam, who mostly exists for exposition and for comic relief. Lucy miraculously finds a job listing for a “bearer of bad news,” basically go find my sister and tell her some bad news and I will give you $25,000. Also you get to go to Italy and ski resort country.
So there is a truly beautiful setting here, and a fun mystery as we follow Lucy through the Alps trying to find Coco. Her employer, Taffy, is a ridiculous spoiled self centered rich person. Most of the side characters are kind of flat, but this story flows well and is pretty creative plot building.
The story jumps back to historical times through a series of letters and documents. I found these sections a bit dry and difficult to follow, but I was eager to get back to the current age. And how cool that debut author has had an entire career as a lawyer prosecuting international crimes. The authenticity of the lost items in world war 2 showed her experience as the plot unfolded.
Another fun cozy mystery! Thanks to Gallery Books for the finished copy. #partner #gifted
Lucy is blindsided by the betrayal of her fiancé Julian, and wants to move away from town but has a big lease to contend with. She definitely doesn’t want to ask her estranged grandmother, a reclusive retired Oscar winning actress, for any help. She has a gay bestie, Adam, who mostly exists for exposition and for comic relief. Lucy miraculously finds a job listing for a “bearer of bad news,” basically go find my sister and tell her some bad news and I will give you $25,000. Also you get to go to Italy and ski resort country.
So there is a truly beautiful setting here, and a fun mystery as we follow Lucy through the Alps trying to find Coco. Her employer, Taffy, is a ridiculous spoiled self centered rich person. Most of the side characters are kind of flat, but this story flows well and is pretty creative plot building.
The story jumps back to historical times through a series of letters and documents. I found these sections a bit dry and difficult to follow, but I was eager to get back to the current age. And how cool that debut author has had an entire career as a lawyer prosecuting international crimes. The authenticity of the lost items in world war 2 showed her experience as the plot unfolded.
Another fun cozy mystery! Thanks to Gallery Books for the finished copy. #partner #gifted
May 11, 2025
The synopsis of Bearer of Bad News sounded interesting and fun, and it was blurbed by several authors I enjoy reading, so I thought headed into this that it would be a book that I would like. It only took me about thirty pages to realize that I was wrong. This book has good reviews so far, but I struggle to understand why. The protagonist is a mediocre hair stylist that comes off as having multiple personality disorder (Little Voice, people, you’ll understand if proceed forward with the story) that’s hung up on her fiancé despite the fact that he cheated on her with a man who’s claim to fame is acting like an animal eating. This sounds like it should be funny, but it’s just ridiculous and sad. After fleeing the apartment her fiancé convinced her to buy in Vegas (because it would be closer to LA where he’s pursuing an acting career), Lucy ends up in Reno on the couch of her not interesting or funny gay best friend before agreeing to be a bearer of bad news for a woman named Taffy who appears to have more than a few screws loose. This lands Lucy in the Dolomites where she embarks on a half-hearted effort to find Taffy’s sister, while pissing off an influencer and making googly eyes at two different men (while still mooning over her cheating fiancé). Are you exhausted yet? Because this is only one half of the story. The book is also a dual timeline of sorts, with the earlier half told in reports, letters, etc. about two young women that were part of a resistance to the Nazis in Germany, one of whom was in possession of an emerald necklace that has been missing since the end of the war. Especially at the beginning of the book these parts seemed to jump all over the place, and it took me until the end of the book to sort out who was who, which just gets incredibly confusing again as it gets intertwined with the current storyline. This could have been a funny story. It could have been a reminder about the ethics and challenges of repatriation. It could have been a coming of age story about a woman finding herself after a personal challenge. But it tries to be too many things and ends up being something that requires a practice in patience to finish. I don’t recommend this book. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
April 7, 2025
4.5⭐️ This was not entirely what I was expecting from the cover, but I really enjoyed it! (Spoiler alert: I cried.)
RTC
Thanks S&S Audio for the copy!
RTC
Thanks S&S Audio for the copy!
June 30, 2025
3.5 stars
This book was so boring until the last 10%. I think the way the author presented scenes from the past was so confusing that I was confused who characters were until I was 90% of the way finished with this book.
Favorite Quote:
But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it is this: all of us doing something—small things, good things, kind things, pure things—that’s what moves mountains.
This book was so boring until the last 10%. I think the way the author presented scenes from the past was so confusing that I was confused who characters were until I was 90% of the way finished with this book.
Favorite Quote:
But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it is this: all of us doing something—small things, good things, kind things, pure things—that’s what moves mountains.
December 18, 2024
A gem of a novel. While it may seem at first glance a lighthearted comedy/mystery about a caper in the Italian Dolomites, this book quickly subverted my expectations with an intricately woven half-century-old tale of heartbreak, resilience, humanity, and what we owe to each other... themes that are particularly relevant today.
Not only was the WWII storyline meticulously researched, it's an impressive and ambitious feat of storytelling that spans multiple countries (Germany, Italy, Switzerland) and provides an unflinching look at both the brave and cowardly choices that ordinary people were forced to make in an impossible time. At the same time, thanks to the sharp, voicey writing in the present timeline, we never lost the much-needed levity and witty observations that made for a fun and propulsive read. I am in awe of how the author was able to bring two rich, sweeping timelines together to form a uniquely beautiful and cohesive story.
Hoping for a sequel to this terrific book!
(Thanks to Gallery Books for the e-ARC)
Not only was the WWII storyline meticulously researched, it's an impressive and ambitious feat of storytelling that spans multiple countries (Germany, Italy, Switzerland) and provides an unflinching look at both the brave and cowardly choices that ordinary people were forced to make in an impossible time. At the same time, thanks to the sharp, voicey writing in the present timeline, we never lost the much-needed levity and witty observations that made for a fun and propulsive read. I am in awe of how the author was able to bring two rich, sweeping timelines together to form a uniquely beautiful and cohesive story.
Hoping for a sequel to this terrific book!
(Thanks to Gallery Books for the e-ARC)
November 24, 2024
“The Bearer of Bad News” by Elizabeth Dini is a unique story. The concept of the book intrigued me immediately. The idea that a young unemployed hairdresser would accept a job to be the bearer of bad news and deliver it to a person in an estranged family in the Dolomites sounded fun and adventurous. Unfortunately for me, the book became a complex story of the hairdressers all expense journey muddled with feuding sisters trying to recover a Nazi stolen artifact from WWII. Told in duel time lines, I found the historical portion hard to follow and the current family drama with our heroine and her aging movie star grandmother unsympathetic.
From other reviews I see people feel very differently so it may be this book was just not for me.
Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
May 3, 2025
This is a great debut. At first, I thought it would be like the Finley Donovan series—fun, fast-paced, and full of hijinks—but it turned into something much more. Don’t skip the author’s note—it adds great context. This feels like the start of a series, and I’m looking forward to what the author does next.
November 18, 2024
3.5 rounded up to 4.
The cover and first chunk of this book are completely different than where this book netted out. Even the genre’s listed on goodreads “mystery” and “contemporary” don’t feel right. I thought this was going to be a lighthearted ~finding yourself~ book but it was more of a deep cut finding yourself with WWII details. I think I liked the bouncing back between quirkiness and heaviness but the historical fiction aspect of this book was not at all what I thought I was going to get and I think anyone picking this up would be surprised by it based on the blurb. Also, it might have been the formatting of the ARC but I felt the flashback documents were a little hard to follow.
Felt like the author’s note made me like this book a lot more too, which doesn’t happen too often.
TY netgalley for the ARC.
The cover and first chunk of this book are completely different than where this book netted out. Even the genre’s listed on goodreads “mystery” and “contemporary” don’t feel right. I thought this was going to be a lighthearted ~finding yourself~ book but it was more of a deep cut finding yourself with WWII details. I think I liked the bouncing back between quirkiness and heaviness but the historical fiction aspect of this book was not at all what I thought I was going to get and I think anyone picking this up would be surprised by it based on the blurb. Also, it might have been the formatting of the ARC but I felt the flashback documents were a little hard to follow.
Felt like the author’s note made me like this book a lot more too, which doesn’t happen too often.
TY netgalley for the ARC.
June 4, 2025
Lucy Rey is living her life as a mediocre hairstylist stuck living in a smart apartment from Hell, while her fiancé travels to auditions in an attempt to become an actor. When her fiancé leaves her for a guy in his improv group, Lucy answers an ad for a Bearer of Bad News. With a trip to the Dolomites in Italy and a $25,000 payout if she is successful, Lucy has nothing to lose. But when she arrives in Italy, she quickly realizes that there is more to the story. With the help of her friends, Adam and Maurice, and some new friends she meets along the way, they may solve a World War II-era mystery.
I had a lot of fun with this debut. This book was hilarious at times. From Lucy dealing with her fiancé cheating on her with a guy named Mr. Chippy (really?!) to Lucy getting into a fight with an influencer, this book had me busting out laughing several times. However, my favorite parts of this book were the historical fiction and the mystery surrounding a piece of jewelry mentioned during correspondence with the Department of Lost Things. I loved the story about Sophie and Liane, two women trying to survive during World War II. This story was both beautiful and heartbreaking, and I felt myself becoming more invested in their story than in Lucy's. The author's notes do a great job of describing the research that went into this story, and I enjoyed reading more about the history that went into this book. I am not sure if this book is a standalone or part of a series, but I would love to read more about Lucy and her adventures as a Bearer of Bad News.
Bearer of Bad News is out now.
Thank you to @GalleryBooks for an advanced copy of Bearer of Bad News. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I had a lot of fun with this debut. This book was hilarious at times. From Lucy dealing with her fiancé cheating on her with a guy named Mr. Chippy (really?!) to Lucy getting into a fight with an influencer, this book had me busting out laughing several times. However, my favorite parts of this book were the historical fiction and the mystery surrounding a piece of jewelry mentioned during correspondence with the Department of Lost Things. I loved the story about Sophie and Liane, two women trying to survive during World War II. This story was both beautiful and heartbreaking, and I felt myself becoming more invested in their story than in Lucy's. The author's notes do a great job of describing the research that went into this story, and I enjoyed reading more about the history that went into this book. I am not sure if this book is a standalone or part of a series, but I would love to read more about Lucy and her adventures as a Bearer of Bad News.
Bearer of Bad News is out now.
Thank you to @GalleryBooks for an advanced copy of Bearer of Bad News. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
June 13, 2025
I adored this! A unique novel that's lighthearted comedy meets mystery-thriller meets World War II/Holocaust historical fiction. Elisabeth Dini's author note at the end was touching — I appreciate the research and thought she put into the novel! She gave us a fun, fast-paced read that also handled the more serious and emotional elements with care.
If you loved Woman on Fire by Lisa Barr, you'll also like this!!
If you loved Woman on Fire by Lisa Barr, you'll also like this!!
March 28, 2025
I won an ARC through a goodreads giveaway and told myself I’d only leave comments in addition to a rating if I actually enjoyed the book so here we are.
This was a great combination of lighthearted comedy, mystery, and WWII historical fiction. I do find WWII reading to be particularly gutting so tears were shed; but the author did a good job of balancing the dark with light (a bit of a theme throughout the book) so it’s not as heavy as something like All the Light We Cannot See. There’s also a touch of family drama, adventure, and growth without feeling like there’s too much happening in one book. If you like a good mystery with a touch of history I’d definitely recommend this book.
Also, if you enjoy the book don’t skip the authors note at the end that goes over the inspiration for various names used throughout the story. I really appreciated the effort and insight the author put into her work.
This was a great combination of lighthearted comedy, mystery, and WWII historical fiction. I do find WWII reading to be particularly gutting so tears were shed; but the author did a good job of balancing the dark with light (a bit of a theme throughout the book) so it’s not as heavy as something like All the Light We Cannot See. There’s also a touch of family drama, adventure, and growth without feeling like there’s too much happening in one book. If you like a good mystery with a touch of history I’d definitely recommend this book.
Also, if you enjoy the book don’t skip the authors note at the end that goes over the inspiration for various names used throughout the story. I really appreciated the effort and insight the author put into her work.
October 23, 2024
This was honestly unlike anything I've ever read. A mix of quirky accidental spy/mystery fiction with very serious WWll historical fiction.
I loved this story but I did find the historical fiction surprising based on the blurb and what I thought I was getting into. I think at times I struggled with the seriousness of the flashbacks and the silly / quirky writing of the present day.
Lucy was a mess but I loved her. I wish there had been a bit more of a friendship or connection with the other characters but I get that everyone was a suspect. I also loved all the clues tucked in throughout the book.
Overall this was fun and hilarious and heartbreakingly sad all at once. I really enjoyed reading something so different and unique.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest review 💛
I loved this story but I did find the historical fiction surprising based on the blurb and what I thought I was getting into. I think at times I struggled with the seriousness of the flashbacks and the silly / quirky writing of the present day.
Lucy was a mess but I loved her. I wish there had been a bit more of a friendship or connection with the other characters but I get that everyone was a suspect. I also loved all the clues tucked in throughout the book.
Overall this was fun and hilarious and heartbreakingly sad all at once. I really enjoyed reading something so different and unique.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest review 💛
April 23, 2025
Bearer of Bad News by Elisabeth Dini. Thanks to @gallerybooks for the gifted copy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Lucy leaves her job as a hair dresser in Las Vegas to become a Bearer of Bad News. She’s sent to the Italian Dolomites and becomes involved in an eighty year old mystery.
I saw this categorized as a cozy mystery but it’s really a lot more than that. It had a historical background to it that adds a touch of somberness and seriousness to the otherwise light story. It’s humorous at times and the main character is fun to follow. The chapters with the history read a lot different than the contemporary pages and took a lot more focus, changing the pacing of the story. I loved how it all came together.
“Here’s one thing I’ve learned, it is this: all of us doing something - small things, good things, pure things- that’s what moves mountains.”
Bearer of Bad News comes out 4/29.
Lucy leaves her job as a hair dresser in Las Vegas to become a Bearer of Bad News. She’s sent to the Italian Dolomites and becomes involved in an eighty year old mystery.
I saw this categorized as a cozy mystery but it’s really a lot more than that. It had a historical background to it that adds a touch of somberness and seriousness to the otherwise light story. It’s humorous at times and the main character is fun to follow. The chapters with the history read a lot different than the contemporary pages and took a lot more focus, changing the pacing of the story. I loved how it all came together.
“Here’s one thing I’ve learned, it is this: all of us doing something - small things, good things, pure things- that’s what moves mountains.”
Bearer of Bad News comes out 4/29.
October 2, 2025
Eh :/ Either fun vibes or like really boring :/ But like read this for a book club and the fun vibes were fun to chat about so there’s that
September 28, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It had a little bit of everything- beautiful location -down on her luck protagonist looking for a change- family drama- boy drama- an intriguing mystery at the center- history- morality- and a fun cast of characters
August 27, 2025
This book purports to be for fans of Gail Honeyman’s 'Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine'... I beg to differ. This one is tedious.
I made it to 04:34:24 Chapter 14 and bailed.
Audiobook QPL
Narrated by Carlotta Brentan
Duration: 12:04:24
I made it to 04:34:24 Chapter 14 and bailed.
Audiobook QPL
Narrated by Carlotta Brentan
Duration: 12:04:24
July 7, 2025
Elisabeth Dini's debut novel Bearer of Bad News throws readers into a whirlwind adventure that begins with a questionable career pivot and evolves into something far more profound than its quirky premise suggests. Lucy Rey, a mediocre Las Vegas hairdresser fresh off discovering her fiancé's infidelity, stumbles upon the most unusual job posting imaginable: a Bearer of Bad News position that promises $25,000 to deliver a mysterious message to a stranger's sister in the Italian Dolomites.
What starts as financial desperation masquerading as wanderlust quickly transforms into a labyrinthine mystery involving World War II secrets, stolen jewels, and family betrayals that span generations. Dini, a former war crimes prosecutor at the International Criminal Court, brings an authentic understanding of historical trauma and moral complexity to this otherwise lighthearted romp.
The Goldilocks of Protagonists
Lucy Rey embodies the modern quarter-life crisis with refreshing honesty. Dini describes her as "the Goldilocks of jobs"—someone who has tried everything from interior design to real estate without finding anything "just right." This restlessness feels achingly familiar in our gig economy, where traditional career paths have crumbled and young adults drift between possibilities like Lucy drifts between salon chairs and existential crises.
The character's kleptomania—governed by strict rules established by her best friend Adam to prevent another boarding school scandal—adds layers to what could have been a simple fish-out-of-water story. Lucy's petty thefts aren't mere quirks; they're manifestations of deeper feelings of powerlessness and alienation. When she steals worthless items from difficult clients, she's reclaiming some small measure of control in a life that feels increasingly chaotic.
Dini's greatest strength lies in making Lucy simultaneously frustrating and endearing. She bumbles through her mission with a combination of intuition and incompetence that somehow yields results, though often not the ones intended. Her internal monologue, frequently interrupted by "Little Voice"—her conscience personified—provides both humor and genuine insight into the psychology of someone trying to rebuild after betrayal.
Where History Meets Hijinks
The novel's dual timeline structure initially feels ambitious to the point of unwieldy, but Dini manages the complexity with surprising dexterity. The contemporary mystery of Lucy's mission to find Coco Waters interweaves with the wartime story of Sophie Baum and Liane Terwiel, two best friends whose fates were forever altered by Nazi persecution and the chaos of Berlin's fall.
The historical elements showcase Dini's legal background and deep research into resistance movements during World War II. The author's dedication reveals the real women who inspired her fictional characters—members of the Red Orchestra resistance group and Italian partisans who risked everything to fight fascism. This grounding in actual history gives weight to what might otherwise feel like convenient plotting.
However, the novel occasionally strains under the burden of its own ambitions. The transition between Lucy's comedic mishaps on Italian mountainsides and the harrowing accounts of wartime survival can feel jarring. Dini's tone shifts between breezy contemporary fiction and sobering historical drama without always finding the right balance.
A Mystery That Matters
The central mystery—involving a stolen necklace, forged identities, and decades-old family secrets—unfolds with enough genuine surprises to keep readers engaged. Dini avoids the trap of making everything too convenient while still providing satisfying revelations. The revelation that Lucy's great-grandmother Liane assumed the identity of her murdered Jewish best friend Sophie adds moral complexity that elevates the story beyond simple adventure.
The Italian Dolomites setting provides more than mere scenic backdrop. Dini clearly knows this landscape intimately, and her descriptions of mountain villages, gondola rides, and alpine weather create an immersive atmosphere that makes Lucy's cultural displacement feel authentic. The contrast between the mountains' beauty and the dark history they've witnessed becomes a metaphor for the entire novel—lovely surfaces concealing deeper truths.
Supporting Characters with Substance
The supporting cast brings both humor and heart to Lucy's journey. Chris, the enigmatic researcher with his own family connections to the mystery, provides romantic tension without overwhelming the plot. Coco Waters herself—the target of Lucy's mission—emerges as a complex figure whose apparent paranoia masks legitimate concerns about exploitation and danger.
Perhaps most effectively, Dini populates her story with memorable minor characters: the hotel clerk with dimples who provides local color, the Instagram influencer whose yoga photoshoot gets dramatically interrupted, and the mysterious David whose true motivations remain tantalizingly unclear even at the novel's end.
Thematic Resonance
Beneath its comedic surface, Bearer of Bad News grapples with serious themes of identity, belonging, and the weight of family history. Lucy's journey isn't just about delivering a message—it's about understanding how the past shapes the present and finding the courage to write your own story rather than simply inheriting someone else's.
The novel explores how secrets, even well-intentioned ones, can poison relationships across generations. Taffy Waters's manipulation of Lucy stems from family trauma that was never properly addressed, while Lucy's own estrangement from her famous grandmother reflects the difficulty of connecting across shame and misunderstanding.
Dini's treatment of historical trauma feels respectful without being heavy-handed. She acknowledges the real suffering of war without trivializing it, and her portrayal of how ordinary people made impossible choices under extraordinary circumstances adds depth to what could have been mere plot devices.
Style and Execution
Dini's prose style mirrors her protagonist's personality—conversational, occasionally self-deprecating, and unexpectedly insightful. Her background as a legal professional shows in her attention to detail and logical plot construction, though she sometimes over-explains connections that readers could make themselves.
The author's humor tends toward the situational rather than the witty, which works well for Lucy's character but occasionally makes the narrative feel less sophisticated than its themes deserve. Still, Dini demonstrates a strong ear for dialogue and an ability to create distinct voices for her various characters.
Room for Improvement
While Bearer of Bad News succeeds more often than it fails, it's not without weaknesses. The pacing occasionally suffers from Dini's desire to include every detail of Lucy's adventure, and some of the more farcical elements (particularly Lucy's repeated encounters with the Instagram influencer) feel forced rather than organic.
The resolution, while emotionally satisfying, ties up perhaps too many loose ends too neatly. Real life rarely provides such comprehensive answers to decades-old mysteries, and the novel's conclusion occasionally feels more like wish fulfillment than genuine resolution.
Additionally, while Dini handles the serious historical elements with appropriate gravity, the tonal shifts between comedy and tragedy don't always land smoothly. Readers expecting pure romantic comedy might be surprised by the novel's darker moments, while those drawn to the historical mystery might find the contemporary sections too frivolous.
Final Verdict
Bearer of Bad News is an imperfect but ultimately charming debut that offers both escapist entertainment and genuine emotional resonance. Readers willing to embrace its tonal shifts and occasional plotting contrivances will find a story that honors both the complexity of history and the simple human need for connection and purpose.
For a first novel, it demonstrates impressive range and ambition. While Dini may not have found her perfect balance between comedy and drama yet, she's created a protagonist and a world that feel worth revisiting. Lucy Rey's declaration at the novel's end that she plans to start her own Bearer of Bad News business suggests this might not be her last adventure—and frankly, that's good news.
What starts as financial desperation masquerading as wanderlust quickly transforms into a labyrinthine mystery involving World War II secrets, stolen jewels, and family betrayals that span generations. Dini, a former war crimes prosecutor at the International Criminal Court, brings an authentic understanding of historical trauma and moral complexity to this otherwise lighthearted romp.
The Goldilocks of Protagonists
Lucy Rey embodies the modern quarter-life crisis with refreshing honesty. Dini describes her as "the Goldilocks of jobs"—someone who has tried everything from interior design to real estate without finding anything "just right." This restlessness feels achingly familiar in our gig economy, where traditional career paths have crumbled and young adults drift between possibilities like Lucy drifts between salon chairs and existential crises.
The character's kleptomania—governed by strict rules established by her best friend Adam to prevent another boarding school scandal—adds layers to what could have been a simple fish-out-of-water story. Lucy's petty thefts aren't mere quirks; they're manifestations of deeper feelings of powerlessness and alienation. When she steals worthless items from difficult clients, she's reclaiming some small measure of control in a life that feels increasingly chaotic.
Dini's greatest strength lies in making Lucy simultaneously frustrating and endearing. She bumbles through her mission with a combination of intuition and incompetence that somehow yields results, though often not the ones intended. Her internal monologue, frequently interrupted by "Little Voice"—her conscience personified—provides both humor and genuine insight into the psychology of someone trying to rebuild after betrayal.
Where History Meets Hijinks
The novel's dual timeline structure initially feels ambitious to the point of unwieldy, but Dini manages the complexity with surprising dexterity. The contemporary mystery of Lucy's mission to find Coco Waters interweaves with the wartime story of Sophie Baum and Liane Terwiel, two best friends whose fates were forever altered by Nazi persecution and the chaos of Berlin's fall.
The historical elements showcase Dini's legal background and deep research into resistance movements during World War II. The author's dedication reveals the real women who inspired her fictional characters—members of the Red Orchestra resistance group and Italian partisans who risked everything to fight fascism. This grounding in actual history gives weight to what might otherwise feel like convenient plotting.
However, the novel occasionally strains under the burden of its own ambitions. The transition between Lucy's comedic mishaps on Italian mountainsides and the harrowing accounts of wartime survival can feel jarring. Dini's tone shifts between breezy contemporary fiction and sobering historical drama without always finding the right balance.
A Mystery That Matters
The central mystery—involving a stolen necklace, forged identities, and decades-old family secrets—unfolds with enough genuine surprises to keep readers engaged. Dini avoids the trap of making everything too convenient while still providing satisfying revelations. The revelation that Lucy's great-grandmother Liane assumed the identity of her murdered Jewish best friend Sophie adds moral complexity that elevates the story beyond simple adventure.
The Italian Dolomites setting provides more than mere scenic backdrop. Dini clearly knows this landscape intimately, and her descriptions of mountain villages, gondola rides, and alpine weather create an immersive atmosphere that makes Lucy's cultural displacement feel authentic. The contrast between the mountains' beauty and the dark history they've witnessed becomes a metaphor for the entire novel—lovely surfaces concealing deeper truths.
Supporting Characters with Substance
The supporting cast brings both humor and heart to Lucy's journey. Chris, the enigmatic researcher with his own family connections to the mystery, provides romantic tension without overwhelming the plot. Coco Waters herself—the target of Lucy's mission—emerges as a complex figure whose apparent paranoia masks legitimate concerns about exploitation and danger.
Perhaps most effectively, Dini populates her story with memorable minor characters: the hotel clerk with dimples who provides local color, the Instagram influencer whose yoga photoshoot gets dramatically interrupted, and the mysterious David whose true motivations remain tantalizingly unclear even at the novel's end.
Thematic Resonance
Beneath its comedic surface, Bearer of Bad News grapples with serious themes of identity, belonging, and the weight of family history. Lucy's journey isn't just about delivering a message—it's about understanding how the past shapes the present and finding the courage to write your own story rather than simply inheriting someone else's.
The novel explores how secrets, even well-intentioned ones, can poison relationships across generations. Taffy Waters's manipulation of Lucy stems from family trauma that was never properly addressed, while Lucy's own estrangement from her famous grandmother reflects the difficulty of connecting across shame and misunderstanding.
Dini's treatment of historical trauma feels respectful without being heavy-handed. She acknowledges the real suffering of war without trivializing it, and her portrayal of how ordinary people made impossible choices under extraordinary circumstances adds depth to what could have been mere plot devices.
Style and Execution
Dini's prose style mirrors her protagonist's personality—conversational, occasionally self-deprecating, and unexpectedly insightful. Her background as a legal professional shows in her attention to detail and logical plot construction, though she sometimes over-explains connections that readers could make themselves.
The author's humor tends toward the situational rather than the witty, which works well for Lucy's character but occasionally makes the narrative feel less sophisticated than its themes deserve. Still, Dini demonstrates a strong ear for dialogue and an ability to create distinct voices for her various characters.
Room for Improvement
While Bearer of Bad News succeeds more often than it fails, it's not without weaknesses. The pacing occasionally suffers from Dini's desire to include every detail of Lucy's adventure, and some of the more farcical elements (particularly Lucy's repeated encounters with the Instagram influencer) feel forced rather than organic.
The resolution, while emotionally satisfying, ties up perhaps too many loose ends too neatly. Real life rarely provides such comprehensive answers to decades-old mysteries, and the novel's conclusion occasionally feels more like wish fulfillment than genuine resolution.
Additionally, while Dini handles the serious historical elements with appropriate gravity, the tonal shifts between comedy and tragedy don't always land smoothly. Readers expecting pure romantic comedy might be surprised by the novel's darker moments, while those drawn to the historical mystery might find the contemporary sections too frivolous.
Final Verdict
Bearer of Bad News is an imperfect but ultimately charming debut that offers both escapist entertainment and genuine emotional resonance. Readers willing to embrace its tonal shifts and occasional plotting contrivances will find a story that honors both the complexity of history and the simple human need for connection and purpose.
For a first novel, it demonstrates impressive range and ambition. While Dini may not have found her perfect balance between comedy and drama yet, she's created a protagonist and a world that feel worth revisiting. Lucy Rey's declaration at the novel's end that she plans to start her own Bearer of Bad News business suggests this might not be her last adventure—and frankly, that's good news.
May 2, 2025
Bearer of Bad News is like saying yes to a free vacation and realizing halfway through you’ve accidentally joined a European scavenger hunt… with emotional baggage and stolen jewels.
Lucy Rey, a Las Vegas hairdresser freshly cheated on (by a guy from his improv class, which somehow makes it worse), is broke and desperate for a change of pace. So when a very wealthy stranger offers her an all-expenses-paid trip to the Italian Dolomites to deliver some “bad news,” Lucy figures, hey—at worst, she gets pasta and a new passport stamp. What she actually gets is an avalanche of secrets, a trail of WWII-era drama, and a personal connection to the mystery that no one, especially Lucy, saw coming.
The setup is promising: a quirky heroine, a glamorous setting, and a puzzle rooted in family secrets. But somewhere between the hair salon and the high-stakes espionage, things get a little… tangled. The tone bounces between cozy caper and international thriller like it can’t decide if it wants to sip espresso or jump out of a moving gondola. And while Lucy is charming in her fish-out-of-water way, it’s hard to stay grounded when plot twists keep flying like confetti at a surprise party nobody asked for.
There are some lovely moments—touches of humor, friendship, and self-discovery—but they get lost in a storyline that tries to do just a bit too much. It’s not a bad book, per se. It’s just one that didn’t quite live up to its (very cool) premise.
Read if you’re in the mood for a lightly mysterious, occasionally chaotic European getaway—with a side of “wait, what just happened?”
Lucy Rey, a Las Vegas hairdresser freshly cheated on (by a guy from his improv class, which somehow makes it worse), is broke and desperate for a change of pace. So when a very wealthy stranger offers her an all-expenses-paid trip to the Italian Dolomites to deliver some “bad news,” Lucy figures, hey—at worst, she gets pasta and a new passport stamp. What she actually gets is an avalanche of secrets, a trail of WWII-era drama, and a personal connection to the mystery that no one, especially Lucy, saw coming.
The setup is promising: a quirky heroine, a glamorous setting, and a puzzle rooted in family secrets. But somewhere between the hair salon and the high-stakes espionage, things get a little… tangled. The tone bounces between cozy caper and international thriller like it can’t decide if it wants to sip espresso or jump out of a moving gondola. And while Lucy is charming in her fish-out-of-water way, it’s hard to stay grounded when plot twists keep flying like confetti at a surprise party nobody asked for.
There are some lovely moments—touches of humor, friendship, and self-discovery—but they get lost in a storyline that tries to do just a bit too much. It’s not a bad book, per se. It’s just one that didn’t quite live up to its (very cool) premise.
Read if you’re in the mood for a lightly mysterious, occasionally chaotic European getaway—with a side of “wait, what just happened?”
August 16, 2025
Lucy Rey’s life is a train wreck, and I do not use this cliched term lightly. Her low self esteem and confidence has led her to make terrible decisions about relationships. Now, finding herself in kind-of-a-broken engagement, a job she abhors, and rental leases she cannot afford, she answers an ad for a mysterious job (Bearer of Bad News) in the Dolomites with all sorts of flashing warning lights going off.
Despite the zaniness I just spelled out, the context of this novel is engaging: the lost art, jewels and people of WW II, which has been the focus of many governments and individuals over the years. The novel is filled with characters who are searching for connections, of clues that will help them find an emerald necklace, but more importantly, the stories of two best friends in Berlin, one Catholic, Liane Terwiel, and one Jewish, Sophie Baum, and later, one baby, Samuel. The author uses the investigations of a fictitious organization, the “Department of Lost Things,” to build the back story, move the plot forward, and imbeds the work of young Resistance fighters to heighten the tension, never allowing the reader to forget the horrors of this war and the bravery of so many.
In the small town of Ortisei, Lucy meets a number of people, most of whom are guarding secrets and some, as she is, estranged from family. The story threads connecting the people in Ortisei and two great friends back in Nevada frantically doing research for Lucy keep a fast pace. The mystery surrounding Lucy’s grandmother who raised her, a retired American film star, Genevieve Saint, to some of the other characters was complicated and compelling.
One of the characters explains to Lucy he is doing research on intergenerational trauma, revealing the effects of trauma suffered in the past affecting relatives in future generations, even if they have never met. What is not said out loud is that this might explain the behaviors and lives of many in the novel. Taking a break from my reading, I spent some time mapping the various characters with their family’s traumas identified, and how they are functioning (or not) in the present. I found this aspect of the plot fascinating and a courageous one for the author to tackle. Who works through the trauma? Who finds strength through resilience?
One final note. Despite some big questions resolved and hope restored for most, many of the characters are left with work to do on their relationships and determining their next steps, a slice of authenticity for this debut novel.
Lucy Rey’s life is a train wreck, and I do not use this cliched term lightly. Her low self esteem and confidence has led her to make terrible decisions about relationships. Now, finding herself in kind-of-a-broken engagement, a job she abhors, and rental leases she cannot afford, she answers an ad for a mysterious job (Bearer of Bad News) in the Dolomites with all sorts of flashing warning lights going off.
Despite the zaniness I just spelled out, the context of this novel is engaging: the lost art, jewels and people of WW II, which has been the focus of many governments and individuals over the years. The novel is filled with characters who are searching for connections, of clues that will help them find an emerald necklace, but more importantly, the stories of two best friends in Berlin, one Catholic, Liane Terwiel, and one Jewish, Sophie Baum, and later, one baby, Samuel. The author uses the investigations of a fictitious organization, the “Department of Lost Things,” to build the back story, move the plot forward, and imbeds the work of young Resistance fighters to heighten the tension, never allowing the reader to forget the horrors of this war and the bravery of so many.
In the small town of Ortisei, Lucy meets a number of people, most of whom are guarding secrets and some, as she is, estranged from family. The story threads connecting the people in Ortisei and two great friends back in Nevada frantically doing research for Lucy keep a fast pace. The mystery surrounding Lucy’s grandmother who raised her, a retired American film star, Genevieve Saint, to some of the other characters was complicated and compelling.
One of the characters explains to Lucy he is doing research on intergenerational trauma, revealing the effects of trauma suffered in the past affecting relatives in future generations, even if they have never met. What is not said out loud is that this might explain the behaviors and lives of many in the novel. Taking a break from my reading, I spent some time mapping the various characters with their family’s traumas identified, and how they are functioning (or not) in the present. I found this aspect of the plot fascinating and a courageous one for the author to tackle. Who works through the trauma? Who finds strength through resilience?
One final note. Despite some big questions resolved and hope restored for most, many of the characters are left with work to do on their relationships and determining their next steps, a slice of authenticity for this debut novel.
The Master by Colm Toibin
As an English major, I gave little attention to the authors’ lives; the text was the focus, and critical analysis, the task. In “The Master, Toibin shares the details of Henry James’ life, mostly focused on four?? Years, gleaned through his study of James’ letters and the writings of those who knew him best and anyone else?
moving the curtain back and
While the stories behind where did the stories come from the details of how stories emerged from real life experiences was appealing, what interested me most was Toibin’s delicate /// treatment Sometimes the stories sat with James for a time,
Childhood and travels motivated by his father’s needs
Father’s influence
Relationship with sister, Alice
Civil War why didn’t he and William enlist haunting or not question
Brothers in Civil War, one died
Closeted gay man?
The novel soon drew me in as the story of a man, his inner thoughts, his experiences, evolution, growth,
and most of the time I forgot I was reading about A Famous Writer. Say something about his contributions to literature, development of a character
“Hope is not optimism, which expects things to turn out well, but something rooted in the conviction that there is good worth working for.” Seamus Heaney
“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice,” an abbreviated quote from 19th century abolitionist and Unitarian minister, Theodore Parker of Massachusetts
Despite the zaniness I just spelled out, the context of this novel is engaging: the lost art, jewels and people of WW II, which has been the focus of many governments and individuals over the years. The novel is filled with characters who are searching for connections, of clues that will help them find an emerald necklace, but more importantly, the stories of two best friends in Berlin, one Catholic, Liane Terwiel, and one Jewish, Sophie Baum, and later, one baby, Samuel. The author uses the investigations of a fictitious organization, the “Department of Lost Things,” to build the back story, move the plot forward, and imbeds the work of young Resistance fighters to heighten the tension, never allowing the reader to forget the horrors of this war and the bravery of so many.
In the small town of Ortisei, Lucy meets a number of people, most of whom are guarding secrets and some, as she is, estranged from family. The story threads connecting the people in Ortisei and two great friends back in Nevada frantically doing research for Lucy keep a fast pace. The mystery surrounding Lucy’s grandmother who raised her, a retired American film star, Genevieve Saint, to some of the other characters was complicated and compelling.
One of the characters explains to Lucy he is doing research on intergenerational trauma, revealing the effects of trauma suffered in the past affecting relatives in future generations, even if they have never met. What is not said out loud is that this might explain the behaviors and lives of many in the novel. Taking a break from my reading, I spent some time mapping the various characters with their family’s traumas identified, and how they are functioning (or not) in the present. I found this aspect of the plot fascinating and a courageous one for the author to tackle. Who works through the trauma? Who finds strength through resilience?
One final note. Despite some big questions resolved and hope restored for most, many of the characters are left with work to do on their relationships and determining their next steps, a slice of authenticity for this debut novel.
Lucy Rey’s life is a train wreck, and I do not use this cliched term lightly. Her low self esteem and confidence has led her to make terrible decisions about relationships. Now, finding herself in kind-of-a-broken engagement, a job she abhors, and rental leases she cannot afford, she answers an ad for a mysterious job (Bearer of Bad News) in the Dolomites with all sorts of flashing warning lights going off.
Despite the zaniness I just spelled out, the context of this novel is engaging: the lost art, jewels and people of WW II, which has been the focus of many governments and individuals over the years. The novel is filled with characters who are searching for connections, of clues that will help them find an emerald necklace, but more importantly, the stories of two best friends in Berlin, one Catholic, Liane Terwiel, and one Jewish, Sophie Baum, and later, one baby, Samuel. The author uses the investigations of a fictitious organization, the “Department of Lost Things,” to build the back story, move the plot forward, and imbeds the work of young Resistance fighters to heighten the tension, never allowing the reader to forget the horrors of this war and the bravery of so many.
In the small town of Ortisei, Lucy meets a number of people, most of whom are guarding secrets and some, as she is, estranged from family. The story threads connecting the people in Ortisei and two great friends back in Nevada frantically doing research for Lucy keep a fast pace. The mystery surrounding Lucy’s grandmother who raised her, a retired American film star, Genevieve Saint, to some of the other characters was complicated and compelling.
One of the characters explains to Lucy he is doing research on intergenerational trauma, revealing the effects of trauma suffered in the past affecting relatives in future generations, even if they have never met. What is not said out loud is that this might explain the behaviors and lives of many in the novel. Taking a break from my reading, I spent some time mapping the various characters with their family’s traumas identified, and how they are functioning (or not) in the present. I found this aspect of the plot fascinating and a courageous one for the author to tackle. Who works through the trauma? Who finds strength through resilience?
One final note. Despite some big questions resolved and hope restored for most, many of the characters are left with work to do on their relationships and determining their next steps, a slice of authenticity for this debut novel.
The Master by Colm Toibin
As an English major, I gave little attention to the authors’ lives; the text was the focus, and critical analysis, the task. In “The Master, Toibin shares the details of Henry James’ life, mostly focused on four?? Years, gleaned through his study of James’ letters and the writings of those who knew him best and anyone else?
moving the curtain back and
While the stories behind where did the stories come from the details of how stories emerged from real life experiences was appealing, what interested me most was Toibin’s delicate /// treatment Sometimes the stories sat with James for a time,
Childhood and travels motivated by his father’s needs
Father’s influence
Relationship with sister, Alice
Civil War why didn’t he and William enlist haunting or not question
Brothers in Civil War, one died
Closeted gay man?
The novel soon drew me in as the story of a man, his inner thoughts, his experiences, evolution, growth,
and most of the time I forgot I was reading about A Famous Writer. Say something about his contributions to literature, development of a character
“Hope is not optimism, which expects things to turn out well, but something rooted in the conviction that there is good worth working for.” Seamus Heaney
“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice,” an abbreviated quote from 19th century abolitionist and Unitarian minister, Theodore Parker of Massachusetts
July 9, 2025
So much promise but too many story lines, that I am sure eventually come together in the end, made this difficult to follow. Add in unlikeable characters, including Lucy herself, and I didn’t have any inclination to see this one through. It is written to be fully but falls flat in so many places: Lucy is meant to be scatterbrained (for lack of a better word) but comes off as incompetent and useless, her best friend was written in for comic relief but is not remotely funny, and the heiress that hires her, Taffy, is entitled and rude, but unfortunately, even she doesn’t deliver in the humor department. Maybe I was in a particularly intolerant mood, which is possible, and I do have plans to revisit this one but for now, it was a DNF for me.
January 7, 2025
The cover and synopsis immediately caught my attention! When Las Vegas hairdresser Lucy Rey hits rock bottom after discovering her fiancé's infidelity, she realizes she needs a new job to stay afloat financially. While scanning the classifieds, she stumbles upon a unique opportunity: a bearer of bad news. The job comes with an all expenses paid trip to the Italian Dolomites and a $25,000 bonus upon delivering the news to its intended recipient. This mission plunges her into a World War II mystery that unfolds in the most unexpected ways.
The beginning of the book had me hooked, but the historical storyline lost some of its grip on me. There was a lot happening, and I felt the relationships, especially between Lucy and her grandmother, weren't as fully developed as I would have liked. Overall, it was an enjoyable read, though at times a bit challenging to follow.
The beginning of the book had me hooked, but the historical storyline lost some of its grip on me. There was a lot happening, and I felt the relationships, especially between Lucy and her grandmother, weren't as fully developed as I would have liked. Overall, it was an enjoyable read, though at times a bit challenging to follow.
November 6, 2024
A unique blend of quirky spy/mystery and serious WWII historical fiction to create a novel I was unable to put down. The novel is told from one POV but has historical artifacts such as letters and case files mixed into the story to provide context for the historical fiction aspect of this novel.
I felt an immediate connection to the female main character, Lucy, is sassy, strong willed and cunning. After her life is upended she accepts a unique job as "Bearer of Bad News" that takes her on a journey to Italy to uncover the truth behind an 80 year mystery wrapped in WWII secrets and betrayal.
If you are looking for a lighthearted historical fiction novel I would highly recommend this one!
Thank you Gallory Books for the ARC.
I felt an immediate connection to the female main character, Lucy, is sassy, strong willed and cunning. After her life is upended she accepts a unique job as "Bearer of Bad News" that takes her on a journey to Italy to uncover the truth behind an 80 year mystery wrapped in WWII secrets and betrayal.
If you are looking for a lighthearted historical fiction novel I would highly recommend this one!
Thank you Gallory Books for the ARC.
April 14, 2025
I can’t recommend this book enough!! WWII historical drama merged with family drama but with light hearted, comedy. This is such a tangle of genres but the author makes it work so seamlessly. It kept me on my toes, and sucked in to what would happen next.
July 2, 2025
too much side plot with WWII thefts and intertwined family stuff that was hard to follow. thought it was a murder mystery or a romance but it was neither. grudgingly finished it.
April 28, 2025
This was such a unique debut, combining a slightly zany main character in the present day with a heartbreaking WWII story told through letters and case files in between.
When Lucy's boyfriend has an affair and her life starts to spiral, she sees no reason to say no to a wild job offer she finds online: find a woman in Italy and give her a negative message from her sister and walk away with a bunch of cash. The message and the sisters are tied to a necklace missing since WWII, and through twists and turns we put the story together.
The two stories vary greatly in tone, with Lucy being a very lighthearted heroine (and kleptomaniac) who gets in a fight with an influencer, debates a rebound with an Australian Chris who looks like a Marvel superhero, and continuously violates her NDA while on the hunt for the sister in a small town. The historical fiction side is much heavier, with a heartbreaking and moving story of women doing the things they could do during the war to make a difference. Lucy's side does add plenty of levity to the heaviness, a fact I appreciated.
Dini's author's note shows the research she did for this book, telling the stories of the incredible women her characters were named after.
Overall, I was both very entertained and touched by this debut and look forward to reading whatever Dini writes next!
"All of us doing nothing gets us nowhere. But if there's one thing I've learned, it is this: all of us doing something - small things, good things, kind things, pure things - that's what moves mountains."
When Lucy's boyfriend has an affair and her life starts to spiral, she sees no reason to say no to a wild job offer she finds online: find a woman in Italy and give her a negative message from her sister and walk away with a bunch of cash. The message and the sisters are tied to a necklace missing since WWII, and through twists and turns we put the story together.
The two stories vary greatly in tone, with Lucy being a very lighthearted heroine (and kleptomaniac) who gets in a fight with an influencer, debates a rebound with an Australian Chris who looks like a Marvel superhero, and continuously violates her NDA while on the hunt for the sister in a small town. The historical fiction side is much heavier, with a heartbreaking and moving story of women doing the things they could do during the war to make a difference. Lucy's side does add plenty of levity to the heaviness, a fact I appreciated.
Dini's author's note shows the research she did for this book, telling the stories of the incredible women her characters were named after.
Overall, I was both very entertained and touched by this debut and look forward to reading whatever Dini writes next!
"All of us doing nothing gets us nowhere. But if there's one thing I've learned, it is this: all of us doing something - small things, good things, kind things, pure things - that's what moves mountains."
May 17, 2025
Thank you, @ElisabethDiniAuthor and @GalleryBooks #partner for my free books!
📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
Bearer of Bad News by Elisabeth Dini
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 352 / Genre: Fiction
Release Date: April 29, 2025
Lucy Rey’s fiancé just left her for a guy in his improv class and stuck her with an apartment she can’t afford. On a whim, she answers a job ad for a Bearer of Bad News. A woman is offering to pay her $25,000 to go on an all-expenses paid trip through the Dolomites in Italy, track down her sister, and give her a message. It sounds too good to be true, but she has nothing left to lose. What she gets instead are answers to a family secret she never knew existed.
This book absolutely delivered on a fun and intriguing adventure in Italy. Lucy, her friends, and all the people she meets along the way are quirky and engaging. There’s also quite a backstory on her great grandmother’s family history, stolen jewels, and a missing baby. While I’m not a fan of historical fiction, the way this was written kept me fascinated the entire time. I loved it!
📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
Bearer of Bad News by Elisabeth Dini
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 352 / Genre: Fiction
Release Date: April 29, 2025
Lucy Rey’s fiancé just left her for a guy in his improv class and stuck her with an apartment she can’t afford. On a whim, she answers a job ad for a Bearer of Bad News. A woman is offering to pay her $25,000 to go on an all-expenses paid trip through the Dolomites in Italy, track down her sister, and give her a message. It sounds too good to be true, but she has nothing left to lose. What she gets instead are answers to a family secret she never knew existed.
This book absolutely delivered on a fun and intriguing adventure in Italy. Lucy, her friends, and all the people she meets along the way are quirky and engaging. There’s also quite a backstory on her great grandmother’s family history, stolen jewels, and a missing baby. While I’m not a fan of historical fiction, the way this was written kept me fascinated the entire time. I loved it!
December 2, 2024
This is rounded up to four 🌟because I struggled at times with a disconnect
from the cover and the first part of the story and my disconnect with how I
felt about Lucy and the ‘job’ she accepted and was going to undertake, to
dispense bad news to a family in the Italian Dolomites. I thought this was to
be a romping fun story, based on the fanciful cover art and the brief blurb,
when, in fact, this is pretty dramatic with a strong historical component. For
the casual reader, there will be the moment of decision. The decision will take
the reader on a multi-faceted adventure full of heartbreak and some happiness.
Fro my own life experience in reading this book, I felt, early on, that the necklace
has to be fake, and the bounty (finders fee) would need to be returned, but the
reader won’t know… As the book draws on rich historical references most are
well explained and are more enjoyable because of the writing…
My thanks to Gallery Books for the download copy of this book for
review purposes.
from the cover and the first part of the story and my disconnect with how I
felt about Lucy and the ‘job’ she accepted and was going to undertake, to
dispense bad news to a family in the Italian Dolomites. I thought this was to
be a romping fun story, based on the fanciful cover art and the brief blurb,
when, in fact, this is pretty dramatic with a strong historical component. For
the casual reader, there will be the moment of decision. The decision will take
the reader on a multi-faceted adventure full of heartbreak and some happiness.
Fro my own life experience in reading this book, I felt, early on, that the necklace
has to be fake, and the bounty (finders fee) would need to be returned, but the
reader won’t know… As the book draws on rich historical references most are
well explained and are more enjoyable because of the writing…
My thanks to Gallery Books for the download copy of this book for
review purposes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2025
4.25⭐
A well-researched World War II story of friendship, survival and hard choices embedded into one set in the present. The tonal difference between the two was slightly off-putting at first. Lucy, a not especially good hairdresser, finds herself confronted with a cheating fiance, an apartment she hates and a general lack of self-respect. When she finds an ad to become a Bearer of Bad News for $25k includy a trip to the Italian Dolomites, she jumps on the opportunity. Dini teases out the WWII story through documents and letters while Lucy deals with an array of madcap situations. Both parts of the story resolve into a heartfelt and satisfying conclusion. Thanks to Gallery Books for the gifted copy. My opinions are my own.
A well-researched World War II story of friendship, survival and hard choices embedded into one set in the present. The tonal difference between the two was slightly off-putting at first. Lucy, a not especially good hairdresser, finds herself confronted with a cheating fiance, an apartment she hates and a general lack of self-respect. When she finds an ad to become a Bearer of Bad News for $25k includy a trip to the Italian Dolomites, she jumps on the opportunity. Dini teases out the WWII story through documents and letters while Lucy deals with an array of madcap situations. Both parts of the story resolve into a heartfelt and satisfying conclusion. Thanks to Gallery Books for the gifted copy. My opinions are my own.
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