Cold hands: murders in rome's underground lakes

by Daniela Alibrandi

310 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 23, 2026

About the author

Daniela Alibrandi è un’autrice italiana nata a Roma e vissuta negli Stati Uniti. Nella vita professionale si è occupata, tra l’altro, di scambi culturali nell’ambito del Consiglio d’Europa e dell’Unione Europea. L’autrice ha pubblicato sedici romanzi, cinque edizioni inglesi e un’antologia. Tra le sue pubblicazioni ricordiamo: il recentissimo I delitti del Mugnone (Morellini editore, ospite della trasmissione RAI Incontri d’autore), Delitti sommersi (Morellini Editore 2023 - tra i romanzi scelti al Festival Nazionale del Noir Torino e Milano in Bionda 2023), Viaggio a Vienna (Morellini Editore- segnalato dai circoli letterari italiani tra i più bei libri del 2020 e inserito nel Torneo Robinson di Repubblica 2021) Una morte sola non basta (Del Vecchio Editore- presentato alla biblioteca della Camera dei Deputati, inserito in edizione italiana nel catalogo delle prestigiose biblioteche universitarie di Harvard e Yale), Delitti Postdatati (Premio Poliziesco Gold 2020 – presente nella biblioteca di Harvard e nella Public Library di New York, scelta per lo Human Rights Festival dell’Estate Romana), Delitti fuori orario (Segnalazione Premio Speciale Giallo Noir al concorso Città di Grottammare 2021 e finalista al concorso Mondadori Romanzi in cerca d’autore 2018- Presente nella biblioteca di Harvard e nella Public Library di New York) Delitti Negati (ospite della trasmissione RAI Incontri d’autore), I Misteri del Vaso Etrusco (Menzione di Merito 2020), Quelle strane ragazze (Premio Perseide 2014), Nessun segno sulla neve (Premio Circe 2013), Un’ombra sul fiume Merrimack (November Writing Month 2012), e l’antologia I doni della mente, una raccolta di racconti brevi vincitori di premi letterari nazionali, pubblicati da vari settimanali e da un periodico RAI. I suoi scritti sono stati spesso ospiti di testate giornalistiche nazionali e di rubriche letterarie televisive RAI, e radiofoniche di RAI Radio 1. L’autrice ha ottenuto diversi premi letterari nazionali e il Premio Women Art Week 2022 alla carriera letteraria.

ENGLISH EDITIONS:
"Crimes After Hours"
"That Sudden Night in Venice"
"A Shadow on Merrimack River"
"No Steps on the Snow"
"Echoes of the Soul"

IN ENGLISH:
Daniela Alibrandi is an Italian author born in Rome and lived in the United States. In her professional life, she has been involved, among other things, in cultural exchanges within the Council of Europe and the European Union. The author has published sixteen books, three English editions and an anthology. Among her publications we recall: the very recent I delitti del Mugnone (Morellini Editore) Delitti sommersi (Morellini Editore 2023 - among the novels participating in the National Noir Festival Turin and Milan in Bionda 2023), Viaggio a Vienna (Morellini Editore - reported by Italian literary circles among the most beautiful books of 2020 and included in the Robinson Tournament of Repubblica 2021) Una morte sola non basta (Del Vecchio Editore - presented at the library of the Chamber of Deputies, included in the Italian edition in the catalog of the prestigious university libraries of Harvard and Yale), Delitti Postdatati (Gold Police Award 2020 - present in the Harvard library and in the New York Public Library), Delitti fuori orario (Special Noir Crime Noir Award Mention at the Città di Grottammare 2021 competition and finalist in the Mondadori Romanzi in cerca d’autore 2018 competition - Present in the Harvard library and in the New York Public Library of new York) I misteri del vaso etrusco (Merit Mention 2020), Quelle strane ragazze (Perseide Award 2014), Nessun segno sulla neve" (Circe Award 2013), Un'ombra sul fiume Merrimack (November Writing Month 2012), and the anthology The I doni della mente, a collection of short stories that won national literary awards, published by various weeklies and a RAI periodical. Her writings have often been featured in national newspapers and literary columns on RAI television (Lo Scaffale-Rai 3. Eat Parade-Tg2)

Reviews

[Gina Rae Mitchell · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

Cold Hands: Murders in Rome's Underground Lakes by Daniela Alibrandi is an atmospheric psychological thriller that draws readers into the darker, lesser-known corners of Rome, where buried secrets, old grudges, and seemingly unrelated crimes gradually intertwine.

Having previously enjoyed Alibrandi's Denied Crimes and Crimes After Hours, I was eager to return to her distinctive MultidimensionCrime storytelling style. This approach blends detective fiction, psychological suspense, and noir, weaving together multiple narrative threads that slowly reveal their connections.

One of the things I appreciated most about Cold Hands was its deliberate pacing. Unlike thrillers that race from one dramatic revelation to the next, Alibrandi allows the mystery to unfold at a measured pace. That approach worked particularly well for me because I'm unfamiliar with Rome. I had time to absorb the surroundings, appreciate the atmosphere, and consider the clues without feeling rushed through the story.

The setting is especially memorable. From Rome's shadowy streets to its mysterious underground lakes, Alibrandi creates an intriguing sense of place. The city's history and hidden spaces become part of the experience rather than simply serving as a backdrop.

Commissioner Rosco and his team investigate a complicated series of events involving old crimes, lingering resentments, and the return of a dangerous figure known as Cold Hands. I enjoyed watching the various threads develop and wondering how they would eventually connect. The steadily building psychological tension kept me engaged, even during the quieter moments.

Alibrandi's layered storytelling asks readers to pay attention, but that's part of its appeal. I enjoy mysteries that encourage me to question possibilities and piece together clues alongside the investigators. While the pacing is deliberate, I never found the novel easy to put down.

I recommend Cold Hands to readers who enjoy atmospheric noir fiction, complex investigations, and psychological thrillers that build suspense through carefully unfolding mysteries rather than nonstop action.

My Rating: 4.25/5 stars

An absorbing, intriguing mystery that reminds me why I keep returning to Daniela Alibrandi's novels.

Read more of my book reviews at Gina Rae Mitchell • Championing Indie Authors & Stories Worth Discovering

[Mark Leroy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's not the first book I read by this author, and this is her latest release. I appreciate very much her style, defined as MultiDimensionCrime, that leaads the reader across the killer's mind, the victim's deaspair and terror, while investigating with the squad. In this very edition I found commissioner Rosco and his squad struggling with a serial killer that they had already met in the past, in an extraordinary amazing atmosphere: Rome's underground lakes, with sparkling pure water, embedded in the heart of the Eternal City. An involving plot, a turnpage incredible book I couldn't leave until the end, when I had to question all my previous beliefs acquired while reading. Five stars once again Mrs. Alibrandi, Bravo!

[Nancy (The Avid Reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cold Hands is not the first book by Daniela Alibrandi that I have read, and I am certain it won’t be the last. It is a highly intriguing story that drew me in from the very first page.

I loved that the narrative is told from multiple points of view, allowing us to dive directly into the minds of both the killer and the detectives. Cold Hands kept me on the edge of my seat as I raced to the end to see how the crimes would be exposed and ultimately solved. With its constant twists and turns, this fast-paced mystery is sure to keep any murder-thriller fan hanging on every word.

Beyond the suspense, I thoroughly enjoyed exploring a different side of Rome and its hidden underground cities. Uncovering its secrets, history, and past felt like a remarkable, immersive opportunity.

The plot kicks off when a dangerous man is released from psychiatric detention, quietly returning to the city alongside his dark past. Soon, Inspector Rosco and his team are drawn into a world where history haunts them and past crimes begin to repeat themselves. I suggest picking up a copy of Cold Hands today—it’s a must-read for any murder mystery fan.