In Italy a woman is found dead in the river with only a fur coat covering her body. "Death in Autumn" by Magdalen Nabb is very different from other myteries I have read. The description of the setting, Italy, is very sparse. I wonder if the lack of cathedrals, restaurants and embassies helped to make me uncomfortable with the ongoing story. By the middle of the book I felt completely lost. As though I had taken a long cab ride on winding roads without a foreign dictionary. Whatever happened it wasn't until about three quarters in that I could completely understand the circumstances behind Hilde Vogel's death. Then, Magdalen Nabb put the clues right on the table. The mystery became sensible and interesting. So, I was very deep in the book before I decided the book was worth my time. I would definitely read another mystery by Magdalen Nabb.
In the next mystery by Magdalen Nabb I hope to read more descriptive passages. Maybe a waving Italian flag, a sculptured lion spitting water from a fountain or man in a pin striped suit with a red tie. It wouldn't hurt the mystery. For me, it would help.
