Luci nel bosco

The discovery of a young woman’s body suggests a sacrificial ritual. Investigating the case is Fernando Pavone, newly transferred and unfamiliar with the mountains, assisted by an eccentric 88-year-old anthropology professor, Marzio Bottazzi.

A whirlwind descent into the depths of the human mind, entangled in unsolved mysteries and ancient rites, set against the backdrop of one of Italy’s most enigmatic mountain regions.

The body of a young Austrian woman is found in the woods of a remote area in the Val Brembana mountains. Not far from the crime scene, forest rangers discover an abandoned tent containing the woman’s clothes, personal belongings, and traces of a child’s presence. A search for the missing child begins while forensic experts analyze the evidence.
Captain Fernando Pavone has recently been transferred—this is his last post before retirement. Reserved, pragmatic, and unaccustomed to mountain life, he finds himself investigating a case that bears the hallmarks of a ritualistic murder. Assisting him is Marzio Bottazzi, an eccentric and provocative octogenarian, a former anthropology professor and an expert in local history and esotericism.
But who would have had any reason to kill an Austrian woman with no ties to the area? And what lies behind the disturbing ritualistic elements surrounding her death?