Book Review-I Will Have Vengeance By Maurizio De Giovanni

One of my favorite things to do to relax is to read a good mystery. I'm particular about how I read my mysteries. I look for books that are usually not too gruesome and not two violent. I usually pick up mysteries from other countries and in another time because I’m looking for the back story which would allow me to experience the thrill of delving into a different culture or getting to know a different country. I already follow murder mystery series that are set in Scotland, England, Italy, Spain, France ETC. I do a lot of homework in selecting a series and I try to find a mystery series that has a long list of books that I can follow. I read them in chronological order, as the author wrote them. I came upon this book by Mauricio Giovanni in Carmichael books in Louisville Ky. It is part of the World Noir Series from Europa Editions. They became famous for publishing the Elena Ferrante series. Came up on two or three of the Commissario Ricciardi series in Carmichaels, and I became intrigued by the premise of the series as well as the very different set of circumstances. I picked up two or three of the first books and I jumped right in. This first one sets the tone I think for the rest of the series. We are introduced to Commissario Ricciardi, his sidekick Brigadier Maionne, and his doting Tata Rosa. As with all good literature, the author takes a long time to introduce us to the main characters. Characters that will be continuously accompany us on their adventures throughout series. De Giovanni does a very good job of introducing us to them and he does so at a very leisurely pace. He is not really in a hurry to get this important but somewhat tedious task done quickly. He lets us get a feel for the characters. Of course there is a very distinguishing characteristic of the main protagonist, a distinguishing characteristic that makes him of interest and makes us dig deeper into the character and the murder mystery. This particular characteristic for this series is especially unnerving. The ability that Commissario Ricciardi has is phantasmagorical which makes takes this story into unchartered realms, especially for me. I'm not going to give it away here, because it's a big part of the pleasure of reading the book. De Giovanni does an excellent job of setting up the mystery. He sets the scenes he built things up nicely and he leads the reader along on an unusual ride. It is hard going at first, the initial reading of the early part of the book is awkward and somewhat uncomfortable for the reader. I think that was intentional because it forces us to face our own discomfort with respect to what the plot line is about, but as the story goes on it becomes more interesting, it eventually sucks us in as the story moves towards the middle. The slow and excruciating setup is part of the charm of the book, it makes the reader pay attention to everything that the author presents and makes us consider all of the possibilities. The story centers around the death of a famous tenor in the opera house in Naples during the Italian fascist period, Il Duce is mentioned casually throughout the book. It was a particularly gruesome death and the suspects are many. The usual premise of a murder mystery. The difference is how Commissario Ricciardi solves the mystery. He is meticulous and rational in how he attacks the problems, but he also employs his “gift” to help him. All along his journey to solving the crime, he is beset by his superior’s inability as well as his own emotional upheavals hidden under his placid demeanor. The story is a study in contrast of reason and irrationality. The ending was satisfactory, but the enjoyment of the book lies in the chase that De Giovanni takes us on. I already started second book.