The Sculptor by Gina Fava

Rome’s serial killer has a way with the ladies…first he wines and dines them, then he carves and plasters them ? alive. Preying on the brilliant, voluptuous grad students of Rome’s universities, the Sculptor excises and molds their finest features for his personal gallery of adulation. The Sculptor, Italy’s most notorious serial killer since the Monster of Florence, has confounded Rome’s police force. Their slew of suspects is growing as fast as their list of victims.

Mara Silvestri is a saucy female grad student seeking to shed her past. When she discovers that the Sculptor is stalking her in a twisted game of cat and mouse, she becomes wary of her relationships with fellow students, art professors, her business mentor, and Jesse, a sexy lothario and mysterious colleague. Barely thwarting the Sculptor’s attacks in Rome, Venice, Tuscany, and the Swiss Alps, Mara uncovers the family secrets in her past that draw him to her. Can Mara turn the tables on the Sculptor before he finally claims her as his prized masterpiece?

The Sculptor is the first in a new mystery series about Mara Silvestri, who, in this novel, is stalked by a notorious serial killer that preys on the female student body of Rome’s universities. It’s sure to please fans of Lisa Gardner, Douglas Preston, and Thomas Harris.

THE SCULPTOR is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords.

 *****

“From the opening attack high in the Italian Alps to the final chilling twist in the dark streets of Rome, Gina Fava’s new novel, The Sculptor, carries the reader on a harrowing journey of nonstop action, with vivid settings, sympathetic characters, and a serial killer to die for. Highly recommended.”
        ?Douglas Preston, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Monster of Florence.

“In The Sculptor, Fava has chiseled another fast-paced thriller featuring beautifully rendered European settings. I loved courageous heroine Mara Silvestri, and the rich cast of suspects kept me guessing right up until the hold-your-breath climax. An excellent read!”
        ?Steve Ulfelder, Edgar-nominated author of Wolverine Bros. Freight & Storage

“After thrilling us with her action-packed debut novel, The Race, Gina Fava takes a slightly lateral move to an intimate, suspenseful, at times creepy but always gripping, mystery tale in The Sculptor.  Just when I thought that I figured out the bad guy, Fava threw me a curve, and then another, until I reached the shocking, satisfying conclusion.”
        ?J. H. Bográn, author of Firefall and Treasure Hunt

“Evil stalks the streets of Rome. A serial killer searches for his next victim amidst the ancient ruins and modern wonders. A smart, resilient, resourceful young woman crosses his path. How smart? How resilient and resourceful? Find out in The Sculptor, a page-turning, spine-tingling heart-stopper that will keep you up all night. And when dawn comes and you turn the last page, you will agree that Gina Fava is one of the rising young stars of the thriller genre.”
        ?William Martin, New York Times bestselling author of Back Bay and The Lincoln Letter

 *****

Gina Fava is a Buffalo, New York native and lives with her family in New England. The Sculptor, her second novel, is the first in her Mara Silvestri mystery series. She is also the author of The Race: A HELL Ranger Thriller. A University at Buffalo graduate, she also holds a law degree, and has studied art history and counter-terrorism in Rome. She’s the author of award-winning short stories, and is a member of International Thriller Writers, Sisters in Crime, and Mystery Writers of America. Stricken with wanderlust, she travels far and wide to research new characters and new places to murder them. Visit www.GinaFava.com and connect via Facebook and Twitter.