Synopses & Reviews
In this fourth installment of the internationally successful Commissario Ricciardi series, the Commissario is investigating the death of Matteo, one of the many street urchins who live hand-to-mouth in the dark alleys of 1930s Naples. While at first the death seems provoked by natural causes, it quickly emerges that theres more to the tragedy than meets the eye.
Commissario Ricciardi is the undisputed wizard of Neapolitan crime scenes. He solves every crime with an uncanny swiftness that leaves his colleagues dumbfounded. Indeed, there are those who think his abilities are the work of the devil, and unnatural and ungodly gift to be exorcised.
And maybe theyre right. Ricciardi sees the dead. He sees and hears the final moments in the lives of those who have suffered violent deaths. It may be a talent or it may be a curse, but it is nonetheless a kind of black magic. Sometimes, however, even black magic isnt enough. Its a rainy autumn in Naples and the fog lays thick over the city as its inhabitants celebrate the week of the dead. Ricciardis instincts tell him that the dead boy is the victim of a murder, but investigating the homicide is not going to be easy. The authorities want to avoid any trouble, any sign that things are not as they ought to be in Naples, for they are preparing for the state visit of Benito Musolini. Ricciardi will have to conduct his investigation hidden from the eyes of his superiors. Whats worse, his sixth sense is no help to him this time; the scene of the crime is silent, still, not a word or a sign, or even a scream from the dead. Has his unwelcome gift finally faded? Or is something more sinister at work?
Review
Praise for Maurizio de Giovanni
“ A superb novel” - Library Journal Starred Review
“De Giovannis slashing wit cuts deeply into his cameo portraits of the high and mighty, even as his elegant style ennobles the wretched lives he views with such compassion.” - The New York Times Sunday Book Review
“In Ricciardi, De Giovanni has created one of the most interesting and well-drawn detectives in fiction, and this book is a real treat that should not be missed by crime lovers.”—The Daily Beast (Weekly “Hot Read”)
“In I Will Have Vengenace The combination of an unusual detective, historical setting and Italian opera was impossible to resist.”—Crimetime.co.uk
“A wonderfully suspenseful novel in which de Giovanni restores life to the cliché of the world-weary detective”—Kirkus Starred Review
“Such detailed images in the novel that will haunt me for a long time to come”—Books and Writers
“A colorful novel that imparts a strong sense of time and place...theres more than a touch of Agatha Christie in this tale”—Curious book fans
About the Author
Maurizio de Giovanni lives and works in Naples. He is the author of three previous books in the Commissario Ricciardi series, I Will Have Vengeance, Blood Curse, Everyone in their Place, and the contemporary Neapolitan thriller, The Crocodile.