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A well-known loan shark is murdered in Florence with a pair of scissors. Inspector Bordelli finds a pile of promissory notes and decides to return them in person, hoping to discover the killer. His activities lead him to a number of young people whom he has to try to understand. Meanwhile, his young colleague, Piras, is living at home in Sardinia whilst recovering from a gunshot wound. The cousin of a neighbour is found dead in his lonely house. Is it suicide or murder? There is much to think about and as always Bordelli and Piras keep in touch. Despite the usual Italian rain, and the introspection of the characters, this particular Inspector Bordelli novel is wonderfully upbeat for much of the book. The author writes very perceptively about attitudes, communication methods, and beliefs between young people and those coming up to retirement, such as the inspector and his cronies. Vichi also builds a picture of Italy. The backstreets and outskirts of Florence come to life as Bordelli goes around making contact with his friends, acquaintances and potential suspects, and as always the loving descriptions of food and drink are as enjoyable as some of the characters. Part of the story is also set in rural Sardinia and the descriptions of the life of this traditional community are particularly interesting. However, it is not clear why it is this setting that provides the title of the book. A translation of the Italian title IL NUOVO VENUTO (THE NEWCOMER) might have been better, rather than allowing what may have been a marketing decision to take precedence. Presumably, the name of the author is becoming well known enough in the UK to sell books. It is rare in a crime novel to see so much effort given to building an understanding of the context. We learn not only how people think but also why they think as they do. This is achieved partly by the many opportunities provided for stories from the past. All sorts of characters have the chance to tell stories, whether from childhood or from the war, all designed to deepen our understanding of Italy and Italians. What makes this book such a good read is the wonderful dialogue. We really feel we're inside the heads of Bordelli and Piras as they try to work out how best to question potential suspects and then put their ideas into practice. The conversations unfold in an easy, unhurried manner, completely at one with the characters and their surroundings. The forward momentum of the book is maintained not only through the progress of the investigations but also through little touches such as the continuing efforts by Bordelli to give up smoking, and the progress of the Christmas and Epiphany celebrations, all cleverly interwoven into the narrative. This is a very worthy successor to the previous novel in this series. It's a gem. § Sylvia Maughan is a retired university lecturer, based in Bristol.
Reviewed by Sylvia Maughan, September 2012
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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