Reader Reviews

“Ms. Tuti’s debut, translated from the Italian by Ekin Oklap, introduces a sympathetic heroine in Battaglia, whose gruffness masks a fear she may be losing her unique abilities.” —The Wall Street Journal

“One of the best parts of Flowers over the Inferno is the older, gruff superintendent Teresa Battaglia. She is out of shape, diabetic and busy fighting the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease—on top of handling a complex case. We sympathize with Battaglia quite naturally, and it’s nice to see a cop who isn’t slim and sexy chasing after serial killers.” 
—NPR

“Superintendent Teresa Battaglia, a criminal profile expert, is in her sixties, overweight, lonely, diabetic, full of the ailments of aging—and delightful. It’s rare that such a character enters crime fiction for the first time, and with such gripping impact.”  —The Times (UK)

“Creepy and evocative . . . But what gives this novel particular appeal is the sixty-something central character, whose abrasive manner hides a warm heart.” —The Guardian                  

“Ilaria Tuti’s Flowers over the Inferno is a stunning debut; a deliciously dark and action-packed thriller that is also deeply moving, even profound. With a heroine unlike any other and a beautifully crafted sense of place, Tuti’s gorgeous prose paints a compelling portrait of a small Alpine town’s secrets and the woman tasked with uncovering them. I loved this book.”
—Karen Dionne, internationally bestselling author of The Marsh King’s Daughter