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Giampiero Rigosi is rightly being compared to Elmore Leonard and Quentin Tarantino for this thrilling piece of crime writing that weaves a fascinating (and often humorous) cast of characters together in a tale of blackmail, political intrigue, murder, and chance encounters over a four-day period in Bologna, Italy. At the centre of the tale is Francesco, the debt-ridden gambler and driver of the night bus whose route crosses the path of Leila, a hustler who is unfortunate enough to pick up Andrea, blackmailer of a senior politician. After drugging Andrea and robbing him, Leila acquires an airport locker key that opens to reveal a case full of money -- the payoff for the intended return of the incriminating document that she has also unwittingly stolen. Sadly for her, two secret servicemen and an agent hired to collect the document are also after the money and the evidence -- and are prepared to go to any lengths to get it. Now pursued by these respective killers, Leila hitches a ride with Francesco and hides out in his run-down apartment, and together the two hatch a plan to outwit the pursuers and escape with the loot. Unfortunately, Francesco is also being pursued on behalf of his creditors by the Bear, a man whose violence is matched by his strength. In chapters subdivided into short action sequences involving these different characters, Rigosi manages to combine suspense with humour in the style of Pulp Fiction or Get Shorty. The two secret servicemen are Garofano, the food-loving father of a wayward daughter, and Diolati, a dyspeptic and ever tearful, razor-wielding killer. Garofano's parmigiana (a great recipe by the way) cooked in Leila's flat, plays a major part in determining the outcome of this tale -- and what a meal it turns out to be! NIGHT BUS is a great read -- pacey and well-written -- and hopefully there's more to come from this writer.
Reviewed by Neil Wynn, April 2006
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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