The Lost Girls of Rome by Donato Carrisi translated by Howard Curtis
Moholland Books, 2013
Crime Fiction; 432 pgs

Thank you to all who voted for this one in my June TBR List Poll! Like many of you, I was drawn to this one just from the description. The setting helped too.

Sandra Vega is a forensic photographer whose husband, a journalist, dies unexpectedly while on assignment in Rome. For all intents and purposes, it appears to have been an accident, but Sandra has her doubts. Doubts that only grow when she travels to Rome to search for the truth.

At the same time, a possible serial killer is found near dead in his home and his latest victim is missing. Marcus, a priest with no recollection of his past, is tasked with finding the missing young woman. Marcus is used to hiding in the shadows. He is a penitenzieri, a part of a secret group of priests who profile the worst criminals, archiving sins.

The novel alternates between the two characters, as well as an unknown third character whose identity and role in the novel isn't initially clear. Usually I find myself favoring one story line over another, but I liked both Sandra and Marcus's stories equally.

The Lost Girls of Rome is a complex, well-written, and thoroughly engaging mystery. It was next to impossible to put down. I never quite knew where Carrisi was taking me as I immersed myself in his characters' lives. I look forward to reading more by Carrisi in the future.