The Dead Season

Reviews

“I loved this book and hated putting it down. It manages to be both a taut thriller and a beautifully observed story of a young woman’s coming-of-age set in a Florence in full flood. Michael Dibdin meets Muriel Spark.”

“Florence is still in good hands, entrusted to a private investigator named Sandro Cellini, who keeps a wary eye on the ancient city in a string of mysteries by Christobel Kent…The Dead Season isn’t the first book in this series, but it’s a terrific introduction to the intractable problems of a modern-day city plagued by illegal immigrants, an exhausted economy, and a broken system of government.”

“British author Kent’s excellent third novel featuring the Italian PI…Kent brings her characters to rich and convincing life amid story lines full of subtlety and surprise. Florence, too, springs vividly from the page, evoked with sharp observation and an admirable absence of cliché. Kent’s reputation as a writer of smart, atmospheric mysteries with literary as well as genre appeal should continue to grow.”

“August is the dead season in Florence, when the streets are empty of all but the most determined tourists and all but the unluckiest Florentines, those unable to escape on vacation…The alternating points of view between private eye and bank teller and the glimpses we get into their domestic struggles prove intriguing.”

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