Death in Autumn

4th in the Marshal Guarnaccia series.

Two young Swedish students, tourists, discover a body before dawn, floating in the Arno. When recovered, it turns to be the body of a middle-aged woman who, although clad in a fur coat, is otherwise naked. Upon investigation, Guarnaccia discovers that the woman is Hilda Vogel, a German who was a long-time resident of one of Florence’s respectable hotels. It appears to be a suicide, but Guarnaccia is not so sure. What seems straightforward to others bothers Guarnaccia, because of the details—the details that just don’t fit. The Marshal—slow, stolid, inarticulate—is like a bulldog, worrying at details until they make a picture that satisfies him. And in this case, the details reveal the show more tragedy behind Hilda Vogel’s death.

Thus the 4th in this excellent police procedural set in Florence. The strength of the series lies in Nabb’s quiet writing, which suits her protagonist, the Marshal, perfectly. The usual stable of recurring characters—Captain Maestrangelo, Brigadier Lorenzini, Guarnaccia’s wife Theresa and their two boys--is a solid matrix in which to cast the one-timers: Hilda, the residents of her villa, the night porter, and others. But it is the Marshal himself, who really rises to prominence in this installment, who is the memorable figure.

The plot is very good, not at all obvious, but it is the characters, including the city of Florence, that makes this series so special. It's a real pity that this series get so little attention, because it deserves a much wider audience.

Highly recommended. show less

This was very intriguing:

Two students come into the Carabineri's office very late at night because they have seen a body floating in the Arno (which is low of water).

The body is that of an older woman living at the local hotel. She is dressed only in a fur coat...and as it turns out died by asphyxiation, not suicide.

Not so far away the remains of a young man has been found in the local park, head skeletonized, body dessicated.

Although at first it seems as if these are two random murders, it ends up that the victims have family ties.......

Slowly but surely, Marshal Guarnaccia is able to tie the two victims together and solve the murders and tie them to a series of major jewel international thefts.