A kidnapped child and the burglary of a high-class
apartment: two crimes that seem to have no connection at all until Inspector
Lojacono, known as "The Chinaman," starts to investigate.
De
Giovanni is one of the most dexterous and successful writers of crime fiction
currently working in Europe. His award-winning and bestselling novels, all set
in Naples, offer a brilliant vision of the criminal underworld and the police
that battle it in Europa's most fabled, atmospheric, dangerous, and lustful
city.
The
Bastards of Pizzofalcone is a new series set in contemporary Naples that
draws inspiration from Ed McBain's 87th Precinct novels and features a large
cast of complicated cops doing battle with ruthless criminals.
Darkness (Police Procedural)
By Maurizio De Giovanni
ISBN #978-1609453374
Price $11.58
236 Pages
Rating 5-Stars
Darkness is a taut thriller of a kidnapped child hidden in
a dark room while police try to find him and the ones responsible. We meet all
the characters, and have our suspicions, but as usual, the author surprises us
with the outcome. There appear to be two cases the team is working on, the
kidnapping and a burglary. The lead detective, Inspector Lojacono is assigned
to the burglary with Alex DiNardo, while Romano and Aragona investigate the
kidnapping. Strangely, the two cases will connect in a surprising climax.
The author writes a compelling mystery. His characters are
flawed, far from the heroes we would expect, yet they work together like
well-oiled machinery; their work comes first, and a need to find the little boy
is uppermost in each one’s mind.
I never tire of reading one of Giovanni’s mysteries, as
his writing captivates the reader, and I was pulled into the story from the
first page. This one is no different. I was a little disappointed in the
ending, however. Yes, we discover who the kidnappers are, and who orchestrated
the deed, but the author leaves the ending up to the reader. Does it have a
happy ending, or like the deed itself, perhaps the ending is disturbing? Highly
recommended.
Tom Johnson
Author of CARNIVAL OF DEATH
No comments:
Post a Comment