Synopses & Reviews
The Marseilles trilogy, featuring ex-cop Fabio Montale, is a classic of European crime fiction. Its publication was the catalyst for the foundation of an entire literary movement, Mediterranean noir, and made its author an overnight celebrity. Europa is Proud to reissue the entire trilogy this summer in new editions that have a fresh look and feature an introduction by “the reigning king of Mediterranean noir”, Massimo Carlotto.
Review
“Like the best noir writers—and make no mistake, he is among the best — Izzo not only has a keen eye for detail . . . but also digs deep into what makes men weep.”—Time Out New York
"Rich, ambitious, and passionate." — Washington Post
"Izzo provides another guided tour of the underbelly of Marseilles (so extensive that it seems to swallow the whole city) that's bracing in its wit and velocity." — Kirkus (starred review)
Synopsis
The Final Book in the Marseilles Trilogy
Ex-cop, loner, Fabio Montale returns in this stunning conclusion to Jean-Claude Izzo's Marseilles trilogy. Italian Mafiosi are hunting journalist-activist Babette Bellini, and the body count is growing as they close in on their prey. In desperation, Bellini seeks help from her former lover, Montale. Before he has time to shake off his most recent hangover, Montale is receiving sinister phone calls from men with Italian accents who want him to find Bellini for them. Like a woman he can't leave, like strong liquor he can't refuse, Marseilles lures Montale back into its violent embrace.
This is a Marseilles that will break your heart. A modern city and an ancient Mediterranean port, a melting pot of ethnicities and a cauldron boiling with human passions, a place of natural splendor and of sudden violence.
Solea is Izzo's heartfelt cry against the criminal forces corrupting his beloved city. It is his farewell to Marseilles and to its ideal protagonist, Fabio Montale. It concludes an unforgettable trilogy that epitomizes the aspirations and ideals of the Mediterranean noir movement.
About the Author
Jean-Claude Izzo was born in Marseilles, France, in 1945. He achieved astounding success with his Marseilles Trilogy (Total Chaos, Chourmo, Solea). In addition to the books in this trilogy, his two novels (The Lost Saliors, and A Sun for the Dying) and one collection of short stories (Vivre fatigue) also enjoy great success with both critics and the public. Izzo died in 2000 at the age of fifty-five.