Daughter of Ashes - (Teresa Battaglia Novel) by Ilaria Tuti (Paperback)

About the Book

"Superintendent Teresa Battaglia, a trailblazing criminal detective on the Italian police force, is on sick leave, recovering from her recent brush with death in pursuit of a killer. But none of her colleagues-not even her partner, Inspector Marini-know that her Alzheimer's is getting worse, and that Teresa is unsure she will ever return to work. Teresa's plans for retirement are shelved, however, when she is urgently summoned to meet with serial killer Giacomo Mainardi. Refusing to speak with anyone but Teresa, whose investigative work twenty-seven years prior landed him in maximum security prison, Mainardi has disconcerting news: somebody is after him, and only Teresa holds the key to keeping everyone, including herself, safe. To solve the case, Teresa must come face to face with a past she thought she'd buried, back to when Giacomo first began to kill, and Teresa-newly pregnant and married to an abusive man-did everything she could to catch him"--

Book Synopsis

Set in the idyllic mountains of Northern Italy, the latest volume in Ilaria Tuti's gripping series is a tour de force, a poignant and irresistible story about the relentless pull of the past on the present.

Superintendent Teresa Battaglia, a trail-blazing criminal detective on the Italian police force, is on sick leave, recovering from her recent brush with death in pursuit of a killer. But none of her colleagues, not even her partner, know that her Alzheimer's is getting worse, and that Teresa is unsure she will ever return to work.

Teresa's plans for retirement are shelved, however, when she is urgently summoned to meet with menacing serial killer Giacomo Mainardi. Refusing to speak with anyone but Teresa, whose investigative work twenty-seven years prior landed him in maximum security prison, Mainardi has disconcerting news: somebody is after him, and only Teresa holds the key to keeping everyone, including herself, safe. To solve the case, Teresa must come face to face with a history she thought she'd buried, back to when Giacomo first began to kill, and Teresa--newly pregnant and married to an abusive man--did everything she could to catch him.

Review Quotes

Praise for Daughter of Ashes

An Amazon Editors' Pick for December 2023

"Lyrical . . . those who succumb to its grandiloquent pleasures will be richly rewarded."
--Wall Street Journal

"The chapters alternate between 27 years ago and the murders and modern day with such fluidity that we're drawn into a web of intrigue . . . Daughter of Ashes is a gem of a book, a master lesson in fiction writing. Don't miss Ilaria Tuti's drama; you'll be worse off if you skip this one."
--The Durango Telegraph

"Daughter of Ashes is utterly spellbinding, and I can't stop thinking about this complex, unforgettable heroine. I am so glad to have discovered the gorgeously written novels of Ilaria Tuti!"
--Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of The Spy Coast

"Twenty-seven years ago, a promising young criminal investigator apprehended a serial killer. Now, as her brilliant mind threatens to betray her, he's asking for her help. Superintendent Teresa Battaglia is a detective for the ages, and her violent history collides with even more violent rituals as Ilaria Tuti takes readers into the dark heart of crime. Daughter of Ashes is an enveloping, elegant puzzle box mystery, every page of which sparkles and sings."
--Tessa Wegert, author of The Kind to Kill

"Ilaria Tuti offers equal parts Thomas Harris and Dan Brown (with a dash of True Detective) that will have you white-knuckling your way to the end of Daughter of Ashes."
--Eryk Pruitt, author of Something Bad Wrong

"Immaculately plotted and intricate, Daughter of Ashes sets a new bar for fictional investigations of murder. Whether Teresa can convince Marini, or us, that empathy for Giacomo is both humane and important to solving his crimes acts as an added strand of powerful suspense, in a book that also probes the most painful and enduring of our losses."
--Beth Kanell, Stories That Matter

"In a compelling development, Teresa's emotional walls erode as she recognizes the loyalty of her team, and series fans will find reassurance that, despite her insistence on retiring, a fortuitous twist leaves doors open for future installments. Great for fans of Meagan Jennett's You Know Her (2023)."
--Booklist, Starred Review

"Splendidly constructed . . . A standout entry in a superior series."
--Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

"As with other novels in this series, the past casts long shadows that affect the present . . . What adds to the allure are the very human characters. The emotions and reactions are entirely believable--frighteningly so in some instances, downright creepy in others, frequently unsettling, but, most of all, deeply moving. Tuti does a nice job of educating the reader about the fourth century world and its politics without being pedantic, makes us care enormously about all the characters, and tells a great tale."
--Reviewing the Evidence

"Daughter of Ashes has depth and complexity . . . It's a slow but consistently engaging burn, beautifully written with exquisite turns of phrase and vivid descriptions. Highly recommended for readers who enjoy crime fiction with more meat on its bones."
--Crime Fiction Lover

"The case grows more and more intense, and the revelations as the team digs deeper--in addition to readers witnessing Teresa's further deterioration--vault Daughter of Ashes well above your typical crime/mystery novel. The result is a first-rate suspenseful read that never disappoints."
--Bookreporter

"A monumental tale . . ."
--Kirkus Reviews

Praise for the Teresa Battaglia novels

"[Tuti] introduces a sympathetic heroine in Battaglia, whose gruffness masks a fear she may be losing her unique abilities."
--The Wall Street Journal

"[Teresa Battaglia] is out of shape, diabetic and busy fighting the early stages of Alzheimer's disease--on top of handling a complex case . . . It's nice to see a cop who isn't slim and sexy chasing after serial killers."
--NPR

"Creepy and evocative."
--The Guardian

"[A] stunning and disturbing trilogy . . . Teresa has always been an extraordinary character."
--First Clue

"Ilaria Tuti demonstrates her stature as a storyteller who makes sculptures and paintings of the intense veins of the human soul. Her prose is dense and deep. Charged with life, even when facing death."
--Annachiara Sacchi, Corriere della Sera

"A colossal black rebus of the soul, which Tuti knows how to investigate masterfully, with a grasp of Evil that once again stuns the reader."
--Fabrizio d'Esposito, The Daily Fact

"The key word for entering Ilaria Tuti's world is empathy, a deep and original emotional intelligence, thanks to which she manages to put herself in others' shoes, with the same investigative method of her Teresa Battaglia, a police commissioner with a wounded physique and an extraordinary brain."
--Raffaella Silipo, Tuttolibri, La Stampa

About the Author

Ilaria Tuti lives in Gemona del Friuli, in the province of Udine. She has a degree in economics and has always had a passion for painting and nature. She has won Italy's National Women's Literary Prize and was nominated for the Sue Grafton Memorial Award. She is the author of two other novels in the Teresa Battaglia series, Flowers over the Inferno and The Sleeping Nymph.

Ekin Oklap was born in Turkey, grew up in Italy, and currently lives in London. She translates from Turkish and Italian. As a translator, she has been shortlisted for the International Booker Prize and the John Florio Prize.