The Man in the Woods

Superintendent Teresa Battaglia, a criminal profile expert, is in her sixties, overweight, lonely, diabetic, full of the ailments of ageing - and delightful. It's rare that such a character enters crime fiction for the first time, and with such gripping impact. * Marcel Berlins, The Times *
Creepy and evocative... but what gives this novel particular appeal is the sixty-something central character, whose abrasive manner hides a warm heart * Guardian *
This book has all the right ingredients: a brilliant protagonist, an eerie setting and a community hiding dark secrets * Dead Good (Debut crime novels to watch out for in 2019) *
Superintendent Teresa Battaglia is an Italian cop in her mid-sixties and as such a rather unique character in crime fiction where the leading protagonists are normally younger. She's overweight, diabetic and has been saddled with a new, younger sidekick, city inspector Massimo Marini which whom she initially doesn't hit it off too well despite all his own goodwill. A naked man with his eyes gouged out is found in an isolated forest and the two conflicting cops are assigned the case, which inevitably becomes so much more complicated when echoes from the past swiftly intervene in the investigation. The first volume in an Italian trilogy with these two characters proves a fast, enjoyable read with all the right police procedural elements, monsters in plain sight and even killers who might intriguingly provoke some form of sympathy amongst the reader, a clockwork plot and a suitable sense of place which verges on both the ominous and the exotic, this was a major hit back in its own country and one understands why. Impeccable crime writing. * Crime Time *
If you are looking for a chilling murder mystery set in a landscape so majestic that it takes your breath away and fills your soul, head off to the Alps with the intriguing Detective Superintendent Teresa Battaglia, an Italian police chief who is set to give Tyneside's Vera a run for her money... Flowers Over the Inferno is Ilaria Tuti's stunning and atmospheric debut novel - translated into English by the talented Ekin Olap - and the first book in the Teresa Battaglia trilogy. Tuti lives in Friuli, in the far north-east of Italy, and she has harnessed all the harsh, wild beauty of this mountainous region near the border with Austria for a bone-chilling story of dark crimes and hidden evils festering in a small, claustrophobic community... Tuti's fast-paced, taut and gripping thriller has more than a touch of creepy Gothic as the Alpine scenery becomes the jaw-dropping stage set for a gruesome murder mystery where nature is red in tooth and claw, and a deadly menace threatens to engulf a village with too many destructive secrets... The battling Teresa Battaglia is the undoubted star of the show, a charming enigma who fills the pages with her compassion, good sense, empathy and tenacity but who can put a person in their place with either a look or a word... Her crusty sarcasm and razor sharpness hides a lonely, fast-ageing woman who refuses to surrender to her mental and physical vulnerabilities and instead uses every ounce of her determination and inner strength to fight on... Exciting, ice-coated, chilling and thrilling, Flowers Over the Inferno welcomes readers to the deepest, darkest shades of Italian Noir. * Lancashire Post *
Exhilarating... Teresa Battaglia, who must deal with casual and constant sexism in her position of authority, is an unforgettable character readers will want to see a lot more of. * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *
Small towns filled with secrets and an unlikely detective duo go together like an Aperol spritz before pasta - which is to say, very well... One of the best parts of Flowers Over the Inferno is the older, gruff superintendent Teresa Battaglia. She is out of shape, diabetic and busy fighting the early stages of Alzheimer's disease - on top of handling a complex case. We sympathise with Battaglia quite naturally, and it's nice to see a cop who isn't slim and sexy chasing after serial killers. * NPR *
In the seclusion of a cloistered location in the Italian Alps, bloody violence is being done... Ilaria Tuti - who lives in the far north-east of Italy - has produced in Flowers over the Infernoa debut novel of real skill. While the mechanics of the plot itself may be familiar territory, the real accomplishment here lies in the distinctive heroine, with the beleaguered Teresa not just engaged in a struggle with a ruthless killer but also with her own body, as age and diabetes take their toll, and even put her once impeccable memory under strain. It is this dual struggle that gives the book its real impetus. * European Literature Network *
Ilaria Tuti's Flowers Over the Inferno is a stunning debut; a deliciously dark and action-packed thriller that is also deeply moving, even profound. With a heroine unlike any other and a beautifully crafted sense of place, Tuti's gorgeous prose paints a compelling portrait of a small Alpine town's secrets and the woman tasked with uncovering them. I loved this book -- Karen Dionne, internationally bestselling author of HOME
Tuti has managed the near impossible in creating a genuinely unique character in Teresa Battaglia. I was rooting for her from the start as she expertly steers a creepy murder investigation in an atmospheric Alpine setting -- Sarah Ward, author of IN BITTER CHILL
I loved Flowers Over the Inferno with its beautifully creepy setting - and I totally fell for the tough-but-vulnerable detective, Teresa Battaglia. Great to see an older woman in this role. * Roz Watkins, author of THE DEVIL'S DICE *
Teresa Battaglia is one of the most interesting detectives to emerge in recent years; flawed but full of heart, sarcastic yet still commanding loyalty from her team. Flowers Over The Inferno is an astonishing debut. * M. W. Craven, author of THE PUPPET SHOW *
With Teresa Battaglia, Ilaria Tuti hasn't just created a mere character, but an authentic, three-dimensional person who overbearingly pushes the boundaries of the printed page thanks to her immense energy. Teresa Battaglia is the best gift any author can offer his or her readers: someone they will come to care for * Donato Carrisi, author of THE GIRL IN THE FOG *
The writer, like the killer and detective, is perfectly at ease in the Friuli environment, and knows how to render its profile, its iciness, its woods and swarming wild animals in a way that leaves the reader with a feeling of warmth. * Corriere della Sera *
The most awaited (female) noir debut of 2018 in Italy. * Repubblica *
A story full of dramatic turns of events; the writing is tight and fast, and makes the most of the environment it depicts; the mountains, primitive nature and the woods * Wired Italia *
A thriller that enters into the corners of the soul and introduces an author to watch. * Marie Claire (Italy) *