Perhaps
the best known Italian detective is Commissario Guido Brunetti, the
thoughtful, socially conscious, gourmet creation of Donna Leon. He, his
fiery wife Paola, their two bright children, and his phlegmatic
assistant Inspector Vianello have now appeared in 21 books. Brunetti's
love for his native Venice flavors every investigation he undertakes,
including his latest excursion: Beastly Things.
Brunetti wanders the streets and canals of Venice, dodging tourists,
and frequently eating at enticing restaurants and coffee shops.
At
the other end of the country, Andrea Camilleri's Inspector Montalbano
is fiercely proud of Sicily, in spite of its Mafia connections. In The Potter's Field he
must contend with a recalcitrant subordinate and the intertwined,
corrupt layers of Sicilian society while trying to solve a crime that
draws him to the mainland and back in his quest for truth.
The
busy Italian capital shines in the Commissario Alec Blume series by
Conor Fitzgerald. Originally from Seattle, Blume now works for the Roman
police force, and is obstinately determined to catch killers, no matter
the odds. In his latest adventure, The Namesake,
Blume struggles against both Mafia interference and the perpetual
construction that defines Italian highways as he tries to solve a
murder.
Even
Tuscany, portrayed as idyllic in countless movies and books, was once
plagued by a vicious serial killer. Author Douglas Preston tells the
true story of this person who terrorized the Tuscan countryside in the
1970s and 1980s in The Monster of Florence. The real Monster was never caught, but Preston's detailing of the case brings Tuscany disturbingly to life. These recommendations were originally published in Shelf Awareness for Readers on October 9. Donna Leon is hands-down my favorite, just because I have a bit of a crush on Brunetti, but I liked all of these books.
Have you read any of them?
Or been to Italy?
