It all began with an unusual assignment, a job better suited for Marlowe than for counsel for the defence Guido Guerrieri. Could he find new evidence to force the police to reopen their investigation about the disappearance of Manuela, the daughter of a rich couple living in Bari? The stories of Manuela's druggy university friends don't quite add up. Her best friend, Caterina, too beautiful and certainly too young for Guerrieri, is a temptation he doesn't need. While the investigation proceeds, Guido fights his loneliness by talking to the punching bag hanging in his living-room and by walking the streets of Bari late at night, often visiting a colourful bar owned by a former client and ex-prostitute. She somehow provides the clue that explains Manuela's disappearance.
Temporary Perfections (Guido Guerrieri Novels)
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Priase for the series: Hard-boiled and sun-dried in equal parts. Where Philip Marlowe would be knocking back bourbon and listening to the snap of fist on jaw, Guerrieri prefers Sicilian wine and Leonard Cohen. A" Financial Times The role of Guerrieri is to take on impossible cases that have little chance of success. His efforts to prove his client's innocence bring him into dangerous conflict with Mafia interests. Everything a legal thriller should be.A" The Times
About the Author
Gianrico Carofiglio now a member of the Senate in Italy was an anti-Mafia prosecutor in Bari, a port on the coast of Puglia. He has been involved with trials concerning corruption, organized crime and the traffic in human beings. He is a best-selling author of crime novels, literary fiction and most recently has authored a graphic novel illustrated by his brother. This is the fourth Guerrieri novel is in this best-selling series.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I love Gianrico Carofiglio, even though I keep forgetting his name between books. I'd gladly read forty of his novels in a row, if there were forty. This is only the fifth Carofiglio novel in English translation.
There are four books featuring Guido Guerrieri. A selective defense lawyer, Guido does not represent child molesters, rapists or Mafiosi - but rather white-collar criminals and small time independent operators in the underworld. Usually he keeps his clients out of jail.
In this novel a colleague asks Guido to look into a closed case. A young woman went missing six months before, and the Carabinieri were never able to trace her or uncover a crime. Manuela's parents are devastated. They want to know what happened. Perhaps Guido, with his deep judicial knowledge, may be able to find some detail in the files that was overlooked in the original investigation.
The plot revolves around Guido's unofficial inquiries. Although not qualified for detective work, Guido takes secret delight in this opportunity. Fictional sleuths inspire him.
Tantalizing developments arise, sandwiched in between amusing glimpses of Guido's everyday legal cases. But even better than the storyline are Guido's witty, self-deprecating internal monologues. He sees his own absurdities and calls himself on every lapse of sense, taste or grammar.
At age forty-five, Guido is a delightful combination of brainy and brawny. He's an ex-boxer who still works out. On the other hand, his head is full of characters from books and scenes from movies. He knows popular music, but also has Proustian moments. No mythic superhero, Guido hates fast driving and packs no guns. He's an ironical hero for sophisticated readers.
Authenticity is always nice, and Carofiglio's books definitely have it. The author is a former prosecutor in Bari, the scene of his novels. He knows the Italian courts and with wry good humor invites us inside.
I'd highly recommend the whole Guido Guerrieri series. In order: Involuntary Witness, A Walk in the Dark, Reasonable Doubts, and Temporary Perfections.
There are four books featuring Guido Guerrieri. A selective defense lawyer, Guido does not represent child molesters, rapists or Mafiosi - but rather white-collar criminals and small time independent operators in the underworld. Usually he keeps his clients out of jail.
In this novel a colleague asks Guido to look into a closed case. A young woman went missing six months before, and the Carabinieri were never able to trace her or uncover a crime. Manuela's parents are devastated. They want to know what happened. Perhaps Guido, with his deep judicial knowledge, may be able to find some detail in the files that was overlooked in the original investigation.
The plot revolves around Guido's unofficial inquiries. Although not qualified for detective work, Guido takes secret delight in this opportunity. Fictional sleuths inspire him.
Tantalizing developments arise, sandwiched in between amusing glimpses of Guido's everyday legal cases. But even better than the storyline are Guido's witty, self-deprecating internal monologues. He sees his own absurdities and calls himself on every lapse of sense, taste or grammar.
At age forty-five, Guido is a delightful combination of brainy and brawny. He's an ex-boxer who still works out. On the other hand, his head is full of characters from books and scenes from movies. He knows popular music, but also has Proustian moments. No mythic superhero, Guido hates fast driving and packs no guns. He's an ironical hero for sophisticated readers.
Authenticity is always nice, and Carofiglio's books definitely have it. The author is a former prosecutor in Bari, the scene of his novels. He knows the Italian courts and with wry good humor invites us inside.
I'd highly recommend the whole Guido Guerrieri series. In order: Involuntary Witness, A Walk in the Dark, Reasonable Doubts, and Temporary Perfections.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
A discriminating defense lawyer who doesn't expect an innocent client -- just not too degenerate -- Guido Guerrieri has a satisfying practice in the Italian coastal town of Bari -- where the author was a former prosecutor.
At 45 he keeps fit, and sane, by frequent communion with an old boxer's punching bag, to which he tells his secrets and doubts. Guerrieri is no detective or investigator of any sort so he knows better when an old colleague begs him to take on a closed case -- a missing girl. But the challenge intrigues him and the parents' desperation tugs at his heartstrings.
Manuela Ferraro, in her twenties, disappeared on her way home from a weekend at a beach resort six months before and no clues have ever turned up as to what happened to her.
Questioning her friends, Guerrieri finds himself caught a bit off-balance with one, Caterina Pontrandolfi, a sexy, self-assured young woman half his age. Well-aware of his own foolishness and rationalizing, Guerrieri confides much to his punching bag while trying -- not very successfully -- to keep the young woman at arm's length. She is very eager to help find her friend and seems to find Guerrieri quite attractive too.
Despite the distractions, Guerrieri makes progress in his case while keeping up with his ordinary practice. Carofiglio's civilized, ironical tone makes Guerrieri especially appealing while the Italian setting and legal details add lots of color.
-- Portsmouth Herald
At 45 he keeps fit, and sane, by frequent communion with an old boxer's punching bag, to which he tells his secrets and doubts. Guerrieri is no detective or investigator of any sort so he knows better when an old colleague begs him to take on a closed case -- a missing girl. But the challenge intrigues him and the parents' desperation tugs at his heartstrings.
Manuela Ferraro, in her twenties, disappeared on her way home from a weekend at a beach resort six months before and no clues have ever turned up as to what happened to her.
Questioning her friends, Guerrieri finds himself caught a bit off-balance with one, Caterina Pontrandolfi, a sexy, self-assured young woman half his age. Well-aware of his own foolishness and rationalizing, Guerrieri confides much to his punching bag while trying -- not very successfully -- to keep the young woman at arm's length. She is very eager to help find her friend and seems to find Guerrieri quite attractive too.
Despite the distractions, Guerrieri makes progress in his case while keeping up with his ordinary practice. Carofiglio's civilized, ironical tone makes Guerrieri especially appealing while the Italian setting and legal details add lots of color.
-- Portsmouth Herald
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
The latest in the Guido Guerrieri series by the estimable Italian crime writer, Gianrico Carofiglio. It's both a well-crafted murder mystery and a series of meditations and recollections by a man of principle and self-awareness. Another case of respect for Socrates' observation about the unexamined life being worthless.
Protagonist Guerrieri is a well-respected defense lawyer based in Bari, Italy who is approached by a colleague to investigate the unresolved disappearance of a young local woman. Reluctantly, Guerrieri agrees to make some inquiries, not expecting to find anything not already reported by the Italian police. His insightful handling of the missing woman's friends gradually opens up new possibilities and eventually a resolution to the case. As the procedural is launched and continues, the reader's respect for the lawyer's character grows. He's a thoughtful and interesting guy, but with a modest ego and good working moral compass. Someone to be admired for his approach to life, accomplishments and even his occasional missteps. The man has good friends with whom he has meaningful conversations, relatively free of cliches. He freely borrows other people's methods and gives them full credit when they succeed for him. In a genre where protagonists are most often addicts, recovering addicts or are regular punching bags for the bad guys, here's a hero who is none of that and, in fact, uses a punching bag himself..
This is a fine story and highly enjoyable read by an author at the top of his game. Highly recommended.
Protagonist Guerrieri is a well-respected defense lawyer based in Bari, Italy who is approached by a colleague to investigate the unresolved disappearance of a young local woman. Reluctantly, Guerrieri agrees to make some inquiries, not expecting to find anything not already reported by the Italian police. His insightful handling of the missing woman's friends gradually opens up new possibilities and eventually a resolution to the case. As the procedural is launched and continues, the reader's respect for the lawyer's character grows. He's a thoughtful and interesting guy, but with a modest ego and good working moral compass. Someone to be admired for his approach to life, accomplishments and even his occasional missteps. The man has good friends with whom he has meaningful conversations, relatively free of cliches. He freely borrows other people's methods and gives them full credit when they succeed for him. In a genre where protagonists are most often addicts, recovering addicts or are regular punching bags for the bad guys, here's a hero who is none of that and, in fact, uses a punching bag himself..
This is a fine story and highly enjoyable read by an author at the top of his game. Highly recommended.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Great story!!
This is the first book that I have read by this author. I really enjoyed the main character. He was complex and interesting. I enjoyed the setting in Bari and also in Rome. Read more
Published 3 days ago by Straccione
A real joy to read
There are four books featuring Guido Guerrieri character. A rather selective defence lawyer who picks his clients, Guido prefers white-collar criminals and small time crooks who... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Sussman Pro
Even for $1, this is utter tripe
Having paid $1 for this, I was ready to give it some slack, but there is *nothing* redeeming about this. The plot is pretty standard, so nothing special there. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Dave
A Great Discovery
This is the first book I have read by this author, and I am looking forward to reading more. The detective is very real, fallible, and totally likeable. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Zippy
Disappointment
I was thrilled to see another crime novel featuring Guido Guerrieri. I have read the three earlier books featuring this lawyer and loved them. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Rebecca M. Whitsett
Perfection
This is the work of an author at his peak. Carofiglio wrote a number of books both in this series and outside of it and all have been well worth reading. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Mark Pastin
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