BOOK'S - Dovinci

New Release

The Lipstick Murders

Step into the shadowy world of post-war Europe where secrets refuse to stay buried and the past never truly dies.

The Lipstick Murders introduces Pino Noir, a detective shaped by war, haunted by memory, and driven by truth. As a killer resurfaces after years of silence, Pino is forced into a dangerous game of deception, history, and murder that stretches back to the Second World War.

A gripping detective memoir that blends noir mystery, history, and psychological suspense.

The Story

The Lipstick Murders

It is the story of a man and the moments that shaped his life.

The narrative moves between the 1960s and the wartime 1940s, revealing the experiences that forged Pino Noir into the man he became. Through shifting timelines, secrets from the past slowly unfold.

With the help of Captain Albrecht, a German counterpart who shares his determination to uncover the truth, Pino must navigate lies, betrayal, and dangerous memories.

To solve the present crime, he must first understand the past.

Uncover The Truth and call to Justice

1. The Victim

Lena Chenchecov
I had little time to take down the details as I saw them and started jotting down notes quickly. Her hair was cropped short in the bob style of a dancer. Her mascara had dirtied her face and a blow to her right cheek was evident. There were marks around her neck supporting the idea of strangulation but Georg advised that it could have been the shirt before it was torn open. I argued that water pressure alone could not pull down the bra cup like that; but he countered that someone could have tampered with the body before we found it.

2. The Hotelier

Claudine Beremont
The noise above us lasted a good fifteen minutes; I had no idea who was there, but Claudine had a fair knowledge of who was in what room and I'm sure she knew. She clasped me tightly to her chest on one side and cousin Celeste on the other; the three of us in fear of our lives, as we were for most of the war. Claudine's hands tried to cover our ears from the frightful din upstairs. When the shouting stopped there was only the rhythmic sound of slapping which Claudine tried to protect us from. Celeste was a few years younger, only nine and she may not have known what was happening but I certainly did.

3. The Ober-Kommissar

Walter Albrecht
I turned slowly and I was transported back to war-time-Italy, back to 1943 when I was a kid. The man who stood there looked no older than he did nineteen years earlier; time had left little or no marks on him so to speak.'Captain Albrecht?' I gasped in German. The girl shot off while I was distracted, and was gone in a flash. She was not only strong, but fast as well it would seem.Joseph?' The man in the tan over-coat questioned as if disbelieving his eyes I turned in my seat and placed my hands on my thighs, looking at my old nemesis, never believing in a million years that I would ever meet up with him again.

4. The Songbird

Marianna Scheppsci
As I turned to the wardrobe I saw Marianna came out of the bathroom through the mirror there. She had nothing on but a towel around her head, as she was not expecting to see anyone in her room. She stopped when she saw me and I covered my eyes to minimise her embarrassment.To my shock she did not make a move to hide her nakedness. 'I'm so sorry Signorina,' I blustered like the poor virgin fool that I was, covering my eyes with my hands.'Well, that's a nice how-do-you-do,' she said in English.I was startled by the accent and found that she was not fazed by my presence. s this the first time you caught a naked lady coming out of the bathroom?' she asked in Italian.

5. The Blackshirt

Ettore Borgosse
Ettore saw me watching them and narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing me. He was older than I, but didn't know me or my name or who I belonged to, I wished to keep it thus. As I watched, Ettore caught up with Glorianna, pretending to be going her way. She stopped abruptly as he put a hand on her shoulder, I could not see her face but I could tell she was frozen in fear, her head bowed and every now and again she would shake it, not daring to look at him. The boy laughed and thrust his hands in his pockets and made a lewd remark. I knew the lines well, having heard them often around the company of the black-shirts. He would have been offering her to sample the salami he had in his pocket, some nice Italian Pork. She turned away as if on cue and started to walk back towards Teresa's house. I could do nothing but watch.

6. The Priest

Julio Fibonesta
Long story, but I am a real priest, in case you were wondering. When the war ended I was found by a Franciscan priest and we travelled together for a while. Then when it was time to choose to stay and live a life of poverty or move on, I chose to move on. Then one day, in my travels, I stopped by a Lutheran church and found my calling. Four years in seminary, then…' he shrugged, 'this is my second church now. But the past, it haunts us all.' I nodded, understanding. 'It does indeed, but I have questions, may I ask them?' ‘You may ask,' he allowed, and gave me a wry smile, 'do not be offended if I choose not to answer; not because of my shame, but simply because the past cannot be altered or even rewritten, so sometimes it is best left forgotten.'

7. The Partisan

Paul Schaeffer
Paulie was a libertarian, he believed that people should have the right to do whatever they pleased, and he got into her head that she was beautiful and should fuck her way out of the war. We met him in the hills; he had found some paratroopers who had radio contact with the British. We never met them, but every now and again Paulie would turn up with money he said he got from them, and so he pimped us to supply him with information to give to them, for a share of that money. The Germans got wise however, so we moved around. Gina liked Paulie, Paul Schaeffer,' she added, 'but he was a miserable prick, and took advantage of us all. So, yes he was Gina's boyfriend. Next!' She demanded.

8. The Main Suspect

Frederico La Corso
When La Corso saw her, he stood to attention. She said coolly 'Hello, I wasn't expecting you so early, would you like to close the door before the bell boy starts selling tickets to the show.' I have to say, after many years of hearing those noises from my bedroom, in my parents' home, this was the first time I had a birds-eye view of the action making the noises. Anyhow, La Corso did what any hot blooded Italian would do; he took her in his arms, kissed her and started stripping off and tossed his pale blue jacket to the floor. It wasn't what I expected but it certainly put the pieces of the puzzle together, matching sounds with actions. It wasn't pretty, and La Corso was rough and slapped her about, which made me feel nauseous.

Quote by Domenico Vinci

“Every mystery begins with a secret buried in the past. The truth is not found by chance, but by those willing to follow the shadows.”