In Nabb's somber final Marshal Guarnaccia mystery (after 2007's Death of a Dutchman
), Guarnaccia investigates the shooting death of beautiful 25-year-old Daniela Paoletti, the elder daughter of a wealthy Florentine nightclub owner, in her tower bedroom of the family's villa in the hills above the city. Daniela's murder unsettles the marshal, a compassionate, sensitive man who's preoccupied with such midlife issues as taking early retirement from the military. Guarnaccia senses something is amiss in the Paoletti household, where everyone suffers from one malady or another. The father is recovering from a mild stroke in the hospital while his wife appears to be in a constant state of alcoholic intoxication. Rumors of the lucrative trafficking of young women from Eastern European countries sound alarm bells for the marshal, who decides he has to put aside personal concerns to pursue the truth. Nabb, who died in Florence in 2007, will be much missed by those who like their mysteries to raise the big questions of life. (June)
