An Enigma by the Sea

by Carlo Fruttero, Franco Lucentini, Gregory Dowling (translator)

On the wintry Tuscan coast, the wealthy elite retreat to their lavish holiday homes. But the season turns sinister when a couple vanishes from a locked villa, and the body of a dubious count washes ashore, bludgeoned to death. With echoes of Agatha Christie and the erudite suspense of Umberto Eco, a sly meditation on class, illusion, and desire, this literary mystery is both sharply observant and darkly entertaining.

416 pages, Paperback

Expected publication April 21, 2026

About the author

The editorial team of Carlo Fruttero and Franco Lucentini, particularly notable for their (controversial) curation of the Urania series of fantascienza (science-fiction) compilations from 1964 to 1985.

Reviews

[Thebooktrail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Discover the locations in the novel here


I do love this series. I think this one is high up there with the best of the series. There’s a locked room, a body on the beach and lots of scandal. There’s something very charming about this book in the Agatha Christie-esque nuances but with a clear Italian slant. I felt very much involved with the action and could see the faces of the characters and read their body language, so good was the translation. It’s a book of eccentrics and people I wouldn’t perhaps meet in real life. Everyone is larger than life. Even the old women I met weren’t like those in other books. These meant business – brandishing not brandy but tarot cards. It was good to spend some quality time with Signor Monforti again.

[Andy Wormald · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the kind of story which you just lose yourself in, I did find it a slow burn but soon grew into it, one thing it is though is a superbly evocotive read, there is a certain charm to it, in someways you have a feel of a golden age mystery with a little more added.

Wonderfully layered, this is not a straight forward murder mystery, it’s more nuanced, a story with real depth, a read where the characters shine.

The protagonists standout on the page, well round all have that air of believability, although they are an extremely ecletic mix, they are in a small guarded enclave where the thought of murder is furthest more anyone thoughts. It is quite a largce cast lists, so do you have keep your wits about you to remember who is who. Then you have the Tuscany setting and the coastline all depicted in vivid colour and detail. The winter setting also plays its part in creating a dark foreboding atmosphere, here the rich gather away from the tourists.

There is a certain humour to the book, always there in the background, and there is definetly a lot being packed into the narrative in terms of the story, the characters seem to have a high level of dysfunctionality, bordering on obsessive behaviour. In someways the murder is almost second place to the story and the characters. As a read it flows along as a drama being played out on the page.

Praise must go the translator Gregory Dowling for really capturing the heart of the book and the characters in such a compelling way

It is the unlikely setting and the ability to tell a story which paints a picture , that makes for an engaging read, full of heart and charm, this for me was more of a literary read, rather than an out and out crime novel, it’s a read to take your time over and savour