The Lost Girls of Rome

A grieving young widow, seeking answers to her husband's death, becomes entangled in an investigation steeped in the darkest mysteries of Rome. Sandra Vega, a forensic analyst with the Roman police department, mourns deeply for a marriage that ended too soon. A few months ago, in the dead of night, her husband, an up-and-coming journalist, plunged to his death at the top of a high-rise construction site. The police ruled it an accident. Sanda is convinced it was anything but. Launching her own inquiries, Sanda finds herself on a dangerous trail, working the same case that she is convinced led to her husband's murder. An investigation which is deeply entwined with a series of disappearances that has swept the city, and brings Sandra ever closer to a centuries-old secret society that will do anything to stay in the shadows.

From Booklist

A secret sect worthy of a Dan Brown novel, the penitenzieri are a group of rogue Catholic clergymen who archive the admissions made in the confessional and then mete out justice on their own. When some of Rome’s most unrepentant killers are suddenly struck down, it seems that this centuries-old network is coming out of the shadows. Could this be the story that forensic analyst Sandra Vega’s journalist-husband was working on when he died? The brusque and mysterious Interpol agent Schalber certainly seems to think so. A race against the clock to find one killer’s final victim keeps the story moving, but Carrisi loses momentum with the introduction of a secondary fabulist plot regarding a transformationist. This multilayered thriller was a best-seller in the author’s native Italy, but, while it may attract attention here, readers are likely to come away something short of satisfied. --Karen Keefe

Charles Finch, USA Today (3/4 stars)

"The crime novels imported from Europe in the last few years have been a mixed lot, too often favoring atmosphere over plot, but in his second book Donato Carrisi strikes the balance perfectly...Sandra and Marcus are both likeable and intelligent, and the book's multiple storylines find their resolution nicely."

Bruce Tierney, BookPage

"Masterful. With each chapter, THE LOST GIRLS OF ROME jumps from one plotline to the next, back and forth between the present and one year ago. Carrisi uses this device to full advantage, building suspense to almost unbearable (and perhaps supernatural) levels, all the way to a truly surprising ending."

Hank Wagner, Mystery Scene

"Very well written. Reminiscent of books like Carlos Ruiz Zafón's classic The Shadow of the Wind, Carrisi's work has a dreamy, other worldly feel about it; the prose is literate, lyrical, knowing, dense without being wordy, erudite without being pretentious."

Kirkus Reviews (starred)

"With references to the Monster of Florence, a medieval serial murderer, and a secret Vatican sect, Carrisi's literary thriller draws readers into a labyrinth of evil. Carrisi writes beautifully [and] intimately appreciates Rome, its chapels, its narrow alleyways, its fountains and gardens. A powerful psychological drama."

Library Journal PRAISE FOR THE WHISPERER:

"With a lot of separate subplots, intricate details, and twists, this novel has plenty for readers to follow, but those who can keep up will be rewarded with a satisfying conclusion."

Michael Connelly

"One hell of a ride. This story screams high tension, high stakes and high velocity. Superb."

Ken Follett

"Brilliant and very creepy. A great book."

Michael Koryta

"Donato Carrisi has a unique gift for blending fascinating forensic detail, mind-bending plot twists, and empathetic characters into a seamless, powerful narrative. THE WHISPERERintrigues, informs, and haunts simultaneously, a novel that will linger in the mind long after you've finished."

Will Lavender

"Brutally awesome--Thomas Harris by way of Ian Rankin."

About the Author

Donato Carrisi studied law and criminology before he began working as a writer for television. The Whisperer, Carrisi's first novel, won five international literary prizes, has been sold in nearly twenty countries, and has been translated into languages as varied as French, Danish, Hebrew and Vietnamese. Carrisi lives in Rome.

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