The Sleeping Nymph (A Teresa Battaglia Novel Book 2)

Very interesting, but it took too long - over 100 chapters! - to tell the story, which ended up being fairly predictable. Still, it is better than most of mysteries on the market, so I give it 4 stars. Tulia is a wonderful writer. I anxiously await her next book.

This was a page turner from the beginning. Interesting setting, great sequel to the first book, Flowers Over the Inferno. If you like murder mysteries you will love this book.

Loved the story but it went from page 328 to 377! See photo to see the page numbering. The page numbers are at the top of page next to author's name and the book title.How do I get this replaced????

Excellent follow up to first book, her writing only gets better and deeper. Great!!

I think it may lose something in the translation, but I enjoyed it

It was an excellent book. I would recommend it highly!

As she hides her early signs of Alzheimer’s from her fellow officers, Superintendent Theresa Battaglia is assigned a case That goes back to the end of WWII. When a painting by Alesia Andrian was brought to a gallery to be evaluated the gallery owner discovered that it had been painted with blood that contained cardiac tissue. Andrian was found shortly after completing the painting in 1945, covered in blood and near death. He now lives with his grandson, but has not spoken since being found. Battaglia must discover the painting’s history and identify whose blood was used before the story becomes public.Analysis of the blood reveals a connection to the Resians, a 2000 year old community located in Italy’s Resia Valley. Using a photo of the painting, Battaglia heads to the valley Francesco, one of the older residents, identifies her as Aniza, his aunt. She was last seen walking toward a friend’s house, but never arrived. He was eight at the time and she was like a mother to him. He spent his life hoping that she had run away and was safe. He explains what life was like at the time under the German occupation with the partisans living in the hills. As one of the partisans, Andrian knew Aniza but was he her killer? Was her death the cause of his madness? As Battaglia gets closer to the truth, a killer stalks the valley and leaves a gruesome warning to not interfere with the valley’s residents.Ilaria Tuti’s story touches on the history of the Resians while presenting a tense mystery that builds to a surprising ending. Battaglia struggles with her medical issues and the fear that she will be found out. She wears a bracelet with her name on it as a reminder of who she is when the darkness descends. She keeps a notebook for not only notes on the case, but also the people she meets and everyday reminders. Her partner, Massimo Mariani, is also dealing with issues. His girlfriend is pregnant but he is afraid that his life has been influenced by his father, who was an abuser. Tuti also introduces Blanca and her dog Smokey. Blanca has trained with Smokey to find body parts, an accomplishment since she is blind. Her handicap does not prevent her from searching the valley for the victims. The mystery, the scenery, the history and Tuti’s characters blend together to provide a story that is difficult to put down. I would like to thank NetGalley and SoHo Crime for allowing my review.

At the La Cella art gallery, a recently discovered portrait, "The Sleeping Nymph," is being analyzed to determine its authenticity. The portrait is brought to the attention of Superintendent Teresa Battaglia when it is discovered that it was painted in human blood from the heart of a slain woman. Who was this Sleeping Nymph? Who murdered her? Its world renowned artist, Alessio Andrian, has existed in a catatonic state for nearly seventy years. DNA tests lead Teresa to a remote village in the Resia Valley. Soon after her arrival, an elderly man disappears; his heart is found nailed to a tree. Teresa learns that generations of Resian women have been involved in occult pagan rituals. Ever since the village was besieged by German occupation in WWII, a form of unholy evilness has taken root--an evilness that threatens to destroy Teresa and members of her investigative team. Italian author Ilaria Tuti has achieved the impossible. Her latest Teresa Battaglia mystery, "The Sleeping Nymph," is even more engrossing, intriguing, and bizarre than her excellent debut, "Flowers Over the Inferno." After reading "The Sleeping Nymph," I am determined to read every novel in this highly unique series. "The Sleeping Nymph" is an extremely complex, intricate mystery with numerous subplots. One may complain that it is overly plotted. Every character is battling their own personal demons in the form of physical illness, mental psychoses, and addictions. Our lead character, Superintendent Teresa Battaglia, fears that her Alzheimer's is growing worse. To complicate matters even further, an enemy from her past, Dr. Albert Lona, has shown up to bully her. Meanwhile, Inspector Massimo Marini learns that his girlfriend, Elena, is pregnant; he fears he will become a horrible, abusive father. "The Sleeping Nymph" expertly combines occultism, paganism, forbidden love, child abuse, painting, music, and the fear and death inflicted upon the villagers by enemy Germans. All of this occurs in a tiny, isolated, picturesque village in the Resia Valley. Generations of villagers look alike but never once is the word "inbred" used in this novel. This is a village of dark, vile secrets. Several of the novel's elderly characters were only children when the woman in the portrait was murdered. For many years, they have kept what they witnessed a secret. Unfortunately, with Teresa's arrival, those secrets may soon be told. A deranged killer must now take steps to ensure those secrets are never revealed. Some of my favorite scenes in "Flowers Over the Inferno" were gross and not suitable for the squeamish. There are scenes in "The Sleeping Nymph" that are even more gross. Several involve the exhumation of corpses that have either been properly laid to rest in a cemetery or hidden in the forest. One victim had their heart ripped out while they were still alive and another was stabbed to death and then burned. Teresa employs the assistance of a young girl with blue hair, Blanca Zago, and her human remains detection (HRD) dog, Smoky. Together, Blanca and Smoky are able to locate the corpses of dead villagers, victims of the bizarre events that plague the Resia Valley. HRD dogs are very popular. This year, I've read several mysteries that had them. One of my favorites was Jeffrey B. Burton's gruesome thriller, "The Finders." A vicious serial killer terrorizes a dog trainer, Mason Reid, and his HRD dog, Vira. Macabre artwork has often been the subject of numerous horror novels and films. A fine example is the classic Oscar Wilde novel, "The Picture of Dorian Gray," where an evil, decadent man remains forever young while his portrait ages. Reading "The Sleeping Nymph" especially reminded me of a celebrated 1976 horror film from Italian director Pupi Avati, "The House with Laughing Windows." A young man, Stefano, travels to a remote island to restore a church's decaying fresco. It depicts the savage stabbing death of St. Sebastian. Stefano soon learns that the fresco's deceased artist, Legnani, was insane; he tortured people to death as inspiration for his macabre paintings, which are on display throughout the village. Soon, hideous murders are committed in an effort to prevent Stefano from learning the ghastly truth behind St. Sebastian's fresco. Ilaria Tuti's "The Sleeping Nymph" is a very long, complex novel, but it always kept me highly intrigued. Sometimes, however, I did feel slightly overwhelmed. This mystery contains a unique setting that is both gorgeous and frightening. Also, there is a diverse assortment of characters, both good and evil. Readers have an opportunity to delve into the histories of the lead characters, Teresa Battaglia and Massimo Marini. Teresa is a terrific detective despite her onset of Alzheimer's; I wish I was part of her team. This novel contains gruesome deaths and shocking violence. However, there is also romance and love. "The Sleeping Nymph" provoked a vast assortment of emotions within me. It is a beautifully written tale of familial horror that will sometimes chill you to the bones. Hopefully, I won't be sleeping and miss the publication of the next installment is this spine-tingling series.