Book Review of An Enigma by the Sea By Carlo Fruttero and Franco Lucenini (trans Gregory Downing)

 

Name of Book: An Enigma by the Sea 

Author: Carlo Fruttero and Franco Lucenini (trans Gregory Downing)

ISBN: 978-1-916725-19-5

Publisher: Bitter Lemon

Part of a Series: Italian Mysteries by Fruttero and Lucentini (stand-alone, but previous ones included LOVERS OF NO FIXED ABODE and RUNAWAY HORSES) 

Type of book: Italy, 1990s, Tuscany, winter, christmas holiday, depression, mystery, literary elements, coastal town life, beach, travel, holiday homes, murder, disappearances, romance, tarot 

Year it was published: 2026 (originally 1991)

Summary:
(From goodreads)

On the wintry Tuscan coast, the wealthy elite retreat to their lavish holiday homes. But the season turns sinister when a couple vanishes from a locked villa, and the body of a dubious count washes ashore, bludgeoned to death. With echoes of Agatha Christie and the erudite suspense of Umberto Eco, a sly meditation on class, illusion, and desire, this literary mystery is both sharply observant and darkly entertaining.

Characters:

Remembering a ton of characters, especially their names, is not my strong suit, but I will do my best in describing at least their personalities. (Don't worry there is a character sheet at the end of the book) There is Monfortti, a depressive/melancholic man who crushes on a woman who has two teens. (He attempts to unravel the mystery later on) There are Monforti's sister and brother in law who often stay with him during winter. There is the tarot lady and her servant as well as the brooding hermit who likes to pretend he is numerous philosophers from history (in particular Greek/Roman ones) Of course there are victims, in particular the Zeme family which has a melancholic/depressive wife who is determined to visit family elsewhere and she attempts to manage her depressive episodes as well as her husband who is probably frustrated with her thoughts and actions? And last but not least there is the Count and Katya. Count is married but saeems to be lecherous and enjoys exchanging favors for sex. Katya is a model who desires to make it high, but is often thwarted in her goals. There are a ton of secondary characters, but its more fun to read and discover them in a book rather than having me talk about them. 

Theme:

Things are not what they seem

Plot:

The story is written in third person narrative from what seems to be everyone's point of view.  (If one is to ask me the dominant point of view, I couldn't tell you either.) For me it wasn't a fast read as would a typical mystery, but instead it was slow paced with mystery beginning middle of the book rather than beginning. I would definitely describe the story as highly atmospheric and something that allows a non-Italian to get a sense for Italy. The story also takes place prior to 2000s which means no cell phone or high technology culture. I definitely had a difficult time trying to understand which clues I should pay attention to and which ones to ignore (especially prior to the mystery). Also, I definitely had gotten used to having a lot of resolutions being spelled out for me, in particular how the mystery was solved. This one though, it doesn't spell out in a few paragraphs the thought process that Signor Monforti uses to figure it out. 

Author Information:
(From goodreads)

The editorial team of Carlo Fruttero and Franco Lucentini, particularly notable for their (controversial) curation of the Urania series of fantascienza (science-fiction) compilations from 1964 to 1985.

Opinion:

I am not a stranger to reading mystery novels, in particular modern ones, therefore I feel as if I have an idea of what to expect when picking one up: the sudden mystery, sprinkling of clues, and eventually a resolution wrapped up in a bow. While AN ENIGMA BY THE SEA did follow that timeline, the mystery literally started almost in the middle of the story, which isn't what I was used to. I also feel as if the clues are expertly hidden both at the start and throughout the book, which for me was difficult to deduce because I wasn't sure what to pay attention to. I also believe that this is the first time I will use the words "literary mystery" to describe this novel. Its very slow paced which means if you are seeking something quick, then this is not a story for you. 

This was given for review

4 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)