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Table of Contents
About The Book
A sharply funny and moving debut in which a young woman accepts a job that takes her though the Italian Dolomites and into an international mystery far greater—and more personal—than she could have ever expected.
For someone who hates secrets, Las Vegas hairdresser Lucy Rey is about to be faced with a whole bunch of them. After discovering that her fiancé has been cheating on her with someone from his improv class, she finds herself short on funds and desperate for a change of scenery. Enter a most unusual job opportunity: a Bearer of Bad News.
Sure, it’s a little weird—the job description has few details, and the bad news is more like a vaguely worded threat—but Lucy can’t say no to the perks: an all-expenses-paid trip to the Italian Dolomites, plus a generous bonus if she proves she’s delivered the message. Then she learns that her task is just the tip of the iceberg.
Launched into a world of betrayal and greed involving eighty-year-old secrets, stolen jewels, and a World War II–era mystery, Lucy is in over her head. And she’s connected to her mission in ways she never saw coming.
For fans of Gail Honeyman’s Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine and Kirstin Chen’s Counterfeit, Bearer of Bad News is an exhilarating romp that deftly explores the weight of secrets, the power of friendship, and how, by healing the wounds of the past, we can build a brighter tomorrow.
For someone who hates secrets, Las Vegas hairdresser Lucy Rey is about to be faced with a whole bunch of them. After discovering that her fiancé has been cheating on her with someone from his improv class, she finds herself short on funds and desperate for a change of scenery. Enter a most unusual job opportunity: a Bearer of Bad News.
Sure, it’s a little weird—the job description has few details, and the bad news is more like a vaguely worded threat—but Lucy can’t say no to the perks: an all-expenses-paid trip to the Italian Dolomites, plus a generous bonus if she proves she’s delivered the message. Then she learns that her task is just the tip of the iceberg.
Launched into a world of betrayal and greed involving eighty-year-old secrets, stolen jewels, and a World War II–era mystery, Lucy is in over her head. And she’s connected to her mission in ways she never saw coming.
For fans of Gail Honeyman’s Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine and Kirstin Chen’s Counterfeit, Bearer of Bad News is an exhilarating romp that deftly explores the weight of secrets, the power of friendship, and how, by healing the wounds of the past, we can build a brighter tomorrow.
About The Author
Photograph by Scott Barnett
Elisabeth Dini is a lawyer and former prosecutor of war crimes and crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court. Born in Nevada, she is a graduate of Brandeis University and Stanford Law School. Elisabeth currently lives in the Netherlands with her husband and a bevy of mostly well-adjusted houseplants. Bearer of Bad News is her debut novel.
Product Details
- Publisher: Gallery Books (April 29, 2025)
- Length: 352 pages
- ISBN13: 9781668063590
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Raves and Reviews
"One of the most delightful debuts I've ever read, Bearer of Bad News is a laugh-out-loud Bridget Jones-esque tale about a woman searching for a missing necklace in an Italian mountain town while her own life implodes spectacularly. Author Elisabeth Dini--a real-life lawyer and former prosecutor of war crimes and crimes against humanity--also weaves in a heartrending World War II storyline connected to the necklace, which gives this delightful, fast-paced book hidden depth and a surprising amount of emotion. Imagine everything you love about Bridget Jones’s Diary, The Maid, and Where’d You Go, Bernadette, interwoven with a tale that honors those who fled Hitler's Germany and lost everything, and you'll have this pitch-perfect novel. Charming, hilarious, and heartfelt, Bearer of Bad News is sure to be a hit. An enthralling must-read."
– Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Daughter
"Entrancing and funny, this is a story about how intergenerational trauma also creates intergenerational resilience. As Lucy Rey delivers an impossibly difficult message in the Italian Dolomites, she discovers truths about her own past and learns the importance of not letting the darkest of nights consume us. A moving testament to the sacrifices friends make for each other.”
– Marjan Kamali, nationally bestselling author of The Stationary Shop and The Lion Women of Tehran
"Wow! That's what I said to myself when I finished this book. A fascinating and fabulous story from first page to last, Bearer of Bad News was simply delightful. If I ever get stranded on a desert island, this is the book I want with me because it's worth re-reading over and over and over. Brilliantly written with the kind of characters you carry with you for weeks after you close the book, Bearer of Bad News is a winner from cover to cover."
– Karen Hawkins, New York Times bestselling author
"One of the most delightful debuts I've ever read, Bearer of Bad News is a laugh-out-loud Bridget Jones-esque tale about a woman searching for a missing necklace in an Italian mountain town while her own life implodes spectacularly. Author Elisabeth Dini--a real-life lawyer and former prosecutor of war crimes and crimes against humanity--also weaves in a heartrending World War II storyline connected to the necklace, which gives this delightful, fast-paced book hidden depth and a surprising amount of emotion. Imagine everything you love about Bridget Jones’s Diary, The Maid, and Where’d You Go, Bernadette, interwoven with a tale that honors those who fled Hitler's Germany and lost everything, and you'll have this pitch-perfect novel. Charming, hilarious, and heartfelt, Bearer of Bad News is sure to be a hit. An enthralling must-read."
– Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Daughter
"Entrancing and funny, this is a story about how intergenerational trauma also creates intergenerational resilience. As Lucy Rey delivers an impossibly difficult message in the Italian Dolomites, she discovers truths about her own past and learns the importance of not letting the darkest of nights consume us. A moving testament to the sacrifices friends make for each other.”
– Marjan Kamali, nationally bestselling author of The Stationary Shop and The Lion Women of Tehran
"Wow! That's what I said to myself when I finished this book. A fascinating and fabulous story from first page to last, Bearer of Bad News was simply delightful. If I ever get stranded on a desert island, this is the book I want with me because it's worth re-reading over and over and over. Brilliantly written with the kind of characters you carry with you for weeks after you close the book, Bearer of Bad News is a winner from cover to cover."
– Karen Hawkins, New York Times bestselling author
"One of the most delightful debuts I've ever read, Bearer of Bad News is a laugh-out-loud Bridget Jones-esque tale about a woman searching for a missing necklace in an Italian mountain town while her own life implodes spectacularly. Author Elisabeth Dini--a real-life lawyer and former prosecutor of war crimes and crimes against humanity--also weaves in a heartrending World War II storyline connected to the necklace, which gives this delightful, fast-paced book hidden depth and a surprising amount of emotion. Imagine everything you love about Bridget Jones’s Diary, The Maid, and Where’d You Go, Bernadette, interwoven with a tale that honors those who fled Hitler's Germany and lost everything, and you'll have this pitch-perfect novel. Charming, hilarious, and heartfelt, Bearer of Bad News is sure to be a hit. An enthralling must-read."
– Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Daughter
"Entrancing and funny, this is a story about how intergenerational trauma also creates intergenerational resilience. As Lucy Rey delivers an impossibly difficult message in the Italian Dolomites, she discovers truths about her own past and learns the importance of not letting the darkest of nights consume us. A moving testament to the sacrifices friends make for each other.”
– Marjan Kamali, nationally bestselling author of The Stationary Shop and The Lion Women of Tehran
"Wow! That's what I said to myself when I finished this book. A fascinating and fabulous story from first page to last, Bearer of Bad News was simply delightful. If I ever get stranded on a desert island, this is the book I want with me because it's worth re-reading over and over and over. Brilliantly written with the kind of characters you carry with you for weeks after you close the book, Bearer of Bad News is a winner from cover to cover."
– Karen Hawkins, New York Times bestselling author
"One of the most delightful debuts I've ever read, Bearer of Bad News is a laugh-out-loud Bridget Jones-esque tale about a woman searching for a missing necklace in an Italian mountain town while her own life implodes spectacularly. Author Elisabeth Dini--a real-life lawyer and former prosecutor of war crimes and crimes against humanity--also weaves in a heartrending World War II storyline connected to the necklace, which gives this delightful, fast-paced book hidden depth and a surprising amount of emotion. Imagine everything you love about Bridget Jones’s Diary, The Maid, and Where’d You Go, Bernadette, interwoven with a tale that honors those who fled Hitler's Germany and lost everything, and you'll have this pitch-perfect novel. Charming, hilarious, and heartfelt, Bearer of Bad News is sure to be a hit. An enthralling must-read."
– Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Daughter
"Entrancing and funny, this is a story about how intergenerational trauma also creates intergenerational resilience. As Lucy Rey delivers an impossibly difficult message in the Italian Dolomites, she discovers truths about her own past and learns the importance of not letting the darkest of nights consume us. A moving testament to the sacrifices friends make for each other.”
– Marjan Kamali, nationally bestselling author of The Stationary Shop and The Lion Women of Tehran
"Wow! That's what I said to myself when I finished this book. A fascinating and fabulous story from first page to last, Bearer of Bad News was simply delightful. If I ever get stranded on a desert island, this is the book I want with me because it's worth re-reading over and over and over. Brilliantly written with the kind of characters you carry with you for weeks after you close the book, Bearer of Bad News is a winner from cover to cover."
– Karen Hawkins, New York Times bestselling author
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- Author Photo (jpg): Elisabeth Dini Photograph by Scott Barnett(0.1 MB)
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