The Lost Boy of Santa Chionia

Praise

“Atmospheric. . . . Grames writes with a keen eye and a gift for earthy simile.” —Wall Street Journal

“Grames structures this deeply compelling, well-crafted mystery in a Golden Age style reminiscent of classics by Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers. Yet the literary heart of this brilliant novel, its probing meditations on class, power, and the inevitability of crime, is rendered with the same nuance and intensity as Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan quartet.” —Boston Globe

“Imagine Italy and your mind might run to Renaissance art and ancient ruins. Piazzas and porticoes. Sunshine, spritzes and espresso. A dramatically different version of the country awaits readers of The Lost Boy of Santa Chionia, one equally captivating but far more unsettling and perilous. . . . The novel feints at being a thriller, but it is more consistently the coming-of-age story of a nosy, idealistic and arrogant young woman. . . . Her story has plenty to teach about the potential pitfalls of good intentions and the fictional Santa Chionia is an enchanting destination.” —Minneapolis Star Tribune

“Beautiful and completely engaging.” —Sara Paretsky,

“Grames has created a village teeming with life. . . . There are lovely moments of human connection, humor and a romance. . . . She makes excellent use of the area’s dramatic landscape: as the suspense heats up, Francesca finds herself in increasingly dangerous situations. . . . Grames’s expertise, eye for detail and verisimilitude shine on every page.” —BookPage

“I enjoyed this immersive novel of family secrets in an isolated community in Italy. Shades of Ferrante.” —Ian Rankin, via Twitter

“An elaborate puzzle of mystery, crime, and romance that will resonate with readers.” —Library Journal

“A suspenseful tale . . . will please readers who enjoy stories with a strong sense of place.” —Booklist

“As a mystery, Grames’s novel is as gripping as they come; it’s also a deeply satisfying character study of an outsider learning more about a place than she’d bargained for.” —Publishers Weekly (Best of Summer, Staff Pick)

“A beautiful novel, filled with riches, not the least of which are its evocative setting in the Calabrian hills, and its cast of vivid characters, large and small, who will stay with you long after you’ve turned the final page.” —Dan Fesperman, author of Winter Work

“Grames shines in this intriguing story of buried secrets in an isolated Southern Italian village . . . She excels at rendering the experiences of living as a stranger in a close-knit community . . . and she manages to keep the reader guessing as to the truth about who was murdered and why. This is a superior literary mystery.” —Publishers Weekly (starred)

“A compassionate, compelling novel of a young woman looking to do good in the world and find purpose in her life.” —Book Riot

“Rich in both geographical detail and vibrant personalities… At heart, this novel is a feminine epic about an intelligent, altruistic woman who is searching for her personal identity and her purpose in society. It is well worth reading.” —Historical Novel Review

“A beautifully written novel, filled with lavish descriptions. . . . Juliet Grames has created a wonderful world. She explores the community, its setting amidst the rugged Aspromonte massif, its history as the brigand capital of Italy, and its marvelously and wonderfully drawn characters in a novel that is both literate and literary. . . . Grames also has a sly sense of humor. . . . I really loved this book.” —Ted Hertel, Deadly Pleasures

“[Grames] has spun out an immersive literary mystery that seizes assured control of the reader’s five senses. It’s that evocative—and also funny as hell . . . An adventure well worth taking.” —The Day

“Enthralling. . . . Sophisticated. . . . Grames’s skill at building solid characters shines in The Lost Boy of Santa Chionia.” —Oline H. Cogdill, South Florida Sun Sentinel