Blog Tour: Roman Nights – Dorothy Dunnett

If Ruth had stayed on leave, none of it might have happened…

An astronomer working at the Maurice Frazer Observatory, Ruth Russell is enjoying her time in Rome. That is until Charles Digham, top fashion photographer and Ruth’s lover, has his camera stolen and the thief ends up a headless corpse in the zoo park toletta.

When Ruth meets the enigmatic Johnson Johnson, in Rome to paint a portrait of the Pope, she’s confident he’ll help unravel the mystery. But as they begin the search for clues it soon becomes clear that more is at stake than the secrets of a couture house … something far more deadly.

Dorothy Dunnett (1923-2001) gained an international reputation as a writer of historical fiction. She moved genres and turned to crime writing with the acclaimed Dolly books, also known as the Johnson Johnson series. She was a trustee of the National Library of Scotland, and a board member of the Edinburgh International Book Festival. In 1992 she was awarded an OBE for her services to literature. A leading light in the Scottish arts world and a renaissance woman, Dunnett was also a professional portrait painter and exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy on many occasions.

My thoughts: the bifocal clad painter is back in another case of international intrigue and skullduggery, this time in the Eternal City – Rome.

The strange things that have been happening at an observatory outside the city, from stolen cameras to break ins have bigger consequences that someone wanting some fashion photos.

A jaunt around the Italian coast in Dolly follows, as the various parties involved chase after each other. But who Ruth Russell, an astronomer at the observatory, trust? Is one her friends or acquaintances the one she needs to be wary of?

Another fantastic and highly enjoyable adventure, with an entertaining cast and some silly moments as well as a heady dose of danger.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.