The Lost Girls of Rome

by Donato Carrisi

Since I started my blog, (and for most of my life for that matter) most of my book recommendations have come from the Amazon list or from my mother.  This book, however, I chose on my own and so I was a little wary if it would end up being good or not!  I picked it simply because it has the word "Rome" in the title and I will gladly reading anything and everything that has even the slightest bit to do with Rome.  It turned out to be a great choice, I powered through this book in two and a half days on vacation in Florida with my family.

Carrisi is a native of Rome and is more well known for his international best seller The Whisperer which is definitely now on my list to read.  However, I was a huge fan of The Lost Girls of Rome.  This murder/abduction mystery follows the intertwining stories of Sandra, an investigator for Milan polizia, and a priest named Marcus.  The two are both investigating the disappearance of a young woman in Rome, that is linked to a serial killer who is found dying in his mansion in the opening scenes of the book.  In an underlying plot, the missing girl is also linked to Sandra's late husband's death which, up until now, had been presumed to be a suicide.

The book is set in Rome which, in my opinion, is the best place for any story to be set.  It weaves in the long presence of the Catholic church in Rome's history.  Though at first the different plots were a little bit confusing, as the story progresses it becomes more and more spellbinding.  If you're looking for a good murder-thriller pick up a copy of Carrisi's The Lost Girls of Rome today!