A Bottle of Chianti, a Bowl of Spaghetti Bolognese, a Glass of Grappa - Mystery Italian Style

RIP Senator John McCain

I'll continue my Mystery genre topic but, firstly I wanted to offer my condolences to the McCain family on the death of Senator John McCain. While I might not agree with all of his political beliefs, Senator McCain was a true hero to the United States and served his country, both in the military and in politics, with honor and distinction. I hope other politicians, of both parties, will take up his mantle and continue to challenge those who serve only to divide our neighbour to the South. RIP Senator McCain!

So, let's move on to my discussion of books. I've finished one book since my last entry and, of course, have started one new one. I'm also going to continue with my look at the mystery genre, this time those set in Italy. I'll highlight 4 authors, one who is actually Italian. One of those listed is one of my favorite authors of mysteries. I've tried one other, due to a TV series both Jo and I enjoyed. The other two are new authors for me.

OK, let's go!

Just Finished

1. A Cold Day for Murder by Dana Stabenow (Kate Shugak #1). This will be a Group Read Discussion in September and since I nominated it, I'll be moderating the discussion. I guess it's appropriate that I read it, eh?










"A Cold Day for Murder is the first Kate Shugak mystery by Dana Stabenow. Kate was the lead investigator for the Anchorage ADA, Jack Morgan. Something happened on one of her cases which lead her to quit and move back nearer home in The Park. She lives alone with her dog (wolf) Mutt. Kate is an Aleut.

Jack and an FBI agent show up to ask her help in finding a missing Ranger and the current ADA investigator. The Ranger disappeared 6 weeks ago and his father is a US Senator who has pressured the FBI to become involved. Morgan had sent Ken Dahl to search for the young man and he also had disappeared two weeks ago. Morgan wants Kate to take up the search. (Morgan and Kate had previously had a relationship, it seems)

Taking on the assignment means Kate returns to her home town, Niniltna to find their trail. This means making contact with her grandmother Ekaterina (Emaa), who rules the roost and is a leading member of the Aleut community in Alaska. There is considerable friction between the two.
The story is a quick read, with action right from the get-go. We meet a great many interesting people, from her Uncle Abel, Bennie owner of the Road House and Bobby, the legless Vietnam Vet who provides weather reports and short wave radio communications for the community to the world at large.

There are many suspect, including family members of Kate and the story moves along nicely. We get an excellent feel for The Park and being winter, you can almost feel the cold. It's very much a Wild West (or maybe North is more appropriate) and a fascinating place. For a first story, it's an excellent intro to Kate. I hope we find out more about her past in future stories. (4 stars)"

Currently Reading
I'm hoping to finish at least one more book this month, maybe two. It's been a satisfying month so far.

1. Looking Good Dead by Peter James (Roy Grace #2). I read the first book in this series a few years back and I'm looking forward to getting back into the series. I'm enjoying the first few chapters so far. It's nice that the series is set in Brighton. That means I can ask Jo about locations, etc. as she lived just down the road.







"Tom Bryce picks up a CD which has been left behind on a train seat, but when he attempts to track down the owner, he finds himself the only witness to a savage killing. Reporting the crime to the police has disastrous consequences for Bryce, and the lives of both he and his wife are threatened--by a notification on the Internet, no less. When DS Roy Grace becomes involved, he finds himself up against a malign group of very well organized criminals."

Murder Italian Style

Donna Leon

1. Donna Leon (Commissario Brunetti). Donna Leon was born in New Jersey but has set her Commissario Brunetti series in Venice, Italy. She has written 27 books in the series since 1992 and has one listed for 2019. This is by far one of my favorite all-time mystery series. Since I came to the Comox Valley in 2001, I've read 10 books in the series.

What I like most about the series is the richness of the stories. It's more than just a mystery. You get a feel for Venice (or wherever in Italy Brunetti might find himself) and its people. You get to enjoy the people who work with Brunetti, the food that he and his wonderful family eat. I like an excellent thriller or psychological mystery but the series that rank up at the top are those like Leon's series. I include Martin Walker's Bruno, Chief of Police, Jane Haddam's Gregor Demarkian books and Louise Penny's Chief Inspector Gamache series. I haven't read the Leon books in order and, while that might be the best way to start, it hasn't affected my enjoyment at all. I'll highlight the first 5 books, whether I've read them or not.

a. Death at La Fenice (#1). I read this in 2010 and rated it 4 stars.












"There is little violent crime in Venice, a serenely beautiful floating city of mystery and magic, history and decay. But the evil that does occasionally rear its head is the jurisdiction of Guido Brunetti, the suave, urbane vice-commissario of police and a genius at detection. Now all of his admirable abilities must come into play in the deadly affair of Maestro Helmut Wellauer, a world-renowned conductor who died painfully from cyanide poisoning during an intermission at La Fenice.
But as the investigation unfolds, a chilling picture slowly begins to take shape--a detailed portrait of revenge painted with vivid strokes of hatred and shocking depravity. And the dilemma for Guido Brunetti will not be finding a murder suspect, but rather narrowing the choices down to one. . . ."

b. Death in a Strange Country (#2). I read this in 2007 and rated it 4 stars (probably a common theme.. lol)










"Early one morning Guido Brunetti, Commissario of the Venice Police, confronts a grisly sight when the body of a young man is fished out of a fetid Venetian canal. All the clues point to a violent mugging, but for Brunetti, robbery seems altogether too convenient a motive. Then something very incriminating is discovered in the dead man's flat - something which points to the existence of a high-level cabal - and Brunetti becomes convinced that somebody, somewhere, is taking great pains to provide a ready-made solution to the crime ..."

c. Dressed for Death (#3). I read this in 2011 and yes, a 4 star rating.












"Commissario Guido Brunetti's hopes for a refreshing family holiday in the mountains are once again dashed when a gruesome discovery is made in Marghera - a body so badly beaten the face is completely unrecognizable. Brunetti searches Venice for someone who can identify the corpse but is met with a wall of silence. He then receives a telephone call from a contact who promises some tantalizing information. And before night is out, Brunetti is confronting yet another appalling, and apparently senseless, death."

d. Death and Judgment (#4). I read this one in 2006. Yup, 4 stars.











"Someone is killing Italy's prominent businessmen, and, at first glance, the murders appear unrelated. However, Venice's most charming and tenacious detective, Vice-Commissario Guido Brunetti, suspects a fatal link. After mounting an unorthodox investigation, Brunetti uncovers a disturbing international web of exploitation run by Venice's most influential citizens."

e. Acqua Alta (#5). I read this one in 2006. Guess what rating I gave it?












"Donna Leon's growing American fan base is hungry for more of the books from her internationally bestselling series featuring Commissario Guido Brunetti. Now in what many consider one of the finest in the series, Venice braces for the onslaught of "acqua alta"-the rising waters from torrential rain. But Brunetti has his own problems, beginning with the savage beating of an old friend. When a man's body is discovered, Brunetti must wade through the chaos to solve one of his deadliest cases. Full of marvelous plot twists, "Acqua Alta" is a chilling addition to Donna Leon's addictive series."

I won't list all of the other books. Next in line for me to read is #9 Friends in High Places. It's always a pleasure to visit Brunetti's world. There is another of Leon's books that has interested me. It's called A Taste of Venice: At Table with Brunetti (of Brunetti's Cookbook). Yes, it's a cookbook, based on food enjoyed in the Brunetti stories.

Michael Didbin

2. Michael Dibdin (Aurelio Zen). Dibdin was an English crime writer who lived from 1947 - 2007. He is known for his 11 book series featuring Aurelio Zen. The last book in the series was published posthumously in 2007. I was introduced to the series by a BBC TV series featuring Rufus Sewell as Zen. Jo and I enjoyed it very much. Unfortunately it was only for one season. I've read the first book and didn't quite enjoy as much as the Brunetti series. I will continue it however and see how the series develops.

a. Ratking (#1 / 1989).









"Ratking is the first book in the Aurelio Zen mystery series by Michael Dibdin. I first became aware of the series when it was turned into a British TV series starring Rufus Sewell as Inspector Zen. When I discovered it was based on a book series, I had to try and find a copy.

Zen is a disgraced Italian Criminal Investigator who has been placed into an administrative position due to events that resulted in the kidnapping of former Italian PM Aldo Moro. As a result of a series of phone calls he is placed back into the investigation service to help solve a kidnapping of a wealthy industrialist in the North of Italy, in Perugia.

He basically finds himself in a no-win situation. The local police resent him being there and the family of the kidnappee are suspected of involvement. It's a meandering sort of case as Zen works to find the kidnappee and also the kidnappers. Events take a bad turn when a body is found and Zen finds himself being used as a scapegoat for the lack of success. With nothing to lose, he works against the system and time to solve the kidnapping and murder(s).

I enjoyed the story although I do think I preferred the TV series. However, it was interesting to see the Italian political system at work and to get to know Zen. It was also interesting trying to compare Zen to one of my favourite Italian police inspectors, Donna Leon's Inspector Brunetti. I'll have to keep reading to see if Zen can live up to Brunetti.  (3.5 stars)" 

b. Vendetta (#2 / 1991). 

"In Italian police inspector Aurelio Zen, Michael Dibdin has given the mystery one of its most complex and compelling protagonists: a man wearily trying to enforce the law in a society where the law is constantly being bent. In this, the first novel he appears in, Zen himself has been assigned to do some law bending. Officials in a high government ministry want him to finger someone--anyone--for the murder of an eccentric billionaire, whose corrupt dealings enriched some of the most exalted figures in Italian politics.


But Oscar Burolo's murder would seem to be not just unsolvable but impossible. The magnate was killed on a heavily fortified Sardinian estate, where every room was monitored by video cameras. Those cameras captured Burolo's grisly death, but not the face of his killer. And that same killer, elusive, implacable, and deranged, may now be stalking Zen. Inexorable in its suspense, superbly atmospheric, Vendetta is further proof of Dibdin's mastery of the crime novel."

3. Cabal (#3 / 1992).

"An apparent suicide in the Vatican may in fact have been a murder conducted by a centuries-old cabal within The Knights of Columbus. A discovery among the medieval manuscripts of the Vatican Library leads to a second death, Zen travels to Milan, where he faces a final, dramatic showdown. Meanwhile, Zen's lover, the tantalizing Tania, is conducting her own covert operations—which could well jeopardize everything Zen has worked for. Richly textured, wickedly entertaining, Cabal taps the mysterious beauty of Italy in a thriller that challenges our beliefs about love, allegiance, history, and power—and the lengths to which we will go to protect them against the truth."

Andrea Camilleri

3. Andrea Camilleri. Born in 1925, Camilleri is a prolific Italian writer of both standalone and series mysteries. In 1994 he began his Inspector Salvo Montalbano mystery series. The first 22 books have been translated into English. I did highlight Camilleri in a previous entry from my Author's A - Z series. If you click on the link below, just scroll down to that entry. I haven't enjoyed any of his books yet but I do have #1 and others on my book shelf. I'll highlight #1 and a standalone mystery I also have.

a. The Shape of Water (#1 / 1994, translation 2002).













"The goats of Vigàta once grazed on the trash-strewn site still known as the Pasture. Now local enterprise of a different sort flourishes: drug dealers and prostitutes of every flavor. But their discreet trade is upset when two employees of the Splendour Refuse Collection Company discover the body of engineer Silvio Luparello, one of the local movers and shakers, apparently deceased in flagrante at the Pasture. The coroner's verdict is death from natural causes - refreshingly unusual for Sicily.

But Inspector Salvo Montalbano, as honest as he is streetwise and as scathing to fools and villains as he is compassionate to their victims, is not ready to close the case - even though he's being pressured by Vigàta's police chief, judge, and bishop.

Picking his way through a labyrinth of high-comedy corruption, delicious meals, vendetta firepower, and carefully planted false clues, Montalbano can be relied on, whatever the cost, to get to the heart of the matter."

b. Hunting Season (1992, translation 2014).








"In 1880s Vigàta, a stranger comes to town to open a pharmacy. Fofò turns out to be the son of a man legendary for having a magic garden stocked with plants, fruits, and vegetables that could cure any ailment—a man who was found murdered years ago. Fofò escaped, but now has reappeared looking to make his fortune and soon finds himself mixed up in the dealings of a philandering local marchese set on producing an heir."

4. Magdalen Nabb (Marshall Guarnaccia). English mystery writer Magdalen Nabb lived from 1947 - 2007). She was born in Blackburn and died in Florence. She is best known for her Marshall Guarnaccia mystery series. I discovered her recently, her books listed at the back of another series I'd begun. She wrote 14 books in the series from 1981 - 2008. I have the first book in the series and the 10th. I'm looking forward to trying it.

a. Death of an Englishman (#1 / 1981).

"Marshal Salvatore Guarnaccia of the Florentine Carabinieri wants to go south for Christmas to spend the holiday with his family in Sicily, but a retired Englishman living in Florence has been murdered. Who has shot Mr. Langley-Smythe in the back? The marshal must discover the identity of the criminal and the motive for the crime before he can take the train home for the holidays."

 b. The Monster of Florence (#10 / 1996).

"Marshal Guarnaccia's job with the Carabinieri usually involves restoring stolen handbags to grateful old ladies and lost cameras to bewildered tourists. So when he is assigned to work with the Florence police in trying to track down a vicious serial killer, he feels out of his league. The crimes he must try to understand are grotesque, the case materials harrowing.  To make matters worse, the Proc he must report to is Simonetti, the same man he knows drove an innocent man to suicide several years earlier in his blind quest for a conviction." 



So there you go, folks. Enjoy a murderously fun trip to Italy... Enjoy your last week of August.