Synopses & Reviews
In the latest Commissario Alec Blume novel, our hero is called in by old friend magistrate Principe to "shadow" an investigation into the attempted murder of a former fascist terrorist responsible for a public bombing thirty years earlier. This investigation is adjacent to another: the murder of a young woman on the university campus of Rome. The apparent link between these two crimes is an articulate, learned, and thoroughly crazy professor called Pitagora, who teaches both literature and a system enigmatic memory techniques. Professor Pitagora is up-front about his political beliefs, but could his strange psychological program be masking something important?
All the investigators know the two crimes form part of the same nexus, but Blume believes he can find clues through the Professor. If only he were actually assigned to this case...
Meanwhile, Blume has been living with Caterina and not finding it easy - or rather, poor old Caterina is not finding it easy living with him. Will the strains in their relationship lead Blume astray? And can he successfully navigate the ranks of his distrustful colleagues, a rocky relationship, and a high-profile investigation--all without crossing the line?
Review
"The snipers bullet doesnt quite dispatch notorious terrorist Stefania Manfellotto, but the investigation into the attack on the Rome university campus that leaves Manfellotto brain damaged—as well as the subsequent fatal shooting there six months later of witness Sofia Fontana—could finally deal a death blow to the career of Commissioner Alec Blume in Fitzgeralds cerebral fourth mystery featuring the maverick American expat (after 2012s The Namesake). By rights, Blume shouldnt even be involved in the politically sensitive probe, which falls under the jurisdiction of the rival Carabinieri. But that detail isnt about to deter him once his old mentor, magistrate Filippo Principe, appeals for help, any more than he would dream of changing his opinion on a road rage homicide just because his lover, Chief Insp. Caterina Mattiola, sees it differently. Blumes readiness to pursue any leads in an increasingly puzzling case helps make him an outstanding detective, but also, within a society that puts such a premium on personal relationships, a perennial outsider." -- Publishers Weekly
Review
"A one-sitting read, intricately plotted, swiftly paced and resolved in a totally unexpected fashion." —
Bookpage on
The Namesake"A gripping mystery and a fascinating look at organized crime in contemporary Italy." —Shelf Awareness
"Fitzgerald provides an insightful glimpse into the machinations of Italian police work and the criminal world." —Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Blume...is utterly fascinating, his human shortcoming mirroring our own and forcing us to root for him. If you're drawn to Andrea Camilleri's similarly though not so seriously flawed Salvo Montalbano, you'll be equally hooked by Alec Blume." —Booklist
Review
"Blume . . . is utterly fascinating, his human shortcoming mirroring our own and forcing us to root for him. If you're drawn to Andrea Camilleri's similarly though not so seriously flawed Salvo Montalbano, you'll be equally hooked by Alec Blume." —Booklist "With The Memory Key, Fitzgerald has created another gripping mystery featuring the irresistibly stubborn Blume . . . Readers cannot help but root for him. Fans of Donna Leon or Andrea Camillieri are bound to enjoy The Memory Key and its vivid Roman setting." —Shelf Awareness
Synopsis
"If your readers loved Michael Dibdin's Aurelio Zen series, get them started on this one."--Library Journal
Synopsis
"If your readers loved Michael Dibdin's Aurelio Zen series, get them started on this one."--Library Journal
Synopsis
On a freezing November night Commissario Alec Blume is called to the scene of a shooting.
The victim is Sofia Fontana, the sole witness to a previous killing. Blume's inquiries lead from a professor with a passion for the art of memory to a hospitalised ex-terrorist whose injuries have left her mind innocently blank; from present day Rome's criminal underclass, to a murderous train station bombing in central Italy several decades ago.
Against the advice of his bosses and his own better judgement, Blume is drawn ever deeper into the case, which looks set to derail his troubled relationship with Caterina...
Synopsis
"Inspired creation" Alec Blume—"irresistibly stubborn" and "utterly fascinating"—meets his match in a steely professor of memory who aims to get inside his head . . .
About the Author
Conor Fitzgerald has lived in Ireland, the United Kingdom, the United States and Italy. He has worked as an arts editor, produced a current affairs journal for foreign embassies based in Rome, and founded a successful translation company. He is married with two children and lives in Rome. The Memory Key is the fourth in his Commissario Alec Blume series.