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WORK TITLE: Shadows on the Lake
WORK NOTES: with husband, Giovanni Cocco; trans by Stephen Sartarelli
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE: 1958
WEBSITE:
CITY:
STATE:
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY: Italian
https://gottawritenetwork.wordpress.com/tag/giovanni-cocco-and-amneris-magella/
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born 1958, in Milan, Italy; married Giovanni Cocco (a writer).
ADDRESS
CAREER
Author.
AVOCATIONS:Reading and collecting ancient books and jewels; gardening; travel.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Amneris Magella and her husband Giovanni Cocco are the coauthors of the mystery novels Ombre sul lago (translated into English and published in the United States under the title Shadows on the Lake) and Omicidio alla stazione centrale. The first novel introduces Inspector Stefania Valenti, described by a contributor to the Book Review as “clever and captivating.” Magella and Cocco based Inspector Valenti on the famous detectives they had encountered through their love of reading. “The first time that we thought about a book saga ‘of our own,'” Magella and Cocco told an interviewer for the Gotta Write Network website, “we already had the character of Stefania Valenti in mind. We wanted her to be a bit like Inspector Montalbano, the very Italian character created by Andrea Camilleri, as far as her personality was concerned, whilst the way she works, her use of her observation, analysis and deduction skills, would remind the reader of the archetype of detective, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes…. We had a story of love and death in mind and setting it here meant two things for us: showing the world the less known spots of this fascinating place and try and share the love we have for it.” “Commissario Valenti is a sharp investigator, and is a sensitive, complex character with whom readers will naturally empathize,” said a reviewer for the Gotta Write Network website, adding that the novel “is a memorable introduction to a strong-willed female detective and an important slice of Italian history.”
Critics enjoyed Shadows on the Lake, celebrating not only its depiction of its protagonist but also its evocation of the scenic lake district of northern Italy. The novel, declared Jane Murphy in a Booklist review, “leaves the reader longing to … get on the next plane for Lake Como.” Valenti’s investigation into the reappearance of a decades-old corpse—discovered in connection with a building plan that stands to make a good deal of money for a local family—has political as well as legal ramifications. “The mystery itself had a foot in the past and present,” said a Reads and Knits contributor, “and while some of the outcomes weren’t a real surprise, they were well done in the reveal.” “Police procedural and whodunit elements,” stated a Publishers Weekly reviewer, “combine nicely with a complex, three-dimensional lead.” “My opinion of Shadows on the Lake,” concluded Flavia Brunetti Proietti on the Young in Rome website, “is that it’s a true mystery of the most delightful order. If you read it and, like I did, find yourself in the next days wondering how long it would really take you to get to Como.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, February 15, 2017, Jane Murphy, review of Shadows on the Lake, p. 34.
Publishers Weekly, December 19, 2016, review of Shadows on the Lake, p. 100.
ONLINE
Book Review, http://www.the-bookreview.com/ (April 27, 2017), review of Shadows on the Lake.
Gotta Write Network, https://gottawritenetwork.wordpress.com/ (January 16, 2017), review of Shadows on the Lake; author interview.
Night Owl Suspense, https://suspense.nightowlreviews.com/ (April 1, 2017), review of Shadows on the Lake.
Reads and Knits, http://www.readsandknits.com/ (August 7, 2017), review of Shadows on the Lake.
Young in Rome, https://younginrome.com/ (February 19, 2017), Flavia Brunetti Proietti, review of Shadows on the Lake.
Shadows on the Lake
263.52 (Dec. 19, 2016): p100.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Shadows on the Lake
Giovanni Cocco and Amneris Magella, trans. from the Italian by Stephen Sartarelli. Penguin, $16 trade paper (320p) ISBN 978-014-312725-3
Husband-and-wife Coceo and Magella's strong series kickoff introduces police inspector Stefania Valenti, a devoted, if plausibly imperfect, single mother, who's fiercely dedicated to the pursuit of justice. The excavation of a tunnel linking the Lake Como region with Switzerland has engendered controversy. A local Italian legislator has publicly denounced the project's destruction of acres of forest and warns of the traffic congestion the completed roadway would cause. When the demolition of an abandoned cottage uncovers human skeletal remains, the evidence suggests that they belong to someone who was murdered decades earlier. Despite the paucity of clues, even as to the victim's identity, Valenti persists in investigating the cold case, though her interview of a member of the influential Cappelletti family, whose property values have increased as a result of the tunnel project, ruffles some feathers. Police procedural and whodunit elements combine nicely with a complex, three-dimensional lead. Agent: Loredana Rotundo, Loredana Rotundo Literary Agency (Italy). (Feb.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Shadows on the Lake." Publishers Weekly, 19 Dec. 2016, p. 100+. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA475324284&it=r&asid=2e187b3c445df2860965e0cfe0581123. Accessed 25 Sept. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A475324284
Shadows on the Lake
Jane Murphy
113.12 (Feb. 15, 2017): p34.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist_publications/booklist/booklist.cfm
Shadows on the Lake. By Giovanni Cocco and Amneris Magella. Tr. by Stephen Sartarelli. Feb. 2017. 320p. Penguin, paper, $16 (9780143127253).
This first entry in a planned series leaves the reader longing to spend more time with the fetching Inspector Stefania Valenti, perhaps even get on the next plane for Lake Como. Just the thought of chestnut ravioli with plums and sausage is enough to get one packing. Stefania is a complex character. She is, at 45, a hardworking and overworked single mother with a spirited young daughter. Her staff adores her, and she deals with her colleagues and superiors in a refreshing, straightforward manner--not a lot of professional angst, just good old dedication and determination. She devours countless pastries without referencing her figure. No body-image angst either. When the remains of a young man are unearthed during the construction of a new road, the investigation leads Stefania back to the chaotic closing days of WWII in Italy, and a Shakespearean story unfolds. A well-crafted piece of crime fiction cleverly enhanced by an inviting travel narrative from a husband-and-wife writing team who live in the region. Brunetti fans will love it. Brava! --Jane Murphy
Murphy, Jane
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Murphy, Jane. "Shadows on the Lake." Booklist, 15 Feb. 2017, p. 34. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA485442521&it=r&asid=e00919bdd96bdb8f130c8a19211ceb99. Accessed 25 Sept. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A485442521
Book Review: Shadows on the Lake: A Stefania Valenti Mystery by Giovanni Cocco
August 7, 2017
Shadows on the Lake: A Stefania Valenti Mystery by Giovanni Cocco
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Publisher: Penguin Books
Summary: A new atmospheric Italian mystery novel set in Lake Como, introducing the clever and captivating Inspector Stefania Valenti
During the construction of a new road to the Swiss border in the mountains above Lake Como, the remains of a young man are unearthed on the powerful Cappelletti family's property. On the case is Stefania Valenti, forty-five, divorced with a young daughter, and a brilliant, determined police inspector.
Her investigation takes her back to World War II and deep into the history of the region, a place that during the war attracted smugglers, deserters, secret agents, and fleeing Jews. Steeped in the beautiful atmosphere of Northern Italy, Valenti's investigation brings to light a family's secret, a tragic romance, and reveals a fascinating piece of Italian history.
I knew going into this that it was a translation and I may not get the next in the series soon if ever but I jumped right in anyway. And now I'm hoping when the next will come or if it will.
The setting of Como was just lovely to read about and the food sounded enticing as well. I read this on vacation and was immersed in it while I sat on the beach. I quite enjoyed the mystery and also investigator Valenti. I wanted more of her backstory but as this is the first in a series, I expect there's more to come. I did love the old aunts. The mystery itself had a foot in the past and present and while some of the outcomes weren't a real surprise, they were well done in the reveal. Also as this was a translation, some of the transitions were abrupt from one scene to the next. Still, I didn't think it diminished the reading of the story itself.
Recommended especially if you're a mystery lover who likes something outside the usual destinations.
Shadows on the Lake
A Stefania Valenti Mystery, #1
“Shadows on the Lake” by Giovanni Cocco and Amneris Magella- Translated by Stephen Sartarelli
“Shadows on the Lake” is an absorbing mystery steeped in atmosphere and tragic history, against a backdrop of beautiful Italian scenery.
Inspector Stephania Valenti is pulled into a puzzling case in which the remains of a man were found in the rumble of the once opulent 'Villa Regina', now owned by the powerful Cappelletti family.
The victim, a German soldier during world war two, is believed to have been sealed in for approximately sixty years, and is undoubtedly a murder victim.
Can Stephania discover who killed the man and the motive for his murder after all these years?
The incredible description of the Italian landscape in Northern Italy by Lake Como on the Swiss border, is absolutely stunning and adds such a strong atmospheric quality to the story.
The investigation takes place in present day, but as the story unfolds, Stephania’s inquiries will take the reader on a journey into the past, highlighting the tensions of the war and the desperation to escape over the border into Switzerland, a setup that will ultimately lead to murder.
I really liked Stephania and her precocious daughter, her relationship with the secondary characters, and how she handles the mild political angles she must address. I admired her dogged determination, her refusal to turn loose until all the loose ends were tied up, despite the pressure she was under.
The mystery is quite compelling and evolves into a riveting tale of suspense, while revealing an interesting family history and uncovering the events of a long ago tragedy that still reverberates after all these years.
I am impressed with this first installment in the ‘Stephania Valenti’ mystery series. This book was published for Italian audiences in 2013, but has now been translated beautifully into the English language. I hope the second book will be translated soon, so I can get started on it as soon as possible.
If you are looking for a fresh voice in crime fiction, featuring a unique locale, with likable and interesting protagonists, then you should give this book a try.
Book Blurb for Shadows on the Lake
A new atmospheric Italian mystery novel set in Lake Como, introducing the clever and captivating Inspector Stefania Valenti
During the construction of a new road to the Swiss border in the mountains above Lake Como, the remains of a young man are unearthed on the powerful Cappelletti family’s property. On the case is Stefania Valenti, forty-five, divorced with a young daughter, and a brilliant, determined police inspector.
Her investigation takes her back to World War II and deep into the history of the region, a place that during the war attracted smugglers, deserters, secret agents, and fleeing Jews. Steeped in the beautiful atmosphere of Northern Italy, Valenti’s investigation brings to light a family’s secret, a tragic romance, and reveals a fascinating piece of Italian history.
Night Owl Reviews Apr, 2017 4.00
16
Monday
Jan 2017
Posted by gottagetthatbook in Uncategorized
A Stefania Valenti Mystery, Giovanni Cocco and Amneris Magella, Shadows on the Lake
The first novel in a captivating and atmospheric Italian mystery series
set in Lake Como featuring the clever Commissario Stefania Valenti
9780143127253
SHADOWS ON THE LAKE
A Stefania Valenti Mystery
by Giovanni Cocco and Amneris Magella
Translated by Stephen Sartarelli
A Penguin Paperback Original ▪ $16.00 ▪ On-sale: February 7, 2017 ▪ 9780143127253
ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN EBOOK
www.penguinrandomhouse.com
“[A] strong series kickoff… Police procedural and whodunit elements combine nicely with a complex, three-dimensional lead.” —Publishers Weekly
The first in a new Italian mystery series, SHADOWS ON THE LAKE (A Penguin Paperback Original; On-sale: February 7, 2017; $16.00; 9780143127253) by husband-and-wife team Giovanni Cocco and Amneris Magella introduces brilliant, determined police inspector Stefania Valenti as she investigates the death of a young man found in the mountains above Lake Como. This gripping story combines a tragic romance entwined in the last years of World War II with fascinating Italian history to form a riveting, original story that major national Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera praises as “A novel on a grand scale… a noir which winks at current events (ecology, politics), drifts into the realms of travel fiction, flirts with being a historical novel, only to return at last to the confines of crime fiction.”
During the construction of a new road to the Swiss border in the mountains above the famously beautiful Lake Como in Northern Italy, the remains of a young man are unearthed on the powerful Cappelletti family’s property. On the case is Commissario Stefania Valenti, forty-five and divorced with a teenaged daughter, and notably more determined and clever than her male colleagues.
Her investigation takes her back to World War II and deep into the history of the region, a place that during the war attracted smugglers, deserters, secret agents, and fleeing Jews, and where paintings, precious objects, and money could be hidden. Commissario Valenti’s investigation brings to light a family’s secret and reveals a fascinating and tragic piece of Italian history.
SHADOWS ON THE LAKE is the first entry in a series set amidst the atmosphere of Lake Como, which Cocco and Magella vividly capture in striking detail. Commissario Valenti is a sharp investigator, and is a sensitive, complex character with whom readers will naturally empathize. Perfectly suited for Italophiles and fans of Donna Leon and Andrea Camilleri, SHADOWS ON THE LAKE is a memorable introduction to a strong-willed female detective and an important slice of Italian history, both of which readers will be eager to learn more about.
About the Authors:
GIOVANNI COCCO was born in Como in 1976. AMNERIS MAGELLA was born in Milan in 1958. They are married and live in Como, Italy.
——————————–
Q&A with Giovanni Cocco and Amneris Magella, authors of
SHADOWS ON THE LAKE
Penguin; On-sale: Febraury 2, 2017; $16.00
Q: SHADOWS ON THE LAKE is the first book in a new mystery series about the brilliant and strong-willed Commissario Stefania Valenti. What were your inspirations for this character and for this series?
A: We are, first and foremost, keen readers as well as writers. The first time that we thought about a book saga “of our own” we already had the character of Stefania Valenti in mind. We wanted her to be a bit like Inspector Montalbano, the very Italian character created by Andrea Camilleri, as far as her personality was concerned, whilst the way she works, her use of her observation, analysis and deduction skills, would remind the reader of the archetype of detective, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes.
Q: Set on the shores of Lake Como in northern Italy, SHADOWS ON THE LAKE beautifully evokes the atmosphere of daily life in that world-famous site. Why did you choose this setting?
A: It is the place where we live and work, that we love and know better than anywhere else in the world. That’s why our characters live and work here too, they share our knowledge of this place, a location that is world-renowned for its beauty, the lake and the mountains, the little villages and sanctuaries like the UNESCO World Heritage Site Sacro Monte di Ossuccio. The lake shores host many villas such as Villa Balbianello, stunning film location for blockbusters like Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones or Casino Royale, and it is said that the basilica of Santa Maria del Tiglio, in Gravedona, inspired Leonardo Da Vinci for the background of his Last Supper. Lake Como has been chosen and cherished for various reasons by film directors and celebrities alike, like Alfred Hitchcock and George Lucas, George Clooney and Bruce Springsteen and many more. We had a story of love and death in mind and setting it here meant two things for us: showing the world the less known spots of this fascinating place and try and share the love we have for it.
Q: What are some things about the Lake Como that you describe in SHADOWS ON THE LAKE that US readers might not know?
A: As it often happens with very touristy places, people abroad mostly get to know only about the most famous bits of lake Como: the majestic landscapes, the grand villas and the celebrities of the film and fashion industry who bought them, or the luxurious Belle Époque hotels that we describe in our novels as well. Nevertheless, the true soul of the lake also lies in less known places and details: the narrow cobbled streets, the houses made of stone of the tiny villages along the coast, the paths in the woods, the little beaches you can only reach on foot and the ancient churches and chapels. It is a small, quiet world, friendly and peacefully coexisting with the bigger, glamorous reality of the villas known to the international jet set.
Q: What is your writing process as a team of two? Do you write together or do you take turns writing?
A: We always discuss the plot and the characters’ personality together, then each of us writes their own version of one or more parts, which are then compared and modified, read and corrected multiple times. It started as a game, and we wish it were always like this.
Q: What are some things about you that might be a surprise to US readers?
A: Although the readers might do their own bit of sleuthing and deduce something reading between the lines, Giovanni actually is a good cook, in accordance with the traditional Italian stereotype, he was a talented football player when he was younger and has worked as an estate agent. Amneris loves reading and collecting ancient books, jewels and gardening. We are fond of travelling and exploring new places.
Q: Amneris, you are a medical doctor and you work as a coroner. How did you use your medical background when writing SHADOWS ON THE LAKE?
A: My work experience and the way I think as a medical doctor and coroner helps me develop the investigations in the novel as a logical progression, through reflection, observation and the analysis of details. In some cases, it also helps as far as the technicalities of the job are concerned.
Q: What kinds of research did you do to make Commissario Valenti and the people in her life so fully formed as characters?
A: We take many factors into account when creating a character: the observation of reality and the people we know, our favourite books and films, the police cases we’ve read about, law reports we’ve followed, and much more. Characters come to life just like this, almost randomly, as a strange combination of things we’ve seen, life experiences lived here and there, stories we’ve heard, books we’ve read, films we’ve watched.
Q: Commissario Valenti’s case in SHADOWS ON THE LAKE turns on an important but little-known piece of local WWII history. How did you first learn about this history, and why is it important for US readers to know about it?
A: Italians all over the country study in school the historical circumstances that led to the collapse of Mussolini’s Fascist regime, the Nazi occupation of northern Italy, the Italian resistance movement of the partisans, the persecution of Jewish people and the violent fighting between warring factions, even after the end of the war. Nevertheless, living in the places where some of those events happened is an entirely different experience, as is the opportunity to hear the stories of those who lived in those troubled times or wrote about them then or later on in lesser known books and essays. It is often a wholly different reality that emerges from these readings, different from what we expect or have been taught, and it’s good to know about it.
Q: You are also known in your native Italy for writing literary novels. Why did you choose to write crime novels as well?
A: Giovanni has been writing for a long time before Shadows on the Lake as an independent author; he’s written books of various genres and more complex literary structure, praised by the critics and nominated for various literary prizes, namely the Premio Campiello (La Caduta was a finalist in 2013) and the Viareggio Prize (La promessa, 2015). Amneris, who is a writer as well as a fond crime novels reader, has involved him in this crime-writing adventure, that is turning out to be real fun and satisfying for both. To be completely honest, changing literary genre has been a bit of an oddity for us as Italian authors: whereas it is a fairly common occurrence in other countries (for example, Julian Barnes or John Banville), it is still a sort of taboo in our country.
Q: What are you writing now?
A: We are working together on the next chapter of Stefania Valenti’s saga, set on a different shore of the lake, close to Bellagio. We prefer not to disclose any details, but we can say that the plot will move from the lake shores to the international environment art crime and trafficking. Furthermore, Giovanni, after dealing with the collapse of western society in La Caduta and doing some research on Andreas Lubitz, the suicide co-pilot responsible for the Germanwings plane crash in March 2015, is now working on a novel that is halfway through a psychological thriller and a family saga, set in the late 1930s, in the time of tuberculosis, in a sanitarium in the Swiss Alps.
Art & Culture (le cose belle) / Reviews (da condividere)
“A suitcase, perhaps, the past left behind”: a book review of Shadows on the Lake
Posted on February 19, 2017 by Flavia Brunetti Proietti Leave a comment
Some books don’t drag you in.
Shadows on the Lake is not one of those. Written by Italian authors Giovanni Cocco and Amneris Magella, the story is set in the area around Lake Como and introduces police inspector Stefania Valenti, a forty-five-year-old divorcée struggling to raise her tween daughter, handle the single life, and make it to work on time. Stefania is all of us in that she’s constantly late, eating frozen pizza fairly often, and also trying to juggle what life throws at her—just that in her case, life throws a mysterious pile of bones in the mountains, on the property of a very rich, very mysterious family (of the “something is definitely up here, lady” variety).
The book holds a healthy respect for the Italian mystery basics, like that supermarket focaccia is not comparable to real focaccia from the baker, and that murder is best served cold. Preferably decades old. We’re talking World War II. Taking place in modern-day Italy but delving deeply into the war era, the plot explores issues that tunnel deep into the heart of the country: old-world power, corruption, the constant fight between the honest and the less so. It dives into pieces of history that have engraved themselves into the heart of Italy: of a war that ate the little peninsula, of people desperate to flee to safety, of the prices they were sometimes forced to pay.
Though the writing can feel a bit stilted in the beginning (which, to be fair, might just be that the book was originally written in Italian and translated writing can tend to transfer that feeling), Cocco and Magella’s storytelling soon has you walking step by step next to Stefania, eating delicious Italian pastries while trying to figure out what in the heck is going on, and taking some stunning walks through the gorgeous region in northern Italy.
The descriptions are vivid, the story intense, and the characters relatable, so fair word of warning: as the plot starts to unfurl and tantalizing clues begin to seem a glimmer of a solution, you may find yourself yelling your conclusions to the page in front of you. This can be embarrassing if, say, you’re on a train and you suddenly yell out “THOSE ARE HIS INITIALS!”
Just saying. That didn’t happen to me.
After having read it in one gulp, my opinion of Shadows on the Lake is that it’s a true mystery of the most delightful order. If you read it and, like I did, find yourself in the next days wondering how long it would really take you to get to Como, and what Stefania and Luca are up to, never fear: this is the first of an upcoming series, so there is lots more cappuccino, hiking, and murder in your future. Hopefully the first two also in real life, and the last one left firmly ensconced in the pages of a book.
Happy reading, YiR-ers!
Thursday, April 27, 2017
Shadows on the Lake by Giovanni Cocco, Amneris Magella, Stephen Sartarelli - Feature and Review
ABOUT THE BOOK:
A new atmospheric Italian mystery novel set in Lake Como, introducing the clever and captivating Inspector Stefania Valenti
During the construction of a new road to the Swiss border in the mountains above Lake Como, the remains of a young man are unearthed on the powerful Cappelletti family's property. On the case is Stefania Valenti, forty-five, divorced with a young daughter, and a brilliant, determined police inspector.
Her investigation takes her back to World War II and deep into the history of the region, a place that during the war attracted smugglers, deserters, secret agents, and fleeing Jews. Steeped in the beautiful atmosphere of Northern Italy, Valenti's investigation brings to light a family's secret, a tragic romance, and reveals a fascinating piece of Italian history.
READ AN EXCERPT:
MY REVIEW:
Shadows on the Lake: A Stefania Valenti Mystery
Shadows on the Lake: A Stefania Valenti Mystery by Giovanni Cocco
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Shadows on the Lake by Giovanni Cocco and Amneris Magella, and translated by Stephen Sartarelli i s a 2017 Penguin publication.
I am impressed with this first installment in the ‘Stephania Valenti’ mystery series. This book was published for Italian audiences in 2013, but has now been translated beautifully into the English language. I hope the second book will be translated soon, so I can get started on it as soon as possible.
If you are looking for a fresh voice in crime fiction, featuring a unique locale, with likable and interesting protagonists, then you should give this book a try.
This review is the copyrighted property of Night Owl Reviews. To read the full review, click on this link: https://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Re...
GET YOUR COPY HERE:
https://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Lake-Stefania-Valenti-Mystery-ebook/dp/B01FRSZ9UU/
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shadows-on-the-lake-giovanni-cocco/1125203923
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Giovanni Cocco was born in Como in 1976. Amneris Magella was born in Milan in 1958. They are married and live in Como, Italy.
TRANSLATOR:
*Stephen Sartarelli is an award-winning translator and poet. He lives in France.
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Labels: Amneris Magella, first in series, Giovanni Cocco, historical, Italy, mystery, Penguin Publishing, Stephen Sartarelli
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