Un cadavere in biblioteca… e un’italiana a Londra!
A Body in the Library… and an Italian in London!
Nuova autrice, nuova serie, nuovi misteri!
New Author, New Series, New Mysteries!
Questo autunno il Matta Book Club cambia aria! Lasciamo per un po’ le strade di Napoli e il nostro amato Commissario Ricciardi per trasferirci nella Londra degli anni Venti. Ci aspettano tè pomeridiani, aristocratici inglesi, intrighi diplomatici, un pizzico di romanticismo e, naturalmente… un cadavere in biblioteca!
This fall, the Matta Book Club is trying something new! We’re leaving the streets of Naples and our beloved Commissario Ricciardi behind for a while and heading to 1920s London. Expect afternoon tea, British aristocrats, diplomatic intrigue, a dash of romance, and, of course… a body in the library!
La nostra nuova lettura è Miss Bee e il cadavere in biblioteca di Alessia Gazzola, il primo romanzo di una divertentissima serie di gialli con protagonista un’italiana decisamente fuori dal comune!
Our new selection is Miss Bee e il cadavere in biblioteca by Alessia Gazzola, the first novel in a delightful mystery series featuring a rather unconventional Italian heroine!
Conosciamo Miss Bee: un’italiana tutta pepe!
Meet Miss Bee: An Italian Heroine with Plenty of Spark!
Londra, 1924. Beatrice Bernabò, detta Miss Bee, è una giovane italiana intelligente, curiosa, ironica e decisamente avanti rispetto ai suoi tempi. Vive a Londra con il padre, professore universitario, e le sorelle. Ma quando viene invitata a cena dall’aristocratica Mrs. Ashbury, si ritrova coinvolta in un mistero che intreccia omicidio, segreti dell’alta società, l’ambiente dell’ambasciata italiana e complicazioni sentimentali.
London, 1924. Beatrice Bernabò, known as Miss Bee, is a clever, curious, witty young Italian woman who is decidedly ahead of her time. She lives in London with her university-professor father and her sisters. But when she’s invited to dinner by the aristocratic Mrs. Ashbury, she finds herself entangled in a mystery involving murder, upper-class secrets, the Italian embassy’s social circle, and romantic complications.
Tra l’affascinante Christopher “Kit” Ashbury e l’enigmatico ispettore capo di Scotland Yard, Archer Blackburn, la nostra Miss Bee avrà parecchio da indagare… e non soltanto sul delitto! Un romanzo che mescola l’atmosfera di Agatha Christie, l’eleganza di Downton Abbey e il romanticismo di Bridgerton, con un irresistibile tocco italiano.
Between the charming Christopher “Kit” Ashbury and the enigmatic Scotland Yard Chief Inspector Archer Blackburn, Miss Bee has plenty to investigate… and not just the murder! Think Agatha Christie meets Downton Abbey and Bridgerton, with an irresistible Italian twist.
Fai il salto di qualità
con il tuo italiano!
Take Your Italian to the Next Level! 🇮🇹
Ready to challenge yourself? Read a novel in Italian!
You don’t have to understand every word. Get swept up in the story,
discover new expressions, and build confidence page by page.
Read, speak, and watch your Italian soar!
Il programma del Book Club: cinque settimane di misteri!
The Book Club Schedule: Five Weeks of Mystery!
5 Week 1-Hour online
Meetings with Melissa
Meeting days and times will be determined by Reader Schedules
(we are flexible!)
Page ranges are approximate and may be adjusted to
match chapter endings in your edition. We’ll read about
50 pages per week, with a Thanksgiving break to catch up!
Week 1 – Week of November 2
Read / Discuss: Pages 1-50
Week 2 – Week of November 9
Read / Discuss:Pages 51-100
Week 3 – Week of November 16
Read / Discuss: Pages 101-150
Thanksgiving break: Week of November 23
Week 4 – Week of November 30
Read / Discuss: Pages 151-200
Week 5 – Week of December 7
Read / Discuss: Pages 201-256
What you’ll receive as a Matta Book Club member:
A downloadable Reader Guide,
available exclusively to club members on a password-protected page.
• 5 guided 1-hour sessions led by Melissa
• extensive chapter notes containing
• overview of themes
• reader questions
• plot summaries
• character analysis
• title’s significance
• background on historical 1920s London
• extensive vocabulary list to help with reading comprehension
• Quizlet flashcard study links
Purchase the novel in print, Kindle or audiobook
“Miss Bee e il cadavere in biblioteca” — Alessia Gazzola (Longanesi, 2024)
Choose the Italian paperback, ebook, or audiobook.
I highly recommend listening to the audio version to develop
your ear for Italian pronunciation, rhythm, and intonation.
Please purchase your own copy on Amazon using this link:
Iscriviti ora! Il mistero ci aspetta!
Sign Up Now! The Mystery Awaits!
I can’t wait to introduce you to Miss Bee and dive into this new adventure together! Pour yourself a cup of tea, polish your magnifying glass, and keep your eyes open. In London’s high society, a perfectly charming smile might be hiding a murderer!
Sign up for the 2026 Fall GROUP BOOK CLUB and start reading NOW!
Or
Prefer reading and discussing one-on-one?
You can also choose a private book seminar with Melissa!
Ci vediamo in biblioteca… ma attenzione ai cadaveri!
See you in the library… but watch out for dead bodies!
🇮🇹 Un consiglio dalla Matta 🇮🇹
Matta Italian Language Tip!
“Sii una tipa tosta!”
“Be a Tough Cookie!
Miss Bee è proprio una tipa tosta! In italiano, questa espressione colloquiale descrive una persona determinata, coraggiosa, che non si lascia intimidire facilmente.
Miss Bee is definitely una tipa tosta, a tough cookie! This colloquial Italian expression describes someone determined, courageous, and not easily intimidated.
Esempio
“Beatrice non si lascia mettere i piedi in testa da nessuno. È proprio una tipa tosta!”
“Beatrice doesn’t let anyone push her around. She’s one tough cookie!“
Now it’s your turn! Be a tough cookie, just like Miss Bee! Challenge yourself this fall: read an entire Italian novel with me! You don’t need to understand every word. All it takes is a little courage, plenty of curiosity, and a willingness to stretch your language skills. Miss Bee never backs down from a mystery… so don’t back down from reading a book in Italian!
Another Matta Tip: If you’d like to print or create a PDF of this post you can easily do so using the Chrome Browser Extension —-> GoFullPage! It works beautifully!
