NEWS

The Whodunits by Maria Santini
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Seven Novels by the Italiam Agatha Christie

The translation rights of these books are available in any language. Write to: ed@simonel.com

Maria Santini was born in Turin but lives in Rome.
She is at first an essayst as a teacher on Italian Literature but her natural capacity of telling and the quality of her writing did her academic books and her biographies, for example, of Matilde di Canossa, Liszt, Therese de Lisieux and the poet Giovanni Pascoli (told through the life of his most attached sister) readeble and involving as good novels.
The whodunnits were secretly, from years, the core of her interest at first as reader and afterwards as writer.
Looking at authors as Agatha Christie, Ruth Rendell, Ellis Peters, Rex Stout.
When, after having published her biographies, a couple of years ago I discovered the secret passion of Maria Santini she had five whodunnits ready.
And as I could read them I was touched from her capacity of involving the reader from the first pages to the end in stories with suspense, mistery. And stories always very well written.
The whodunnits by Maria Santini are between 150-250 pages long (no more because her thinks that longer stories could loose in rythm and interest for the reader).
She take a special care in conceiving the plot of her novels that are in the meantime original, well structured but simple. And you know that what it looks simple is more and more hard to do...
Maria Santini has a special touch in creating characters so real and so involving.
And every whodunit opens with the list of the characters that play a role. It is pointed out, too, where the story happens.
The stories are placed in Rome and in many other italian cities or town as Mantova, Pesaro, Palermo, Messina, the Lake of Como, Urbino... and in each place there are echoes of their local stories, traditions, gastronomy.
All the whodunits, except one, happen to day. One happens in Messina (Sicily) between 1901-1908 and has the poet Giovanni Pascoli as main carachter.
The whodunits by Maria Santini have not a carachter (I mean a detective, an inspector and so on) that plays his role in every novel.
One of the original touch of this writer is that the solution of the drama comes out mainly not from the police or other detectives but from one of the characters involved in it.
Till now there are ten whodunnit ready and published as eBook. Seven of them has already published in book and Maria Santini is writing in these summer her eleventh whodunit.
Here is a short synopsis of each of the seven whodunit by Maria Santini published as book.

The Pascoli's Mistery (i Pascoli del Mistero) by Maria Santini
ISBN 978-88-7647-154-4

Messina 1901: the poet Giovanni Pascoli, professor in Latin Literature at the University, and his sister Mariù live quietly even if their habits are quite different of a city in Sicily.
The timid professor of the Romagna forms a friendship with one of the most influent families of Messina: that ones of Princes of Monteferrante.
But a terrible murder upset a quiet life and a friendship.
The poet and his sister will investigate on it and thanks to them at least this case was solved in dicember 1908, the december of the terrible earthquake which destroyed Messina...
A whodunnit with real character: Giovanni and Mariù Pascoli.

Evil Doves (Colombe Maligne) by Maria Santini
ISBN 978-88-7647-155-1

For the Police of Rome everything is clear.
Yes, the beautiful Brigida has poisoned her love rival and, afterwards, she has tried to kill herself.
But for Tina, her best friend, the things went in a different way and she asks to her sister, a feminist lawyer very skillful, for helping.
The lawyer investigates and knows queer characters as the charming and mysterious wife of a political man who think to be a "tomber de femmes".
Meets too the man for whom Brigida, as the police thinks, tried to kill herself.
And when she will reach the truth risking her's life that was surprising and bitter.

Her, kindly (Lei, gentilmente) by Maria Santini
ISBN 978-88-7647-156-8

The brother of the famous poet Alberta Gatti, who killed herself a year before, asks to a lawyer to charge Igino, the lover of her sister and a poet himself, with plagiarism.
It appears a simple story as many others but the lawyer is involved in a plot of crimes in the shadows of terrorism (we are in Italy, in 1978, at the times of the terrorism).
Among "stage effect" till the last page the lawyer solve the case reaching a surprising but logical conclusion...

The Ex Schoolfellow (L'ex compagna di scuola) by Maria Santini
ISBN 978-88-7647-157-5

Coming to Rome for living her sons to their father, her divorced husband, with whom they will spend holydays, Simonetta doesn't imagine what it will happen to her.
She is a writer just becomed famous and Ilaria, an ex schoolfellow, keeps in touch with her because has dramatic problem.
Her daughter, Giustina, twelve years old, was kidnapped and Ilaria asks to Simonetta to intermediate with the kidnappers.
This story doesn't seems to Simonetta so clear as it would be... but the father of the girl comes in, he is a fascinating gentleman...
Simonetta leaves her involved in this story: she will repent bitterly.

Let speak about, civilly (Discutiamone civilmente) by Maria Santini
ISBN 978-88-7647-158-2

After nine years in jail Nausicaa has a new trial and now was pronounced not guilty for the murder of his husband.
Everybody, even her relatives, ignore Nausicaa.
She was politically involved as a "revolutinary", she was a lesbo who got married for interest... No, she cannot be no guilty.
Only Orsola, an old friend, thinks in her and helps her.
But who wants to kill the ex prisoner?
For two times somebody tries to kill Nausicaa.
Why?
Orsola investigates and the people who meets for helping her friend look so nice...

I go and say to the Bees (Va do a dirlo alle Api) by Maria Santini
ISBN 978-88-7647-245-9

What happens at Serravalle degli Ottoboni, in Umbria, quiet town famous for its treasures of art, local traditions and legends?
Misteries, murders, an unseizable killer...
It seems everything came out from some cottages on the top of the hill or from the unusual Bookshop where Licinia, the main character, spends her hunappy life or from the Villa Cucchi, a postmodern masterpiece, where live an old lady and an important business man with his perfect wife...
And, in the meantime, two love stories are interlaced.
Love stories so passional and hard to cause very big troubles...

The pale Amethyst (L'Ametista pallida) by Maria Santini
ISBN 978-88-7647-244-2

An isolated Villa on the rocks in front of the sea along the coast near Naples, a large and fine flat at Parioli, the most chic area for living in Rome: Adamo Gianfranceschi, painter, and his daughter Silvia, know the pleasure of a nice life.
But a dreadful destiny is ready for them...
And it is in danger Ippolita too, respectively daughter and sister, even she is not involved in their business.
She is an essayist in literature and she is very fond of her boy-friend.
Why Brando, a very handsome man, will have a key role for solving any problem?
What is the secret message hidden into the wanderful mosaic which represents the goddess Albucilla?
And, the most important question: what is it the Pale Amethyst?

The translation rights of these books are available in any language. Write to: ed@simonel.com


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