Cabot is very taken with Virginia and begins to spend a good deal of time with them, soaking up the atmosphere of Florence. He becomes so friendly with them that Stephens offers Cabot a job back in Boston at an art gallery. While Cabot ponders the offer, it is for a good deal more money, but he is very fond of the Clemens, Stephens invites him and his employers to his home to view three recently discovered Raphaels.

Cabot is very excited by the evening and the paintings are lovely, but an argument with Virginia over his decision not to work for Stephens, not only ends the evening, but casts a possible damper over the rest of his Italy stay. Nothing prepares him for the news he receives the next day, however, Virginia is missing and one of the Raphaels is missing also. Worse, Virginia’s body is found the next day and Cabot is the number one suspect.

Knowing that Cabot could not have committed either crime, and with a few solved murders under his belt, Clemens sets out to find the murderer and clear Cabot’s name, so they will all be free to enjoy the rest of their stay in Florence.

During their sleuthing, the two run into an anarchist plot and two-chess-playing anarchists that take each man hostage and almost cost Cabot his life when the police storm the hide-out. Cabot becomes convinced that the plot has nothing to do with Virginia’s murder and the stolen painting and becomes more determined than ever to get to the bottom of the murder.

The Mysterious Strangler is part of a fun historical series that uses a famous author, but does not rely solely on him, creating a wonderful companion in Cabot. Clemens and Cabot are in Florence during a time that is full of art and literature, much as Paris was during the Lost Generation years. Cabot, as neither an artist nor a writer, but a connoisseur of both, is in a good position on the fringe to hear different bits of information.

The setting is a very rich one, very exotic for this time period and includes details such as comparisons Cabot makes between American food and the Italian food and the similarities he notes. The police in Italy are very different from those in America and at times, when Cabot realizes the differences, he realizes Italy may not be the paradise he originally thought it to be.

While it is easy to see that the anarchist’s plot has nothing to do with the murder, it is a good diversion and a bit more entertaining than the actual investigation. Comments by Clemens indicating his desire to travel to Africa and India hint at possible further adventures in far off lands. The Mysterious Stranger is a fun read and not just for art fans or those fond of the nineteenth century.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry