Teresa Lupo always envied her Aunt Sofia, whose adventurous life is in stark contrast to Teresa's by-the-book career as a police pathologist. But when Sofia vanishes in Venice on the eve of Carnival, thoughtful, methodical Teresa is the only person with a prayer of tracking her down. The only clues to Sofia's whereabouts are a mysterious letter, a bouquet of flowers, and a series of short stories by an unknown author, stories in which Sofia and Teresa inexplicably appear. The bizarre narratives form a complex puzzle that Teresa can solve only by immersing herself in the art and history of Venice and the fantastic spectacle of Carnival. But the deeper she ventures into the shadowy world behind the masks, the more Teresa comes to realize that in this enchanted, Byzantine city, nothing is what it seem.--From back cover.