MONICA READS, a review by Monica Drahonovsky

A Long Time Coming, By Aaron Elkins

It is already December and cloudy, raining and snowing. So, I decided that I needed a trip out of the country.

Monica Drahonovsky

Off I went to my public library and looked around a bit.  I found exactly what I needed: a transport back to Italy!  I rode along with a twice divorced, associate art appraiser at an Art Museum in New York who just found out the promotion he was seeking was not going to him and all on his fortieth birthday.

Depression for the protagonist in the book but a chance for me to learn a little Italian as he was bi-lingual, had interned in Milan years ago and knew a great bunch of local Italians. So I hitched a ride.  I hit the jackpot on arrival with a guy named Valentino (Tino for short) who was there to supervise a travelling art show and to figure out what his next move in life was going to be.

His friends took him out to dinner, lunch, and aperitives at local places that I enjoyed very much.   I especially liked Luca, the local cop who helped him solve a crime and mend fences for an elderly gentleman in New York City who had lost a case in local Italian courts to get back a Renoir painting that had belonged to his great-grandfather during World War II.  Interesting to say the least.

The background is spellbinding and you will love this page-turner.  A “who dunnit” that will keep you guessing.

My trip to Milan filled my day with language, smells, questions and answers.  It challenged by brain, stimulated my senses and made me want to cook a big bowl of spaghetti with a great sauce and a side glass of grappa.   Nothing like this!

Read it – enjoy it – pass it on to others.  Don’t forget the wine!

Monica Drahonovsky reviews books for InDepthNH.org. Monica is known for her love of history and her lifelong love for reading. She has a bachelor’s degree in History, with a minor in English. “My years of reading for leisure and pleasure have given me the insight to read a book and analyze the author’s baggage, cargo and ability to write the language of his/her mind and utilize the gift of prose to educate and entertain the reader. Go get a book, read it and enjoy the adventure.” Contact Monica at mawest@tds.net