A Light in the Ruins

Oprah introduced me to Chris Bohjalian's work when she selected Midwives as one of her book club picks. I have read everything that he has written since then, and finally found time to get into his latest book, A Light in the Ruins. 

A Light in the Ruins is a story that moves from 1943 to 1955, as a murder is investigated.  Francesca Rosati's body is discovered, her heart having been wrenched out of it.  At first it appears a random crime; Francesca is alone in the world, having lost her husband and children during World War II.  The killer narrates chapters of the story intermittently, allowing readers to realize that Francesca's murder was no accident, that in fact that Rosati family is being targeted.

Serafina is the investigator of this case, a woman who has suffered greatly herself during the war.  She has many secrets she keeps and as she hunts down the murderer, she must look at her own past.

Bohjalian expertly weaves these two time periods and stories together, linking them in a way that seems almost unbelievable, yet entirely possible.  The history in this novel brings to light a different viewpoint of World War II as the setting is in Italy.

I'm searching for someone who has read A Light in the Ruins because there is some ambiguity in the ending - at least for me. I would love to hear what other people think.

After finishing this book, I am ready once again for another by this author.  A Light in the Ruins was entertaining and hard to put down, another great book by a favorite author.