The Visconti House by Elsbeth Edgar 287 pages

Laura does not like her new "old" house because it like her family does not fit in the community. It is a crumbling Italian mansion in Australia. She hates school and would much prefer to stay home and day dream or create her own books. She meets a new student, Leon, who also has trouble fitting in. The students are most cruel to him teasing him because his father is rumored to be in jail and Leon is living with his eccentric, agoraphobic grandmother. Laura and Leon form a reluctant team trying to find out about the creator of the mansion and the tragic love of his life. Very unusual characters, especially her parents friends, the opera singer and cook who pop in for visits and help transform the mood and house.