The Mystery of Angelina Frood

The young Dr John Strangeways has just established himself in Rochester. Immediately, he is charmed by his landlady, Angelina Frood, a young and charming former actress separated from an abusive husband. Serious trouble lies ahead, but fortunately Dr Thorndyke, a great forensic expert, takes an interest in the young woman's issues through the league of Dr Strangeways. It is a novel that reflects many themes such as unhappy marriages that were still difficult to dissolve during that era, but also very modern ones such as domestic violence, gender inequality, drug addiction and the advanced methods of forensic science, without, however, forgetting the humor that distinguished Freeman's pen. Gautier takes us into the fascinating world of 19th-century Naples where, amidst folklore, beliefs, challenges and passions, the difficult love story of an English couple, often disturbed by intrusions, unfolds. "Jettatura" is an interesting novel that, through fictitious characters, analyses 19th-century Neapolitan society, including its uses, customs and beliefs.