The Sleeping Nymph

Written by Ilaria Tuti

Narrated by Christina Moore

In the highly anticipated follow-up to Flowers over the Inferno, Superintendent Teresa Battaglia returns for a chilling
cold case. After forty years on the Italian police force, the once-brilliant criminal profiler is flagging under the wear of
the job when a decades-old murder investigation lands on her desk. DNA analysis has revealed that a painting from
the final days of World War II contains matter from a human heart. Teresa is able to trace the evidence to Val Resia,
one of Italy’s most isolated, untouched regions.

When Teresa’s investigation hits too close to the truth, a fresh human heart is hung at the valley’s entrance, a
warning not to cross its threshold. As she hunts a ruthless killer, Teresa must face down her own rapidly deteriorating
physical and cognitive abilities, as well as someone she hoped never to see again—a man who has just become
her supervisor.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Translator: Ekin Oklap
• Release date: Sep 8, 2020
• ISBN: 9781705007600

Reviews for The Sleeping Nymph

[cathyskye · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I was very impressed by the first book in this series, Flowers Over the Inferno, and I couldn't wait to see what sort of investigation Teresa Battaglia found herself dealing with next. Battaglia probably has the worst health of any main character I'm currently reading about-- she's in her mid-sixties, has diabetes and the first signs of Alzheimer's-- but she also has the greatest determination to survive and to succeed. Can you imagine trying to keep on top of a rapidly moving investigation while trying to remember whether or not you've given yourself your insulin... and while hoping against hope that your mind doesn't suddenly decide to go walkabout? The woman is so worried that she doesn't drive anywhere after dark, and she wears a bracelet that is inscribed with "My name is Teresa Battaglia." This woman has a will of iron, and maternal instincts any mother would envy. Battaglia feels that it is one of her most important duties to "shield the people who relied on her," and there's nothing her team wouldn't do for her as a result. Speaking of her team, I hope they figure more prominently in future books. I need to know more about them and why Battaglia feels that they need so much protection.On the whole, I found the book to be bloated. There was too much going on: Teresa's health, the complicated personal life of her second-in-command Massimo Marini, her new supervisor who wants to destroy her, and learning all about the Resia Valley, an isolated region populated by people with a unique language, history, and customs. The mystery kept taking a backseat to everything else that was going on which became so frustrating that I began to wonder if characters like Albert Lona (the Teresa hater) were really necessary. At least my two favorite new characters, the blind Blanca Zago and her HRD (Human Remains Detection) dog, a scruffy mongrel named Smoky, played an important role in the mystery. I hope Blanca and Smoky appear in future books, especially since they are based on a real woman and dog.The Sleeping Nymph suffered from what some have called "too much middle," but the mystery is absorbing, and it introduces two fascinating characters. With Teresa Battaglia's health conditions, this should be a short-lived series, and I don't intend to miss a single one of her investigations. You see, I have discovered that I'm just as loyal to her as the members of her team.(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)