Cocco and Magella's first Stefania Valenti mystery as translated by Stephen Sartarelli is steeped in the history of Lake Como in northern Italy. Stefania is forty-five, divorced with an eleven-year-old daughter Camilla who's a bit spoiled. As the investigation continues, readers see how determined she is and to what lengths she'll go to solve a case.

And the case is a puzzling one that has everything to do with actions taking place during World War II. The secrets surrounding the young man's death have been very well kept because only one person knows the truth.

You can't have a mystery set in Italy without descriptions of mouth-watering food, and Shadows on the Lake is no exception. Do not read this book when you're hungry, or you'll be placing a huge order with your favorite Italian restaurant. You have been warned!

If I have any complaint at all with this book, it's with the secondary cast, which does not make a strong enough appearance. This book is Stefania's show. Carboni may be her boss. Lucchesi and Piras may be her underlings. She may be romantically inclined toward Luca while Giulio is romantically inclined toward her, but we get to know Stefania much better than all these other characters. I hope this changes in the next book because I'm certainly going to be reading it. Shadows on the Lake is a strong, enticing blend of history, culture, and an intriguing main character. More, please!

In the course of building a road from the mountains above Lake Como to the border of Switzerland, human remains are uncovered on property belonging to the wealthy and powerful Cappetti. Inspector Stefania Valenti is called in to cover the case, one that will require plenty of very careful questioning, her bosses don’t want her making any enemies of the powerful family. In order to determined who the remains belong to, Stefania must travel back to World War II, a time when the landscape was filled with desperate people seeking to flee Italy, and when others used the cover of war to turn a profit smuggling goods, and people over the border. This is the first in a new series and I’m already looking forward to the next installment. Stefania is no young ingenue, she’s a seasoned 45-year-old cop with enough baggage of her own to make her a fascinating protagonist