Customer Reviews

Involuntary Witness

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The author is a working criminal lawyer (an investigating magistrate, sort of like a cross between a DA and a judge, if I understand correctly).

In any event, it's clear that he knows of what he speaks in this marvellous Italian trial procedural. Carofiglio has an acid wit, and the book is very amusing.

I found the character development and the romance less interesting, as it was not captured as well as the criminal case. But that's not why one reads this sort of book, anyway.

Having caught up on the Montalbano series, I searched for another Italian based procedural series and discovered Carofiglio, an anti-Mafia prosecutor from Bari. This locale is important to the story of his debut novel as it is a seaside resort located on the back heel of Italy's boot. It is a worthy debut, but Caroliglio would benefit from adopting Camilleri's style a bit, employing less of his central character's private life and focusing more closely on the situation at hand. I found myself skimming through the tribulations of Guido's love life to get to the meat of the trial and the mystery surrounding the death of a young boy, the crime for which his Senegalese client is charged. That his client is innocent is evident from the start, his reasons for incarceration disturbing and sad. I was surprised to discover the breadth of racial blindness and prejudice present in Italy plus the workings of their court system. Because those parts of the book were so compelling, I'll continue with the series, hoping that Guido's personal life takes more of a back seat to the legal proceedings.

Rather more information on the procedures of Italian justice than I wanted, but a great narrator, and the emotional content of his relationships - to his (ex)wife, his new lover, and to the accused - were well developed. The book has a satisfying although not unexpected ending.

It's clear you don't want to be Sengalese and a transient vendor in Italy when a child disappears, but it's a story that could probably happen anywhere. An interesting book. Had it been an American/British murder mystery, we probably would have found out "who dun it" - if you need that, it's not here.

I am a big fan of crime and mystery novels set in Italy, constantly checking for a new Andrea Camilleri or Donna Leon. This was my first time with the author Gianrico Carofiglio and I will be going back for seconds.

The story here is compelling, one of injustice visited on an African street vendor in southern Italy. Great detail is used to explain the evidence (or lack thereof) and to paint a picture of the workings of the Italian legal system. Underline, great detail. I did find myself caring about the accused while trying to appreciate the feelings of hopelessness and mistrust that he had.

There are back stories concerning the lawyer's demons in his personal and love life and, while I felt they added to the story, they were a bit disjointed and gave the book a bit of a choppy feel.

One reservation I had early in the book was a lack of place. I wanted to know that this was Italy and, for a long time, it really could have been Minneapolis. When you read Donna Leon, you know it's Venice. Camilleri / Sicily. I hope that in subsequent works, the author will give me a sense of what Bari is really like.

On balance, a thumb's up with hopes for even better to come.

Beautiful. It is more than a thriller story. As far as I can tell, the book is an accurate snapshot of the society and judicial system today in Italy.

Good simple review of the Italian legal system in an interesting story. The personal demons of the attorney are dealt with as well as some flavor of the region and Italian life. A well done story.

At first, I was amazed at the idea that a person can be charged with murder without any real evidence. As far as I could tell, the only evidence was:

* Thiam haad met the boy on the beach, where he worked
* Thiam had a Polaroid photo of himself with the boy (taken on the beach by the boy's grandfather)
* Thiam (a former teacher) had some children's books on his shelves
* A witness who believed "all niggers look alike" said he had seen Thiam in the area the day of the boy's disappearance

The police didn't even bother to keep accurate transcripts of witness interviews!

Then I remembered that in the not-so-distant past, an American court might have very well prosecuted a black man on equally flimsy evidence.

The descriptions of the lawyer's strategy are fascinating. The politics of the situation are a minefield and Guerrieri has to tiptoe through it --which he does with great skill.

An interesting point is that the author never tells us who did kill the boy. The emphasis is entirely on the trial. The author does, however, write very well, with wit and intelligence. The English translation gives a sense of the rhythm of the Italian language.

Another interesting cultural note is that everyone in Italy seems to smoke incessantly.