Synopses & Reviews
Praise for Holy Smoke, the first in the Antoine series:
“A terrific black comedy …both a blasphemously funny satire of provincial Italian chicanery and a wry acknowledgment of the ambivalence that ambitious immigrants feel about their roots.”—The New York Times
“Unexpected deadly demands made in the name of friendship inspire the plot of this quirky mystery novel. Irreverently inveighs against romantic love, cancer and the Paris suburbs.”—The Washington Post
“An iconoclastic chronicle of small-time crooks and desperate capers, with added Gallic and Italian flair. Wonderful fun.”—Guardian
Antoine, a fanatic billiards player, is asked to watch over a Paris art gallery. When he scuffles with a thief a statue falls and severs his right hand. His maverick investigation leads to the discovery of a series of gruesome killings. Soon Antoine finds himself the prime suspect in the murder of a gallery owner. A game of billiards decides the outcome of this satirical tale which brilliantly captures the world of modern art and the parasites that infest it.
After being, in turn, a museum night-watchman, and a train guard on the Paris-Rome line, Tonino Benacquista is now a highly successful author of fiction and film scripts.
Review
“Savagely funny and surprisingly touching.” —
The Guardian (London)
“A queasily-comic, stylishly-executed romp.” —The Independent (London)
“Crime fiction that makes you chuckle is rare, and this is an exceptional example of the species.” —Judges citation, Crime Writers Association International Dagger Award (finalist)
“Hilarious . . . Snappy writing and brisk pacing add up to a comic crime novel Elmore Leonard fans would relish.” —Publishers Weekly
“A smart fish-out-of-water conceit . . . The story thrives on absurdities and coincidence, particularly in [one] virtuoso scene.” —Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
Murderous black comedy laced with biting satire of the Paris art world.
Synopsis
A savagely funny Mafia farce—soon to be a major motion picture starring Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Tommy Lee Jones The Blakes are newcomers to a small town n Normandy. Fred is a historian researching the Allied landings, Maggie enjoys charity work, and their kids are looking forward to meeting other teenagers at the local lycée. Or so it seems.
In fact, Fred is really Giovanni Manzoni, an ex-goodfella turned stool pigeon who’s been relocated from New Jersey to France by the FBI’s witness protection program. He’s got a two-million-dollar bounty on his head, but he and his family can’t help attracting attention (imagine the Sopranos in Normandy). And when imprisoned mobster Don Mimino gets wind of their location, it’s Mafia mayhem à la Josh Bazell’s Beat the Reaper, or like The Godfather as if written by Carl Hiaasen. Because while you can take the man out of the Mafia, you can’t take the Mafia out of the man.
Synopsis
A savagely funny Mafia farcesoon to be a major motion picture starring Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Tommy Lee Jones
The Blakes are newcomers to a small town in Normandy. Fred is a historian researching the Allied landings, Maggie enjoys charity work, and their kids are looking forward to meeting other teenagers at the local lycée. Or so it seems.
In fact, Fred is really Giovanni Manzoni, an ex-goodfella turned stool pigeon whos been relocated from New Jersey to France by the FBIs witness protection program. Hes got a two-million-dollar bounty on his head, but he and his family cant help attracting attention (imagine the Sopranos in Normandy). And when imprisoned mobster Don Mimino gets wind of their location, its Mafia mayhem à la Josh Bazells Beat the Reaper, or like The Godfather as if written by Carl Hiaasen. Because while you can take the man out of the Mafia, you cant take the Mafia out of the man.
Synopsis
A thrillingly comic Mafia farcesoon to be a major motion picture starring Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Tommy Lee Jones, and produced by Martin Scorsese
The Blakes are newcomers to a small town in Normandy. Fred is a historian researching the Allied landings, Maggie enjoys charity work, and their kids are looking forward to meeting other teenagers at the local lycée. Or so it seems.
In fact, Fred is really Giovanni Manzoni, an ex-goodfella turned stool pigeon whos been relocated from New Jersey to France by the FBIs witness protection program. Hes got a two-million-dollar bounty on his head, but he and his family cant help attracting attention (imagine the Sopranos in Normandy). And when imprisoned mobster Don Mimino gets wind of their location, its Mafia mayhem à la Josh Bazells Beat the Reaper, or like The Godfather as if written by Carl Hiaasen. Because while you can take the man out of the Mafia, you cant take the Mafia out of the man.
Synopsis
Imagine The Sopranos transplanted to the French countryside
.
This thrillingly comic, internationally bestselling Mafia farce is the inspiration for the major motion picture The Family starring Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Tommy Lee Jones, and produced by Martin Scorsese.
The Blakes are newcomers to a small town in Normandy. Fred is a historian researching the Allied landings, Maggie enjoys charity work, and their kids are looking forward to meeting other teenagers at the local lycée. Or so it seems.
In fact, Fred is really Giovanni Manzoni, an ex-goodfella turned stool pigeon whos been relocated from New Jersey to France by the FBIs witness protection program. Hes got a two-million-dollar bounty on his head, but he and his family cant help attracting attention (imagine the Sopranos in Normandy). And when imprisoned mobster Don Mimino gets wind of their location, its Mafia mayhem à la Josh Bazells Beat the Reaper, or like The Godfather as if written by Carl Hiaasen. Because while you can take the man out of the Mafia, you cant take the Mafia out of the man.
About the Author
Benacquista, born in France of Italian immigrants, dropped out of film studies to finance his writing career. After being a museum night watchman, a train guard and a parasite on the Paris gallery opening and cocktail circuit, he is now a successful author and screenwriter. Her work includes Catherine Millet's explicit autobiography, 'The sexual life of Catherine M' and Beigbeder's attack novel on advertising, '£9.99'.She also translated 'Death in the Dordogne' by Louis Sanders recently favourably reviewed by the NYT.