ABANDONED. Murder Mystery mainly set in Italy, read between 2001-2008

[Lori]

Can't remember the name of a book I read around the years 2000-2007. I think it was a well-known author. Starts out in America (I want to say D.C.) the main character (Not really a detective, I think he used to work for the government) ends up having to travel to Italy where he gets an apartment, learns Italian, gets beat up and has to keep from getting killed. There are many references to architecture, statues and so forth all throughout the Italian city. He meets a woman and meets with her numerous times. He finds out she is married to an older man who is ill, and she can't leave him while he is still living. The story ends with the man back in America (D.C.??) Anyone have any ideas??

[Kris]

Hi Lori. Why does the man travel to Italy? Can you tell us more about the murder mystery or how he meets the woman? Feel free to include spoilers by typing < spoiler > and < /spoiler > (remove the spaces) around the content you want to hide. Thanks!

[Lori]

Hi...I hate to sound ignorant, but I don't understand (view spoiler)[ and < /spoiler>. Please update me. Something tells me it may have been written by James Patterson, but I can't find much information to confirm this or not. The guy is chasing a murderer I believe, and chased him to Italy. (hide spoiler)]

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Lori, are you still looking for this book?

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

I guess it's not The Etruscan Chimera, set in Tuscany, because the protagonist is a female antiques dealer and a male collector ends up dead.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Lobstergirl wrote: "Lori, are you still looking for this book?"

No response in 3+ years. Moving to Abandoned.