cover image Death in Verona

Death in Verona

Roy Harley Lewis. St. Martin's Press, $15.95 (188pp) ISBN 978-0-312-02902-9

Ancient feuds and modern vices come together in Verona when bookseller Mathew Coll, consumed by curiosity over the background of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and especially the character of Lady Capulet, visits the city. In his attempts to track down earlier versions of the story, Coll is aided by Aldo Agostini, a noted bibliophile and scholar who is later found battered to death. To clear himself as major suspect, Coll begins to investigate, running afoul of the victim's son Paolo, Inspector Barletta of the Italian police and local dignitary and strongman Ettore Vespucci. Isabella Contini, a beautiful marchesa who also is a patron of the arts, offers to help Coll in his search, leading to a love affair and possible heartbreak. Pursued through Verona by underworld thugs and a motorcycle gang, Coll finally comes across the motive for the murder--a manuscript that reveals the story of the star-crossed lovers in a completely new light. Lewis ( Miracles Take a Little Longer ) writes a well-paced, satisfying and literate mystery. ( May )