The pages fall like steady, relentless rain in Death in Florence by Marco Vichi, set against an ominous 1966 backdrop of Florence. The missing boy case for Inspector Bordelli starts off very straightforward and quickly spirals into something so much more. The rain seems unending, casting a foreboding shadow over the city and the search by Bordelli, as if nature is telling him that some form of catastrophe is going to occur.
When the mystery was at its climax, the real-life tragedy of the Florence flood drowned everything that crossed its path, with no stops for the novel’s suspense. Now, with water racing through the city’s streets, it was as if the boy’s disappearance could get buried beneath so much silt and ruin. Vichi brings this dark chapter in Florentine history to life; his writing is so vividly real and imagined that you can almost feel the weight of the city’s tragedy and the desperation of Bordelli while he swims through this watery chaos.
I’m only halfway through it, but until now, Death in Florence reads like a noir soaked in history, its setting as much the bad guy as the darkness in the case itself. The book feels much more than a detective story; it is a study in resilience and mystery, a way to look into what rises from beneath the surface when all else has been washed away.
Wicks and Locks’ “Espresso” Candle
The sumptuous aroma of Wicks and Locks’ “Espresso” candle perfectly captured the mood as the rain pours on Florence in Death in Florence. Imagine rich fresh-roasted coffee, chocolate syrup, creamy praline, with a hint of caramelized sugar wrapping warmly and luxuriously around you like a cozy night spent lost in a gripping mystery. Perfect for setting the tone as you follow Inspector Bordelli through a city caught between mystery and floodwaters. 🍂📖☕️