A Darkness Descending
A Mystery in Florence
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
The secret world of a murder victim leads detective Sandro Cellini to uncover the hidden life of a woman consumed by a deadly obsession.
When the driven, charismatic leader of a Florentine political movement collapses at a rally, his young party immediately comes under threat. And when it emerges that his wife, Flavia, has disappeared, leaving behind not only a devastated husband but their newborn son, the political becomes dangerously personal—and Detective Inspector Sandro Cellini is summoned to investigate. The trail leads to a somber seaside town, where Flavia chose to end her life. But Cellini isn't satisfied—why would one so young and with so much to live for walk away from all she loves? As he digs into Flavia's secret world, however, Sandro uncovers the hidden life of a woman consumed with private passions and a dark, deadly obsession—a stark reminder that life in modern Italy has a perilous edge, fueled as much by rage as desire.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A stunning development at a Florence political rally, witnessed by PI-in-training Giuli Sarto, sets the stage for dark-hued suspense in Kent's fourth Sandro Cellini novel (after 2012's The Dead Season). Niccol Rosselli, the head of a party whose members are disillusioned with mainstream politics, is the hope of the disenfranchised, some of whom compare him to Gandhi. In the middle of a speech, Rosselli collapses, shocking his followers. The politician is treated and released from the hospital, but soon after, Cellini, the former cop turned private eye, learns that Rosselli's long-term partner, Flavia, has disappeared, leaving behind their infant son without explanation or clue as to her whereabouts. Sarto, a particularly memorable character, has overcome great struggles to be in a position to help Cellini as the investigation builds to its tragic end. Kent does a fine job setting a mournful tone for this sad book and in conveying the average person's frustrations in the face of endemic government corruption.
