Reviews
"A mystery that reminds us of the harrowing choices World War II forced on so many. Beautifully structured, written with restrained intensity and suspenseful to the end, this is both a satisfying mystery and a gut-wrenching account of moral dilemma in a time of moral struggle." -- People , 4 Stars "With each book, Bohjalian flexes his literary muscles, crafting a ghost story, historical fiction, and now police procedural. . . . [Bohjalian] is skilled at evoking the sepia-tinged past." -- Entertainment Weekly "Dead solid perfect. Bohjalian has written another winner." --Curt Schleier, Minneapolis Star-Tribune "At the heart of a good novel is a good story, and this story is a doozy. Bohjalian expertly weaves together a tale of how the war split Italy between the people who willingly collaborated with the Germans and the ones who did not. . . . Not every author could manage to tell a war story, throw in a serial killer and drop in several interesting romances, but Bohjalian manages." --Amanda St. Amand, St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Historic fiction at its very finest . . . This novel moves with the heat and inexorable flow of lava. Not to be missed." --Edmund August, The Louisville Courier-Journal "The Rosatis'' Etruscan burial site, effectively ravaged and exploited by the Germans for its potentially priceless artifacts, becomes the metaphor for the excruciating violations unfolding across the entire continent. Similarly, Bohjalian raises questions about the nature of injustice and the, often, arbitrary codes we deploy in order to keep a firm grasp on right and wrong, good and evil, or hero and villain. The Light in the Ruins offers an engaging story that unspools in such a way as to keep the reader with her nose to the pages long after the light has actually faded." --Sheila Moeschen, New York Journal of Books "A taut, suspenseful page-turner . . . Bohjalian effortlessly turns a work of historical fiction into a breathless whodunit." --Wendy Plotkin, The Armenian Weekly " The Light in the Ruins elucidates, haunts and raises moral quandaries. . . . Bohjalian''s historical re-telling is riveting. . . . A memorable read." --Claudia Puig, USA Today "Thoroughly gripping, beautiful, and astonishingly vengeful, this novel is a heartbreaker. Bohjalian''s latest turn to historical fiction is immensely rewarding." --Julie Kane, Library Journal (starred review) "Mastering matters subtle and grotesque, Bohjalian combines intricate plotting and bewitching sensuality with historical insight and a profound sense of place to create an exceptional work of suspense rooted in the tragic aberrations of war." --Donna Seaman, Booklist (starred review) "A literary thriller . . . a soulful why-done-it." --Kirkus Reviews "An exploration of post-WWII Italy doubles as a murder mystery in this well-crafted novel . . . an entertaining historical whodunit." --Publishers Weekly "A must-read . . . stunning . . . Bohjalian specializes in the suspense created when people are cut off, physically and emotionally, from society (as he did in his best-selling Midwives ). Here he goes back in time to create that suspense, with a compelling female detective running from demons of her own as his heroine." --Mary Duan, Tucson Weekly " The Light in the Ruins is a riveting re-creation of a time and place long gone, but not forgotten." --Valerie Ryan, Shelf Awareness "One of the fifteen best books of summer . . . A picturesque page turner." -- Good Housekeeping From the Hardcover edition., An O, The Oprah Magazine "Must-Read Book" "Suspenseful to the end, this is both a satisfying mystery and a gut-wrenching account of moral dilemma in a time of moral struggle." -- People , 4 Stars "Dead solid perfect. Bohjalian has written another winner." -- Minneapolis Star-Tribune "Brilliantly crafted. . . . Will tear your heart out." -- The Washington Post "Addictive, fast-paced. . . . Fling open the shutters. Settle in a comfortable chair. Lock the doors. Then turn to the first page of The Light in the Ruins and let the shadows in." -- The Philadelphia Inquirer "At the heart of a good novel is a good story, and this story is a doozy. Bohjalian expertly weaves together a tale of how [WWII] split Italy between the people who willingly collaborated with the Germans and the ones who did not." -- St. Louis Post-Dispatch "An intriguing tale of Bohjalian complexity . . . . Portrays life in German-occupied Italy with historical detail but gives it a human face." -- The Miami Herald "Masterfully crafted." -- The Washington Times " The Light in the Ruins elucidates, haunts and raises moral quandaries . . . . Riveting." -- USA Today "Bohjalian subtly and skillfully manipulates our suspicions. . . . Well-researched, historically interesting." -- The Boston Globe "A spellbinding mix of history and mystery." -- Parade magazine "Brilliant. . . . A page-turner that the reader will not soon forget." -- BookPage "Heartbreaking." -- The Columbus Dispatch "One of the . . . best books of summer." -- Good Housekeeping "Hypnotic and harrowing, a mesmerizing read. . . . Run--don''t walk--to the bookstore for this gem." -- The Free Lance-Star (Fredericksburg, VA) "Historic fiction at its very finest. . . . Not to be missed." -- The Louisville Courier-Journal "A masterpiece. . . . A terrific read that will transport both long-time fans and newcomers back in time to one of the most turbulent periods in Italian history. -- Bookreporter "Bohjalian has a well-honed ability to keep his reader guessing." -- The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "Gives readers a look at the murderous atmosphere of fascist Italy, a warped circumstance that reverberated years after the war ended." -- San Antonio Express-News " The Light in the Ruins offers an engaging story that unspools in such a way as to keep the reader with her nose to the pages long after the light has actually faded." -- The New York Journal of Books "A taut, suspenseful page-turner. . . . Bohjalian effortlessly turns a work of historical fiction into a breathless whodunit." -- The Armenian Weekly "Chilling. . . . A gifted storyteller, Bohjalian provides his readers with yet another engaging book--a murder mystery that keeps you guessing right up to the end." -- The Missourian "Thoroughly gripping, beautiful, and astonishingly vengeful, this novel is a heartbreaker." -- Library Journal (starred review) "Mastering matters subtle and grotesque, Bohjalian . . . create[s] an exceptional work of suspense rooted in the tragic aberrations of war." -- Booklist (starred review) "A soulful why-done-it." --Kirkus Reviews "Incredible. . . . Bohjalian''s best yet." -- The Auburn Citizen "Stunning. . . . Bohjalian specializes in the suspense created when people are cut off, physically and emotionally, from society." -- Tucson Weekly "A riveting re-creation of a time and place long gone, but not forgotten." -- Shelf Awareness "A tale so deftly conceived it . . . transported me into the starkly efficient mind of an Eisenhower-era killer, then to hills of Tuscany during the heat of World War II. . . . It''s almost impossible not to be enthralled by this suspenseful saga, a heady mix of compromised morality, betrayal, murderous revenge and ill-advised romantic entanglement." --Patricia Smith, The Washington Independent Review of Books, An O, The Oprah Magazine "Must-Read Book" "Suspenseful to the end, this is both a satisfying mystery and a gut-wrenching account of moral dilemma in a time of moral struggle." -- People , 4 Stars "Dead solid perfect. Bohjalian has written another winner." -- Minneapolis Star-Tribune "Brilliantly crafted. . . . Will tear your heart out." -- The Washington Post "Addictive, fast-paced. . . . Fling open the shutters. Settle in a comfortable chair. Lock the doors. Then turn to the first page of The Light in the Ruins and let the shadows in." -- The Philadelphia Inquirer "At the heart of a good novel is a good story, and this story is a doozy. Bohjalian expertly weaves together a tale of how [WWII] split Italy between the people who willingly collaborated with the Germans and the ones who did not." -- St. Louis Post-Dispatch "An intriguing tale of Bohjalian complexity . . . . Portrays life in German-occupied Italy with historical detail but gives it a human face." -- The Miami Herald "Masterfully crafted." -- The Washington Times " The Light in the Ruins elucidates, haunts and raises moral quandaries . . . . Riveting." -- USA Today "Bohjalian subtly and skillfully manipulates our suspicions. . . . Well-researched, historically interesting." -- The Boston Globe "A spellbinding mix of history and mystery." -- Parade magazine "Brilliant. . . . A page-turner that the reader will not soon forget." -- BookPage "Heartbreaking." -- The Columbus Dispatch "One of the . . . best books of summer." -- Good Housekeeping "Hypnotic and harrowing, a mesmerizing read. . . . Run--don''t walk--to the bookstore for this gem." -- The Free Lance-Star (Fredericksburg, VA) "Historic fiction at its very finest. . . . Not to be missed." -- The Louisville Courier-Journal "A masterpiece. . . . A terrific read that will transport both long-time fans and newcomers back in time to one of the most turbulent periods in Italian history. -- Bookreporter "Bohjalian has a well-honed ability to keep his reader guessing." -- The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "Gives readers a look at the murderous atmosphere of fascist Italy, a warped circumstance that reverberated years after the war ended." -- San Antonio Express-News " The Light in the Ruins offers an engaging story that unspools in such a way as to keep the reader with her nose to the pages long after the light has actually faded." -- The New York Journal of Books "A taut, suspenseful page-turner. . . . Bohjalian effortlessly turns a work of historical fiction into a breathless whodunit." -- The Armenian Weekly "Chilling. . . . A gifted storyteller, Bohjalian provides his readers with yet another engaging book--a murder mystery that keeps you guessing right up to the end." -- The Missourian "Thoroughly gripping, beautiful, and astonishingly vengeful, this novel is a heartbreaker." -- Library Journal (starred review) "Mastering matters subtle and grotesque, Bohjalian . . . create[s] an exceptional work of suspense rooted in the tragic aberrations of war." -- Booklist (starred review) "A soulful why-done-it." --Kirkus Reviews "Incredible. . . . Bohjalian''s best yet." -- The Auburn Citizen "Stunning. . . . Bohjalian specializes in the suspense created when people are cut off, physically and emotionally, from society." -- Tucson Weekly "A riveting re-creation of a time and place long gone, but not forgotten." -- Shelf Awareness "A tale so deftly conceived it . . . transported me into the starkly efficient mind of an Eisenhower-era killer, then to hills of Tuscany during the heat of World War II. . . . It''s almost impossible not to be enthralled by this suspenseful saga, a heady mix of compromised morality, betrayal, murderous revenge and ill-advised romantic entanglement." --The Washington Independent Review of Books
