Murder Made in Italy

A study of three high-profile Italian murder cases, how they were covered by the media, and what it all says about Italian culture.

Looking at media coverage of three very prominent murder cases, Murder Made in Italy explores the cultural issues raised by the murders and how they reflect developments in Italian civil society over the past twenty years. Providing detailed descriptions of each murder, investigation, and court case, Ellen Nerenberg addresses the perception of lawlessness in Italy, the country's geography of crime, and the generalized fear for public safety among the Italian population. Nerenberg examines the fictional and nonfictional representations of these crimes through the lenses of moral panic, media spectacle, true crime writing, and the abject body. The worldwide publicity given the recent case of Amanda Knox, the American student tried for murder in a Perugia court, once more drew attention to crime and punishment in Italy and is the subject of the epilogue.

"A fantastic array of literary, cinematic, and oral narratives." —Stefania Lucamante, Catholic University of America
"Original, engaging, and thought-provoking . . . quite unlike any other existing book in Italian cultural and media studies." —Ruth Glynn, University of Bristol