This novel of unrequited love begins well, with a beautiful setting in Genoa in the early 20th century. A classic story of wealth and betrayal vs. working class and true love. The Berellis, an upstanding family, has skeletons in the closet and too many loose ends. Their daughter falls in love with the baker, a skilled mandolin player who refuses to give up when they are torn apart by her family. As the story builds to a resolution the author takes too much time and leave the reader to wade through too much trivial detail at the end. Still, a good read and a plausible mystery that sheds light on some of the practices regarding women's rights of the era.

Another great Florida adventure from Hiaasen. This one includes a reality tv star, an animal wrangler and his son. Wahoo lives on the edge of the Florida Everglades with his mom, dad, and a "zoo" full of not too wild animals that his father has rescued. After his dad is hit with a falling iguana, Wahoo has to help more with the animals. His mom takes a job teaching English in China to pay bills so Wahoo is in charge of his dad. When a job comes along to guide and provide animals for a "survival" tv show, Wahoo convinces his dad to take it and the trouble begins. Filled with the usual shady characters and crazy plot, this book covers a more personal theme than usual for Hiaasen's books for youth: child abuse. Wahoo meets a girl named Tuna, sporting a black eye that she received from her alcoholic father. While the author handles the subject lightly it makes this title more for older elementary and middle school readers.