📚 Book review: Flowers over the Inferno by Ilaria Tuti 🌲

Flowers over the Inferno, by Ilaria Tuti in an interesting story that takes place in Travenì (Italy). This moving book is about an Italian superintendent, Teresa Battaglia, who starts investigating a savage murder in the woods. While battling with her own problems, Teresa tries to solve this and the following mysterious attacks happening in a small village with the help of a new agent called Massimo.

The story begins when the police find the body of a death man with a disfigured face and his eyes missing. Soon, it becomes clear that the killer has no intention to stop there so Teresa and Massimo have to move quickly in order to solve the case. Moreover, there are time jumps that present a rather thrilling background story on the creation of “a monster”. When these storylines collide, the reader will see a truly touching puzzle.

With a wide range of characters, Teresa who has a particular character will have to deal with her inner demons while she immerses herself in the villager’s lives to put an end to the murders.

The book is full of thrilling moments as the author creates tension with the combination of present and past events and vivid descriptions. What gives the book its chilling atmosphere, however, is the way nature is portrayed in a beautiful but realistically a cruel manner which dominates the story throughout.

I do recommend Flowers over the Inferno. Readers will not only get immersed in finding who’s done it but also will be faced with a couple of interesting historical and cultural happenings.

I’ve read this book in Spanish and I know for sure you can find it in Italian and English.

Some of my favourite quotes:

“Teresa se contuvo y no le respondió que a menudo las existencias aparentemente más planas eran, por el contrario, propicias para la fermentación de un humus siniestro, una mezcla malsana de insatisfacción y de rabia”.

“La naturaleza no ha dotado a ninguna de sus criaturas con la capacidad de ser completamente inofensivas, jefe Knauss, o habría fracasado”.

“—Tarde o temprano alguien tendrá que explicarme qué es un monstruo — dijo—. Los llamamos así, pero mientras tanto nos quedamos mirando, no podemos cambiar de canal porque sabemos que son como nosotros: humanos.”

Topics: Italian culture, nature, science, history, family, friendship… not a bad combination!