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The Hawthorne Season
As winter thaws, secrets emerge in a once-sleepy village in the mountains. Since the death of his father by a drunk driver, Giulio Rodari has touched alcohol only twice―and the second time was the night his ex-girlfriend, Patrizia, was murdered. The morning after, the celebrated children’s author awoke to a black hole in his memory―and to accusations of the crime. He had been known to stalk her. He had confronted her in an intoxicated rage on her last night alive. Beyond that, Giulio doesn’t remember a thing. To escape the spotlight, he retreats to the small mountain town where he grew up, staying under house arrest at his mother’s hotel. Covered in an inescapable pall of winter white, the village is haunted by a local tragedy―a bridge collapse that took seven lives. Now, as long-buried secrets and hidden rivalries emerge, Giulio struggles to separate reality from illusion. As the police investigate, will he be able to fill in the missing pieces of the murder he’s accused of?
288 pages, Paperback
First published August 14, 2018
31 people are currently reading
1309 people want to read
About the author
Riccardo Bruni
33 books48 followersGiornalista, ha collaborato con webzine, riviste, uffici stampa e agenzie. Ha scritto i romanzi «La lunga notte dell'Iguana», «Il Leone e la Rosa», «Nessun dolore», «Zona d'ombra», «La notte delle falene» e la raccolta «Sette racconti». Con il racconto «L'uomo con la pistola» ha collaborato al progetto YouCrime (Rizzoli). Il suo romanzo «Il Leone e la Rosa» è stato tradotto per Amazon Crossing in inglese da Aaron Maines («The Lion and the Rose») e in tedesco da Marion Ahl («Der Löwe und die Rose»).
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
August 28, 2018
This book looked and sounded so good. The cover was very appealing—mysterious and ominous! Then the description continued with the same enticing appeal. And the first chapter drew me right in, but unfortunately after that I struggled to keep interested. The writing was good—it just wasn’t quite enough for me.
Giulio Rodari is a children’s book author that is suspected of murdering his ex-girlfriend, Patrizia. He had confronted her in an intoxicated rage on her last night alive, but he has no memory of what happened after that.
He’s put under house arrest and decides to retreat to the small mountain village where he grew up, staying at his mother’s hotel.
The village is haunted by a local tragedy—a bridge collapse that took seven lives. This tragedy is what brought Giulio and Patrizia together. As the police investigate, will he be able to fill in the missing pieces of the murder he’s accused of?
Thank you to NetGalley and AmazonCrossing for this ARC, in exchange for my honest review!
#TheHawthorneSeason #NetGalley
Giulio Rodari is a children’s book author that is suspected of murdering his ex-girlfriend, Patrizia. He had confronted her in an intoxicated rage on her last night alive, but he has no memory of what happened after that.
He’s put under house arrest and decides to retreat to the small mountain village where he grew up, staying at his mother’s hotel.
The village is haunted by a local tragedy—a bridge collapse that took seven lives. This tragedy is what brought Giulio and Patrizia together. As the police investigate, will he be able to fill in the missing pieces of the murder he’s accused of?
Thank you to NetGalley and AmazonCrossing for this ARC, in exchange for my honest review!
#TheHawthorneSeason #NetGalley
October 14, 2018
I really liked this book. I think it is very well-written and marvellously translated (Kudos to Hillary Locke for translating it so well!). It is the first book by Riccardo Bruni I have read, but it won't be the last.
In "The Hawthorne Season" a young woman Patrizia disappears and her ex-boyfriend Giulio Rodari, who stalked her and threatened her, is the most obvious suspect. Giulio is a writer of children books about a gnome hiding in the old woods. He has an amnesia and doesn't remember what happened the night his ex-girlfriend disappeared. In a few words: he is in some serious trouble.
Giulio is placed by the police under a house arrest at his mother's hotel in a small town in the mountains, surrounded by the ancient woods. At first glance all is well in the sleepy community. But of course there are deeply hidden secrets, malicious intentions and murderous plans lurking within. Giulio wants to uncover what happened that night and if he really is responsible for his girlfriend's disappearance. But he finds out so much more. He ends up revealing the darkest, deadliest secrets of the town's inhabitants...
My favourite quote from the ARC: "Spring is coming, the hawthorne will blossom soon. Remember what your mother always said? The winter snow hides so much, but when hawthorne season comes, the snow disappears and everything resurfaces."
The story is told at the beginning by three cats: the orange cat, that has a secret, the black cat, that died and a white cat, that is evil. I liked the idea and also how the cats contributed to the story. There is a bit of magical realism in the novel, but it is only a delicate touch and the rest is a very engaging and well-thought thriller. It starts with a disappearance and an investigation in a small, sleepy town covered by snow and ice. It ends with an explosion of violence and a gruesome massacre. It reminded me a little of a movie "Fargo" from 1996. What else is there to add? I had a lot of fun reading this book!
I received "The Hawthorne Season" from the publisher via NetGalley. I would like to thank the author and the publisher for providing me with the advance reader copy of the book.
In "The Hawthorne Season" a young woman Patrizia disappears and her ex-boyfriend Giulio Rodari, who stalked her and threatened her, is the most obvious suspect. Giulio is a writer of children books about a gnome hiding in the old woods. He has an amnesia and doesn't remember what happened the night his ex-girlfriend disappeared. In a few words: he is in some serious trouble.
Giulio is placed by the police under a house arrest at his mother's hotel in a small town in the mountains, surrounded by the ancient woods. At first glance all is well in the sleepy community. But of course there are deeply hidden secrets, malicious intentions and murderous plans lurking within. Giulio wants to uncover what happened that night and if he really is responsible for his girlfriend's disappearance. But he finds out so much more. He ends up revealing the darkest, deadliest secrets of the town's inhabitants...
My favourite quote from the ARC: "Spring is coming, the hawthorne will blossom soon. Remember what your mother always said? The winter snow hides so much, but when hawthorne season comes, the snow disappears and everything resurfaces."
The story is told at the beginning by three cats: the orange cat, that has a secret, the black cat, that died and a white cat, that is evil. I liked the idea and also how the cats contributed to the story. There is a bit of magical realism in the novel, but it is only a delicate touch and the rest is a very engaging and well-thought thriller. It starts with a disappearance and an investigation in a small, sleepy town covered by snow and ice. It ends with an explosion of violence and a gruesome massacre. It reminded me a little of a movie "Fargo" from 1996. What else is there to add? I had a lot of fun reading this book!
I received "The Hawthorne Season" from the publisher via NetGalley. I would like to thank the author and the publisher for providing me with the advance reader copy of the book.
August 13, 2018
I liked this book, but it was kind of hard to follow at times. I am not sure if that is because the names and entities were all Italian, which I am not familiar with, or because of the way the story jumped around a little. I was very intrigued by the murder mystery, but was a bit let down with the conclusion, which I found to be a little anticlimactic. I really liked the incorporation of the cats as narrators, and I enjoyed the other twist that I never saw coming.
August 15, 2018
The prologue aptly sets the scene for the novel and can not fail but entice the reader to continue to find out how the horrifying situation described therein was achieved. We are told that 10 bodies have been found of which 8 have met violent deaths with 2 being found buried and 2 are still alive. The story then begins with Giulio Rodari a well known children's author being transported by police to his mother's hotel set near a sleepy mountainous Tuscany village where he will be held under house arrest while evidence is being assembled concerning his involvement in the disappearance and suspected murder of his solicitor ex-girlfriend, Patrizia Alberti. The problem for Giulio is that he has suffered memory loss regarding the final moments he was with Patrizia, we know that he is obsessed with her and was stalking her prior to the final meeting but did he kill her?His memory now continually goes from reality to illusion.
For some readers this may not be the easiest of reads as the narrative switches from one plot line to another as we are introduced to a multitude of characters. It is somewhat like trying to solve a jigsaw puzzle as you try to work out how everything fits into place to explain what we know from the prologue is coming. We also have the narratives of several cats which are intrinsic to the story line and gives the book a somewhat metaphysical dimension. The writing is very descriptive and you can visualise the falling snowbound late winter setting. For a crime novel several quite profound themes are explored including the need for environmental protection, corruption and how the past influences the present. Many of the characters are haunted by the loss of loved ones that occurred in a bus accident on a falling bridge 4 years previously. There is a big twist at the end which I for one did not see coming despite now looking back several clues.
Riccardo Bruni apart from writing fiction is an Italian journalist who also writes for newspapers, magazines, websites and blogs and can be congratulated in producing this fast paced but intelligent read. The translation is good and the cover also aptly gives the deep foreboding atmospheric feel of dread inside. If you like a good crime which is also a bit challenging then this could be for you.
For some readers this may not be the easiest of reads as the narrative switches from one plot line to another as we are introduced to a multitude of characters. It is somewhat like trying to solve a jigsaw puzzle as you try to work out how everything fits into place to explain what we know from the prologue is coming. We also have the narratives of several cats which are intrinsic to the story line and gives the book a somewhat metaphysical dimension. The writing is very descriptive and you can visualise the falling snowbound late winter setting. For a crime novel several quite profound themes are explored including the need for environmental protection, corruption and how the past influences the present. Many of the characters are haunted by the loss of loved ones that occurred in a bus accident on a falling bridge 4 years previously. There is a big twist at the end which I for one did not see coming despite now looking back several clues.
Riccardo Bruni apart from writing fiction is an Italian journalist who also writes for newspapers, magazines, websites and blogs and can be congratulated in producing this fast paced but intelligent read. The translation is good and the cover also aptly gives the deep foreboding atmospheric feel of dread inside. If you like a good crime which is also a bit challenging then this could be for you.
September 4, 2018
7 passengers & 1 bus driver’s decomposed bodies had been buried, unearthed & found.
But there was 2 more that were still alive.
The carabinieri’s had the crime scene area taped off.
Patrizia Alberti (Giulio’s ex-GF) had been murdered.
Gherarda Hotel. Colonel Scalise (county CO), Officer Grazia (f, carabinieri), Officer Donato Esposito (24, carabinieri) are dropping off Giulio Rodari (children’s illustrator) he is free for now.
Ms. Barbara Tantulli (Giulio’s mom), & Kurd (employee) are there to greet him.
She invited the whole bunch in for cake/drink.
Giulio is on house arrest.
Lilith’s band members consist of: Arturo “Chessa” Novelli (college student, pharmacy, drummer), Viola (Grazia’s daughter, guitarist, singer, song writer, mgr.), & Diego (bass player), Michele (keyboard, guitarist).
The names of the murdered victims had been released. They are: Amanda Tantulli (Scalise/Barbara’s sister), Michele (church organist), Alberto (ex-plumber), Teresa (Aurelio’s wife, seamstress), Maglio (husband), Goran (lumberjack), Carmela, & Ferdinand (bus driver).
The Misericordia Funeral Parlor took care of the arrangements.
Alberto Colletti (40, lawyer) was meeting with Giulio.
Annalaura Lorenzon (Deputy prosecutor) & Colonel Scalise came next to see him.
What were Officer Grazia & Giulio going to investigate?
What will happen to Giulio?
1 of the best songs ever “A Whiter Shade of Pale.”
Warning: This book contains extremely graphic adult content, violence, or expletive language &/or uncensored sexually explicit material which is only suitable for mature readers. It may be offensive or have potential adverse psychological effects on the reader.
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written tech thriller book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a large set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great tech thriller movie, or better yet a mini TV series. A very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free author; Goodreads; MakingConnections; Making Connections discussion group talk; AmazonCrossing; Amazon Digital Services LLC.; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
But there was 2 more that were still alive.
The carabinieri’s had the crime scene area taped off.
Patrizia Alberti (Giulio’s ex-GF) had been murdered.
Gherarda Hotel. Colonel Scalise (county CO), Officer Grazia (f, carabinieri), Officer Donato Esposito (24, carabinieri) are dropping off Giulio Rodari (children’s illustrator) he is free for now.
Ms. Barbara Tantulli (Giulio’s mom), & Kurd (employee) are there to greet him.
She invited the whole bunch in for cake/drink.
Giulio is on house arrest.
Lilith’s band members consist of: Arturo “Chessa” Novelli (college student, pharmacy, drummer), Viola (Grazia’s daughter, guitarist, singer, song writer, mgr.), & Diego (bass player), Michele (keyboard, guitarist).
The names of the murdered victims had been released. They are: Amanda Tantulli (Scalise/Barbara’s sister), Michele (church organist), Alberto (ex-plumber), Teresa (Aurelio’s wife, seamstress), Maglio (husband), Goran (lumberjack), Carmela, & Ferdinand (bus driver).
The Misericordia Funeral Parlor took care of the arrangements.
Alberto Colletti (40, lawyer) was meeting with Giulio.
Annalaura Lorenzon (Deputy prosecutor) & Colonel Scalise came next to see him.
What were Officer Grazia & Giulio going to investigate?
What will happen to Giulio?
1 of the best songs ever “A Whiter Shade of Pale.”
Warning: This book contains extremely graphic adult content, violence, or expletive language &/or uncensored sexually explicit material which is only suitable for mature readers. It may be offensive or have potential adverse psychological effects on the reader.
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written tech thriller book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a large set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great tech thriller movie, or better yet a mini TV series. A very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free author; Goodreads; MakingConnections; Making Connections discussion group talk; AmazonCrossing; Amazon Digital Services LLC.; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
July 11, 2018
The Hawthorne Season by Riccardo Bruni provided an imaginary relief from the heat. Set in a small Italian town at a time when people are beginning to anticipate the end of winter, there is plenty of snow, numerous secrets, and hidden agendas.
Giulio Rodari has been placed under house arrest at his mother's hotel in the mountains. Accused of murdering his former girlfriend, Giulio admits to stalking her, but has no memory at all of her murder. The problem lies in his reaction to alcohol. Giulio has only drunk alcohol twice in his life, and both times have resulted in loss of memory.
Giulio, an author/illustrator of children's books, doesn't want to believe himself guilty of the crime, and the only way to know for sure is to try to recover the blanks in the hours after he confronted Patrizia in a drunken rage.
Could some of the secrets in his small hometown have any connection? Although Guilio is an important character, there are other characters who are equally important. The Marshall, Viola, his mother and her friends and frenemies have differing opinions about the possible construction of a waste plant in the middle of their venerated "old woods."
An odd assortment of characters, small town secrets and rivalries, and a winter setting kept me intrigued from beginning to end.
NetGalley/Amazon Crossing.
Mystery. Aug. 14, 2018. Print length: 288 pages.
Giulio Rodari has been placed under house arrest at his mother's hotel in the mountains. Accused of murdering his former girlfriend, Giulio admits to stalking her, but has no memory at all of her murder. The problem lies in his reaction to alcohol. Giulio has only drunk alcohol twice in his life, and both times have resulted in loss of memory.
Giulio, an author/illustrator of children's books, doesn't want to believe himself guilty of the crime, and the only way to know for sure is to try to recover the blanks in the hours after he confronted Patrizia in a drunken rage.
Could some of the secrets in his small hometown have any connection? Although Guilio is an important character, there are other characters who are equally important. The Marshall, Viola, his mother and her friends and frenemies have differing opinions about the possible construction of a waste plant in the middle of their venerated "old woods."
An odd assortment of characters, small town secrets and rivalries, and a winter setting kept me intrigued from beginning to end.
NetGalley/Amazon Crossing.
Mystery. Aug. 14, 2018. Print length: 288 pages.
January 29, 2021
While the basic storyline was captivating, it was overall just too much. Too many characters, too many side stories, too many twists that weren't necessary.
Giulio Rodari was placed under house arrrest at his mother's secluded hotel in the Italian mountains after being suspected of murdering his ex-girlfriend, Patrizia. It had been documented that he had stalked Patrizia, threatened her, and confronted her the night of her disappearance. But, Rodari's consumption of alcohol that night seems to have entirely blacked out his memory of the most crucial time period.
Rodari's small hometown is still reeling from a horrific bus accident four years prior that killed several residents. In the midst of this is a land dispute threatening their "sacred" forest as a waste treatment plant is attempting to move in. Oh, and there's also adultery, mafia, alcoholism, teen rebellion, and a little dose of witchcraft to top it all off.
The writing itself was good, but it was just too much.
Giulio Rodari was placed under house arrrest at his mother's secluded hotel in the Italian mountains after being suspected of murdering his ex-girlfriend, Patrizia. It had been documented that he had stalked Patrizia, threatened her, and confronted her the night of her disappearance. But, Rodari's consumption of alcohol that night seems to have entirely blacked out his memory of the most crucial time period.
Rodari's small hometown is still reeling from a horrific bus accident four years prior that killed several residents. In the midst of this is a land dispute threatening their "sacred" forest as a waste treatment plant is attempting to move in. Oh, and there's also adultery, mafia, alcoholism, teen rebellion, and a little dose of witchcraft to top it all off.
The writing itself was good, but it was just too much.
August 18, 2018
I won this book from a goodreads giveaway. I’m not sure how to review this book. I didn’t realize it was a translated book until I won. Some of the phrasing and language was confusing along with all the characters names (since to me they all were so similar) for the majority of the book. It was interesting trying to figure out how the first chapter tied into the last part of the book. Once the mystery was revealed the book was easier to finish/follow. If you enjoy a book that involves superstitions, a vast array of characters in a small town, mystery, murder and intrigue...you would enjoy this book!
September 12, 2018
I received a Kindle version of this book through a sponsored giveaway in exchange for an unbiased review. Unfortunately, I set this book down after only been 10% of the way through and seriously doubt I'll ever finish it. The first chapter/prologue is a convoluted mess of imagery leaving you completely in the dark. Once the story does open, it quickly grabs your attention by an "event" that has just transpired. However, any momentum that might have been building suddenly drops and you're stuck hearing about the monotony of characters' daily lives/work issues. I found I just couldn't relate to the author's writing style and didn't care for/about most of the characters.
August 31, 2018
A little confusing
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. The story is pretty creative. I really enjoyed the way the story was told from so many different perspectives. It also jumped chronologically a little too. This book was originally written in Italian and then translated in English. So, there were a few words that I didn't know and had to look up. Also, the names were a little confusing and I sometimes had to go back to figure out who someone was. I did enjoy the way things were revealed, and how the mystery was solved.
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. The story is pretty creative. I really enjoyed the way the story was told from so many different perspectives. It also jumped chronologically a little too. This book was originally written in Italian and then translated in English. So, there were a few words that I didn't know and had to look up. Also, the names were a little confusing and I sometimes had to go back to figure out who someone was. I did enjoy the way things were revealed, and how the mystery was solved.
August 18, 2018
A deep dark mystery with sight hints of magic and loads of murder. A pleasurable read overall, with a beautiful finish. The story drags in spots, and becomes difficult to follow at numerous points. This might be due to phrases or ideas that don't properly translate from Italian to English - I would not know. I will surely take a peak at Bruni's other novels.
3.4 stars.
3.4 stars.
September 14, 2018
Super entertaining mystery
The Hawthorne Season takes the reader on an unpredictable ride with twists and turns that conclude in a most surprising way. The touch of the mystical adds to the treat and it helps if you love the magic of cats.
The Hawthorne Season takes the reader on an unpredictable ride with twists and turns that conclude in a most surprising way. The touch of the mystical adds to the treat and it helps if you love the magic of cats.
September 2, 2019
A well-told story. Very interesting and intriguing at least for me it was. I don't read many translated novels because translation can be a tricky thing. But this one was done well.
I received this eBook for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received this eBook for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 19, 2019
This was a fair read but confusing at times but the parts with the three cats reminded me of Vincent Price.
March 20, 2019
I want to read this stories
March 22, 2019
Well-written and interesting book with no-boring elements.
Want to read
September 24, 2023Received in Goodreads giveaway.
Pretty good mystery.
I had trouble at first keeping track of all the characters and at first they didn't seem to be connected to each other. As the book progressed characters were woven together more tightly and I became more engrossed in trying to solve the mystery. It became hard to put down.
This was a very complicated plot with a lot of leads that seemed to go in a lot of directions before they came together. It seemed like not one mystery, but several including one that I wasn't looking for. I don't know the literary term, but what I'm calling the climax seemed to go on and on. And the conclusion went on and on. I was reading late at night when I began to think "enough already". This is not necessarily a criticism; I think it's because the plot was so intricate that it took time to finish it. Still a very enjoyable read and I'm glad to have the opportunity.
Although they played a small part, I loved the symbolism of the cats.
Pretty good mystery.
I had trouble at first keeping track of all the characters and at first they didn't seem to be connected to each other. As the book progressed characters were woven together more tightly and I became more engrossed in trying to solve the mystery. It became hard to put down.
This was a very complicated plot with a lot of leads that seemed to go in a lot of directions before they came together. It seemed like not one mystery, but several including one that I wasn't looking for. I don't know the literary term, but what I'm calling the climax seemed to go on and on. And the conclusion went on and on. I was reading late at night when I began to think "enough already". This is not necessarily a criticism; I think it's because the plot was so intricate that it took time to finish it. Still a very enjoyable read and I'm glad to have the opportunity.
Although they played a small part, I loved the symbolism of the cats.
October 12, 2018
I received The Hawthorne Season by Riccardo Bruni in a giveaway sponsored by the publisher. Review is unbiased.
I hate to write a review like this. I wanted to like this book found it slow and hard to follow. 2 stars
I hate to write a review like this. I wanted to like this book found it slow and hard to follow. 2 stars
November 6, 2021
Fast-paced ending - stayed up into the wee hours of the morning to finish this book. Would recommend to others.
July 9, 2018
I could not put this novel down. It was a short and easy read for me that kept me intrigued and on the edge of my seat till the very end. This held mystery, suspense, tragedy, and a creep factor which is why I enjoyed this novel so much. It was able to hold enough mystery to make you wonder what is reality and what is not.
I recommend this novel.
Thanks Netgalley!!
I recommend this novel.
Thanks Netgalley!!
July 18, 2018
Took me a bit to really get into the story- there are a lot of different characters that provide a prospective and I found myself confused at first. By about 50% of the way through the book, I was very intrigued but found myself disappointed with the conclusion. I never really felt a connection to any of the characters but the setting was one I enjoyed.
July 21, 2018
Pre-pub courtesy of NetGalley Aug 14, 2018. Published by AmazonCrossing. Translated from the Italian by Hillary Locke.Hawthorne Season
Summary: A murder, a bridge accident, three cats, a teenage girl and a gnome. These five things appear to have little to do with each other but in the Hawthorne Season, almost nothing is as it appears to be.
Guilio Rodari, the artist/author of a children’s book series, is suspected of the murder of his ex-girlfriend, Patrizia Alberti. Guilio admits to stalking her and being completely obsessed with her, but he can’t believe he murdered her. Guilio has a problem because he has partial amnesia from a bad reaction to alcohol. He can’t remember anything during a four-hour period, the exact time Patrizia went missing. The police have a problem because they don’t have a body.
The authorities decide to put Guilio under house arrest while they gather evidence against him. Guilio is sent to stay with his mother at her hotel, which is closed for the season. But his seclusion is very permeable as people and information drift in and out of his dubious lock-up. With his guilt a foregone conclusion for the authorities, Guilio knows he must use whatever resources he can to recover his missing memories.
Comments: It took me a while to get into the rhythm of reading this book and I did lots of highlighting and jotting down of notes on my Kindle along the way. That served me well at the end of the book when all the various people and incidents came together in some completely unexpected ways. The book was well written, and the translation was clear, I was just nudged out of my fiction comfort zone.
There is a thread of fatalism that runs through the thinking of almost all the characters in this book. For them, it is pointless to buck the system and external forces always prevail. Those who don’t accept this are punished. The Hawthorne Season made me think about American/European cultural differences as expressed in modern literature. I’m glad it did.
4 out of 5 for a smashingly good ending.
#NetGalley #TheHawthorneSeason
Summary: A murder, a bridge accident, three cats, a teenage girl and a gnome. These five things appear to have little to do with each other but in the Hawthorne Season, almost nothing is as it appears to be.
Guilio Rodari, the artist/author of a children’s book series, is suspected of the murder of his ex-girlfriend, Patrizia Alberti. Guilio admits to stalking her and being completely obsessed with her, but he can’t believe he murdered her. Guilio has a problem because he has partial amnesia from a bad reaction to alcohol. He can’t remember anything during a four-hour period, the exact time Patrizia went missing. The police have a problem because they don’t have a body.
The authorities decide to put Guilio under house arrest while they gather evidence against him. Guilio is sent to stay with his mother at her hotel, which is closed for the season. But his seclusion is very permeable as people and information drift in and out of his dubious lock-up. With his guilt a foregone conclusion for the authorities, Guilio knows he must use whatever resources he can to recover his missing memories.
Comments: It took me a while to get into the rhythm of reading this book and I did lots of highlighting and jotting down of notes on my Kindle along the way. That served me well at the end of the book when all the various people and incidents came together in some completely unexpected ways. The book was well written, and the translation was clear, I was just nudged out of my fiction comfort zone.
There is a thread of fatalism that runs through the thinking of almost all the characters in this book. For them, it is pointless to buck the system and external forces always prevail. Those who don’t accept this are punished. The Hawthorne Season made me think about American/European cultural differences as expressed in modern literature. I’m glad it did.
4 out of 5 for a smashingly good ending.
#NetGalley #TheHawthorneSeason
August 15, 2018
Intriguing novel that grabbed me and didn't let me go! This was a fast read and an enjoyable one! Definitely recommend!
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews