This was a cute novella! Set in southern Switzerland near the Italian border where her husband's job transferred them, Anne is struggling to learn Italian when she lands a job at an old bookshop digitizing a set of diaries from over a hundred years ago chronicling life at the art colony, rumored to be cursed. As she works, Anne is asked by two people to see the diaries and both end up dead later. Is it the curse? Or is something else afoot?

This was the first in the series (and I think the author's first book?) and I really enjoyed it. Anne is a likeable character; she's smart, capable, and resourceful. I like how well the author captured Anne's reactions, they felt very true to life. From Anne's frustrations with learning Italian to her realistic reactions to the people asking to see the diaries, I felt like I was there in the bookshop listening to Maggie purr and smelling the old paper in the books. Although there were a few minor issues with character names, particularly near the end of the book, it didn't hamper my enjoyment any and I'm looking forward to seeing where this series goes. And at 77 pages, it's the perfect length for a satisfying read in an evening. Definitely recommend!