Glass Souls
-
- $16.99
-
- $16.99
Publisher Description
The eighth Commissario Ricciardi historical mystery from the author of The Bottom of Your Heart "will surprise readers at every turn" (La Reppublica).
In the abyss of a profound personal crisis, Commissario Ricciardi feels unable to open himself up to life. He has refused the love of both Enrica and Livia and the friendship of his partner, Maione. Contentment for Ricciardi proves as elusive as clues to the latest crime he has been asked to investigate.
The beautiful, haughty Bianca, countess of Roccaspina, pleads with Ricciardi to investigate a homicide that was officially closed months ago. In the tense, charged atmosphere of 1930s Italy, where Benito Mussolini and his fascist thugs monitor the police closely, an unauthorized investigation is grounds for immediate dismissal and possible criminal charges. But Ricciardi's thirst for justice cannot be sated.
A tightly plotted historical noir novel, this eighth installment in the Commissario Ricciardi series is a gripping meditation on revenge and justice in which each character's soul reveals itself to be made of glass.
"The construction of Glass Souls is remarkable. It's like a very sophisticated mosaic in which each protagonist occupies precisely the right amount of space." —La Reppublica
"Love, longing, and loss suffuse de Giovanni's elegiac, autumnal eighth Commissario Ricciardi mystery set in 1930s Naples . . . Though Ricciardi risks infuriating his bosses—and unknowingly even greater danger from the Fascist forces who have him under surveillance—he can't resist the conundrum. Nor in all likelihood will readers." —Publishers Weekly
"A must read for those interested in exploring International Noir." —Mystery Tribune
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Love, longing, and loss suffuse de Giovanni's elegiac, autumnal eighth Commissario Ricciardi mystery set in 1930s Naples (after 2015's The Bottom of Your Heart). Mourning the recent death of Rosa, the only mother figure he has ever known, Ricciardi confronts the unremitting solitude stretching before him. He has waited too long to approach Enrica, the young neighbor who has quietly captivated him, since she now appears involved with a dashing German army officer. There's not even a pressing murder investigation to distract him until, despite the protestations of stalwart sidekick Brigadier Raffaele Maione, he yields to the pleas of the impoverished but dignified Contessa of Roccaspina to make some unofficial inquiries into a case that has already been closed, after her gambler husband confessed to a killing she knows he didn't commit. Though Ricciardi risks infuriating his bosses and unknowingly even greater danger from the Fascist forces who have him under surveillance he can't resist the conundrum. Nor in all likelihood will readers.
