Murder In Matera

A murder mystery, a model of investigative reporting, a celebration of the fierce bonds that hold families together through tragediesMurder in Matera is a gem. San Francisco Chronicle "Tantalizing" NPR A thrilling detective story Stapinski pursues the study of her familys criminal genealogy with unexpected emotional results. Library Journal A writer goes deep into the heart of Italy to unravel a century-old family mystery in this spellbinding memoir that blends the suspenseful twists of Making a Murderer and the emotional insight of Elena Ferrantes Neapolitan Novels. Since childhood, Helene Stapinski heard lurid tales about her great-great-grandmother, Vita. In Southern Italy, she was a loose woman who had murdered someone. Immigrating to America with three children, she lost one along the way. Helenes youthful obsession with Vita deepened as she grew up, eventually propelling the journalist to Italy, where, with her own children in tow, she pursued the story, determined to set the record straight. Finding answers would take Helene ten years and numerous trips to Basilicata, the rural "instep" of Italys boota mountainous land rife with criminals, superstitions, old-world customs, and desperate poverty. Though false leads sent her down blind alleys, Helenes dogged search, aided by a few luckyeven miraculousbreaks and a group of colorful local characters, led her to the truth. Yes, the family tales shed heard were true: There had been a murder in Helenes family, a killing that roiled 1870s Italy. But the identities of the killer and victim werent who she thought they were. In revisiting events that happened more than a century before, Helene came to another stunning realizationshe wasnt who she thought she was, either. Weaving Helenes own story of discovery with the tragic tale of Vitas life, Murder in Matera is a literary whodunit and a moving tale of self-discovery that brings into focus a long ago tragedy in a little-known region remarkable for its stunning sunny beauty and dark buried secrets.