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Title details for The Namesake by Conor Fitzgerald - Available

The Namesake

A Commissario Alec Blume Novel

by Conor Fitzgerald
ebook
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2 of 2 copies available
The disappearance of Matteo Arconti, an innocent insurance man from Milan, is no mistake. That much becomes clear when his body is discovered mere feet away from the office of another Matteo Arconti—a court magistrate known for his close scrutiny of mafia movements.
This namesake killing broadcasts a clear message of defiance and intimidation from a powerful crime syndicate. But whom, exactly, is the murder intended to intimidate?
Commissario Alec Blume thinks he knows who's behind it all—Italy's most efficient and secretive mafia, the Ndrangheta, whose principals have operated untouchably from Germany for years. This is Blume's chance to lure the arrogant mafiosi out of their hiding place.
As a personal friend of Judge Arconti, however, Blume is too close to the case to formally investigate. Handing control over to his partner, Caterina Mattiola, he willingly takes a backseat—that is, until he decides to speed things up and secretly falsifies a mob wife's confession.
This plan forces Blume into an electrifying chase across Italy, from Naples to Calabria. As he races to right his wrongs and save innocent lives, Commissario Blume must ask himself whether he has finally gone too far...

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    June 12, 2012

  • Formats

    • Kindle Book

    • OverDrive Read

      • ISBN: 9781620400135

    • EPUB ebook

      • ISBN: 9781620400135
      • File size: 1028 KB

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      April 2, 2012
      Police commissioner Alec Blume looks into the murder of a Milan insurance agent in Fitzgerald’s fine third novel featuring the American expat living in Rome (after 2011’s The Fatal Touch). Found outside the court buildings in Piazza Clodio, the victim had the same name as no-nonsense magistrate Matteo Arconti. Could this be an act of defiance from the Calabrian Mafia? The kidnapping of a 14-year-old girl, whose journalist father was quite critical of the mob, may also be linked to the crime syndicate. Blume winds up going undercover after a false confession by a mobster’s wife he plants to draw out Arconti’s killer leads to near catastrophic repercussions. Meanwhile, by submerging himself in both investigations, Blume can avoid dealing with his growing relationship with Chief Insp. Caterina Mattiola. Fitzgerald provides an insightful glimpse into the machinations of Italian police work and the criminal world, where strong family bonds astound even the most perceptive cop. Agent: Sarah Ballard, United Agents.

    • Library Journal

      Starred review from May 1, 2012

      Milanese actuary Matteo Arconti was kidnapped and killed simply because his name was the same as that of a Rome-based magistrate. He was executed as a warning to government officials to butt out of organized crime activities. But the magistrate can't resist pushing back, and he wants Commissario Blume in Calabria, where the movers and shakers of Italian organized crime will convene the next week. So Blume takes on an undercover role, leaving Caterina, his deputy and girlfriend, in a bind with a tangentially related case. Blume's situation looks dire when the 'Ndrangheta crime organization kidnaps him. VERDICT Shifting points of view and locales help clarify a complex storyline and alert readers to an interconnectedness that the police can't hope to see. Fitzgerald's feat of blending Italy's storied past with a contemporary thriller is done extraordinarily well. The third in this exciting series (after The Fatal Touch) juggles multiple storylines and deepens readers' understanding of Alec and Caterina. If your readers loved Michael Dibdin's Aurelio Zen series, get them started on this one. [See Prepub Alert, 3/21/12.]

      Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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