Cabaret: A Roman Riddle    by Lily Prior Order:  USA  Can Ecco, 2005 (2005) Hardcover Read an Excerpt     Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth Freda Lippi, upon discovery that her ventriloquist husband has disappeared, is delighted beyond belief. She only married him because of a prophecy her mother made with her dying breath. The plot is amusing; the mystery just beyond reach. The author's sense of humor is finely tuned - the episode about Freda's Mediterranean cruise had me laughing out loud. Freda, a mortician by trade, becomes a nightclub singer. She is twenty-six and still a virgin and dreams of changing that status. The mystery of the disappearance of Alberto bothers Freda less than the loss of her beloved parrot Pierino. This comic novel, Cabaret: A Roman Riddle (the setting in Rome is incidental to the plot), hovers between reality, dreams, and fantasy. At times it's hard to distinguish one from the other, but it works. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Contemporary books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews