Schriftsteller – Mafalda Cinquetti
About me
After stints in Leipzig and Marburg, many years in Berlin and a detour to Switzerland, I, Bastian Richter, have now found a home in Friesland in the Netherlands, where I have now written ten books, renovated an old bakery and cruised the local waters on my old barge. I’m always drawn back to Italy, where the Venetian amateur detective Mafalda Cinquetti came into my life.
Step into Mafalda’s world—download the first chapter for free today.
Experienced housewife, passionate cook, faithful widow and devoted grandmother. Distinctively Venetian.
Mafalda Cinquetti is not your typical heroine—and that’s exactly what makes her unforgettable.
It’s been a while since readers last followed her through the winding calli and sunlit piazze of Venice. Since then, time has not stood still. Mafalda’s world has shifted in unexpected ways—friendships have deepened, new characters have emerged, and long-held certainties have quietly unraveled, making room for change. Even the lagoon city she calls home seems a little different now: not less beautiful, but changed—just like her.
The third book in the series, Mafalda and the Lost Turtles of Venice, will be published in August 2025. But before then, I’d like to offer you a taste of what’s to come: the first chapter is available now as a free e-book (EPUB and PDF) and as a spoken-word audiobook (MP3 and YouTube). Consider it your personal invitation back into Mafalda’s world.
This opening chapter sets the tone for what lies ahead. It’s a gentle reintroduction to Mafalda’s Venice—one that’s filled with laughter, melancholy, daily rituals, small rebellions, and unexpected mysteries. At its heart is a disappearance—not of a person, but of something far more personal, which sets a quiet but determined search in motion.
Whether you’ve known Mafalda for years or are meeting her for the first time, this chapter welcomes you with the scent of roasted vegetables from the kitchen, the clinking of glasses at a waterside table, and the unmistakable rhythm of life in Venice. It’s a story about resilience, friendship, and the small moments that shape us.
Writing Mafalda has always been a joy. She is as flawed as she is fierce, as stubborn as she is kind. And while she may not see herself as brave, she continues to do what all great protagonists do: step forward, no matter the odds.
Pull up a chair. Pour yourself a glass of prosecco. The next chapter is about to begin.
Mafalda Cinquetti
Into the Hart of Venice