Commissario Ricciardi, "one of the most interesting and well-drawn detectives in fiction," returns in this historical mystery by the author of By My Hand (The Daily Beast).
It is one week before Easter, Naples, 1932. At the high-class brothel in the center of town known as Paradiso, Viper, the most famous prostitute of all, is found dead. Suffocated with a pillow. Her last client swears that when he left her she was alive and well. But when her next client arrived, he found her dead. Who killed her and why? Ricciardi has to untangle a complex knot of greed, frustration, jealousy, and rancor in order to solve the riddle of Viper's death. As he does so, he will discover no end of conflicting emotions just beneath the surface of a city that lives on passion.
De Giovanni's mysteries unfold with such sinuous ease that they seem to write themselves. They enchant, surprise; they hold readers enthralled. Commissario Ricciardi, whose dubious gift of being able to see and hear the last seconds in the lives of those who have suffered a violent death, is one of the most fascinating investigators to make his appearance in the world of international crime fiction in recent years. And in Viper, the lustful and boisterous city of Naples has never been more seductive.
"Engaging . . . melancholy Ricciardi, Brigadier Raffaele Maione, and other characters are compellingly drawn. New readers and returning fans should savor this novel like a Neapolitan pastiera."-Publishers Weekly
"De Giovanni is a fantastic discovery and I'm looking forward to reading the series from the start as there's plenty here to enthrall the reader."-Crimepieces
A new book in the Italian crime series featuring Commissario Ricciardi. Set in Naples in 1932, it sees Ricciardi investigate the murder of the most famous prostitute in a high-class brothel. Translated by Antony Shugaar. 'A superb historical series.' "The New York Times"
“Di Giovanni’s slashing wit cuts deeply into his cameo portraits of the high and mighty, even as his elegant style ennobles the wrestched lives he views with such compassion.” –
The New York Times Sunday Book Review on Day of the Dead “In Ricciardi, De Giovanni has created one of the most interesting and well-drawn detectives in fiction, and this book is a real treat that should not be missed by crime lovers.”—
The Daily Beast on Blood Curse
“A wonderfully suspenseful novel in which de Giovanni restores life to the cliché of the world-weary detective”
—Kirkus Starred Review on The Crocodile
“A superb historical series”
–The New York Times on Everyone in Their Place
