Siporin, Libi: - Libi Siporin has spent her life traveling and writing. As in her other books, her mysteries arise from experiences of life and work in Niger, West Africa; Afghanistan; Italy; the U.S.; and Israel. Siporin prefers to face forward and move in high gear, preferably outdoors. When she does stop to look behind her, she finds two great mentors accompanying her: love and death. Bitter Maremma is the first of the Leah Contarini Mysteries.