Villa Triste    by Lucretia Grindle Order:  USA  Can Grand Central, 2013 (2011) Softcover, e-Book      Reviewed by Barbara Lingens When two decorated Italian partisans are murdered in two different cities in less than a month, Detective Pallioti knows that more may follow. With little to go on, he must scramble for information, while trying to mollify an American who wants to find her grandfather among the heroes. Luckily he finds a notebook that movingly documents what it was like for a family quietly trying to live in the chaos brought on by the abdication of Mussolini, the Nazi onslaught, and the following U.S. penetration. Though the notebook cannot answer all questions, Pallioti is able to piece together a story of comradeship, betrayal, and revenge taken by a most unusual and strong partisan. Author Lucretia Grindle has managed to bring the historical and contemporary stories together interestingly and convincingly, though it is the historical one that holds our attention and hearts. This is a pretty assured debut novel. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Historical books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews