Lottie's not long married to Tom when she gets a job as an archivist where Tom lives. She then discovers a 15th century painting. I found this quite hard going due to all the technical jargon.

I received an ARC from. Netgalley in return for a review.

I have always loved this author’s books but I found this one somewhat disappointing. The two timelines were handled well and the political setting of Italy in the 1970s was well drawn. , I didn’t get confused as can often happen in books that tell two stories separated by decades. It is intelligent writing, thought provoking and frequently challenging. However, the pacing was sometimes slow and plodding, and there seemed to be far too many characters competing for my attention and understanding.

I felt the crucial weakness for me was that I didn’t really engage with either of the women who were the two heroines. I didn’t feel I really knew them or understood their motivations. In particular, Lottie who had settled in Rome with her husband Tom in the present day simply failed to come to life for me. Nina was like a shadow who never fulfilled my early interest.

I think this book’s attempt to be a thriller, was just not my cup of tea despite having normally loved the author’s previous books. I can see other reviewers have give 5 stars so

There is much to admire in this book. The writing is excellent in places and descriptions of places are exquisite at times. However, although I liked the writing I couldn't warm to the story.

It is set in two time frames, the late 1970s and the present. In the present Lottie has come to live in Rome where her husband Tom is based with the British Council. She has a job as an archivist and it is in the Espatiate Archives that she discovers papers belonging to a woman, Nina Lawrence who was murdered in Rome in 1979. Lottie becomes obsessed with finding out more and trying to see that justice is done for her as no one was ever arrested for her murder.

I wasn't convinced by either of the main characters. We find out about Nina's life through her journal but at times it reads like a note book and as a result we don't get a clear picture of what Nina was like. Lottie too remains an enigma. She has her own issues which are meant to explain her obsession with Nina but I'm not sure this was a good enough explanation. Again I didn't get a real sense of her as a character.

Overall I found it confusing with the jumps from past to present, the large cast of characters who could maybe have been reduced to make it clearer who was who. The background of unrest in the seventies didn't really add to the story although it ought to have made the story compelling. Ultimately I just wasn't engaged by this novel in spite of the fine writing. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

What a rich and marvellous story and a beautiful portrait of post-war Rome. Really enjoyed this, thank you!

'Two Women in Rome' is about - well, exactly what the title says. At some point in the early 21st century, Lottie has recently married and moved to the city, where she has found a job as an archivist. Finding it hard to adjust, she becomes fascinated by records of a British woman, Nina Lawrence, who was murdered in Rome in the 1970s. The culprit and motive were never found. Lottie's chapters are interspersed with chapters from the viewpoint of Nina, whom it quickly becomes apparent was not the ordinary landscape gardener she appeared.

It's a mixture of spy story and murder mystery, linking modern Europe with Cold War intrigue. I didn't know much about the history of Italy in the second part of the 20th century and hadn't realised how turbulent things were there during the 70s. I liked the opportunity to learn about that period in Italy. There is also a plot thread involving the iconography of paintings (a painting, possibly very valuable, is discovered amongst Nina's papers) which was also interesting.

In terms of suspense, I guessed most of the plot twists in advance, which somewhat lessened their impact, however I did still enjoy the gradual unveiling of the story and was keen to know exactly who murdered Nina and why. The characters are sympathetic, although not really loveable. Some authors make you love and care about their characters in a way that invests you deeply in the story and its outcome. Buchan doesn't do that here. It's a book you appreciate more on an intellectual level than an emotional one. It's not that I didn't care at all what happened - which can be the case with some books - but I didn't have that real desperation for things to turn out well for them. I would have been mildly pleased with a positive outcome and mildly sorry about a negative one, not delighted or devastated. Plot wise I also found it a bit hard to unpick what Lottie knew and didn't, and if she also had the information contained in the first person chapters from Nina's viewpoint. At several times I felt frustrated by how dense she appeared to be in not being able to recognise what was fairly obvious to me.

Overall, this is an intelligently written and interesting story that manages to be a bit different from your standard spook-thriller or who-dunnit. It lacks that emotional punch or star quality that would give a five star rating and cause me to recommend it unreservedly. It should appeal to people who like literary fiction and in particular those with an interest in continental European settings and history, and would also be a good choice for someone who wants to read a murder mystery with a different slant and that doesn't involve detectives.

4-5 stars

Lottie Archer meets and marries Tom who lives and works in Rome. She is able to secure a job as chief archivist at Archivo Espatriati where one of her first tasks is to archive materials belonging to Nina Lawrence, murdered in Rome in 1978. Lottie gets drawn into Nina’s world with astonishing results. The story is told in two timelines in the late 1970’s and the present day.

This is a really well written and very enjoyable thriller, the setting in Rome is wonderful and there are some fantastically rich descriptions of the Eternal City which transport you there. The characterisation is good and you can picture both women vividly. There’s a good mix of characters to like and loathe. Nina’s story is mysterious, elusive and absorbing and is set against the violent political turbulence, turmoil and tensions of the ‘Years of Lead’. Italy is a mess in the ‘70’s and especially prominent in the novel is the kidnap of Aldo Moro a former Prime Minister of Italy. We have the Red Brigade, Communists, Fascists, spies, the CIA and so much political wrangling and machinations. Set against this jaw dropping and factual backdrop is a love story that is fated from the start. There are so many layers to the storytelling as also interwoven is a fascinating art theme which I really like and if that isn't enough to whet your appetite we have the Catholic Church and the Vatican! It all works really well and keeps you reading as you try to sift through the veil of, secrecy, espionage, lies, betrayal and guilt to get to the truth. I admire Lottie’s doggedness in her pursuit of Nina’s story which is truly an astonishing one. It works alongside her personal pursuit for her identity which is central to her inquiry.

Overall, I really like Elizabeth Buchan’s books. She has a way of pulling you into a storyline in a very compelling way particularly in this clever thriller. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to thriller fans.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially Atlantic Books, Corvus for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

The two women of the title are Lottie Archer, who has come to Rome to take up a post as an archivist, and Nina Lawrence, and whose papers seem to contain some intriguing secrets and unanswered questions when she catalogues them. Nina was working in Italy in the 1960s and 1970s and her story is set against the political backdrop of Italy at the time. Unfortunately I am not familiar with this so got a bit lost at times as I didn't always understand the significance of some events. Perhaps a short preface or an appendix briefly outlining the political factions of the time and key events would have been helpful?

A novel about a painting that reveals secrets across time? A woman who writes in a diary, another who reads it years later? Secrets revealed about Rome, religion and politics? A story that merges art, Italy, politics and religion? Written by Elizabeth Buchan? yes please. It's a fascinating story and one I really enjoyed and savoured.

Newly married Lottie moves to Rome to be with her husband and is hired to work as an archivist, sorting through papers and artefacts people have left behind. After finding a seemingly valuable painting, Lottie is drawn to find out more about the woman who left the painting behind. Lottie discovers that Nina Lawrence, a successful botanist, seemed to have a led a rewarding life restoring Italian gardens to their former glory following the destruction of WW2. And yet when she tragically died in 1978, nobody attended her funeral. There was clearly more to Nina’s life than it seems.

The story is one of love, intrigue and danger and I enjoyed the female focus within the story. Both women were so brave and I loved the loyalty Lottie showed a woman she never even met.

The plot was intricate and at times felt a little slow. There were interesting developments but no real shocks or twists to the story. I found myself wanting to know what happened to Nina but I felt slightly detached from her story. I didn’t feel emotionally connected to her until a development at the end of the story. I think this perhaps may be due to the detached style of some of Nina’s sections as she jotted down thoughts in her notebook. However it did have a satisfying ending with all loose ends tied up.

You can find my full review at https://mmbbookblog.com/two-women-in-rome-review-elizabeth-buchan/