A Walk in the Dark (Gianrico Carofiglio) [Paperback]

Gianrico Carofiglio (Author), Howard Curtis (Translator)

Book Description

Series: Gianrico Carofiglio | Publication Date: March 15, 2011

"Carofiglio writes crisp, ironical novels that are as much love stories and philosophical treatises as they are legal thrillers."—The New Yorker

"Part legal thriller, part insight into a man fighting his own demons. Every character in Carofiglio's fiction has a story to tell and they are always worth hearing. As the author himself is an anti-mafia prosecutor, this powerfully affecting novel benefits from veracity as well as tight writing."—Daily Mail

"A novel as much about human nature and the passage of time as it is about law-breaking. Crisp laconic sentences, subtle shifts in tone, and a seamless translation that should be commended."—The Times Literary Supplement

When Martina accuses her ex-boyfriend, the son of a powerful local judge, of assault and battery, no witnesses can be persuaded to testify on her behalf, and one lawyer after another refuses to represent her. Guido Guerrieri knows the case could bring his legal career to a premature, messy end, but he cannot resist the appeal of an apparently hopeless cause. Nor can he deny an attraction to Sister Claudia, the young woman in charge of the shelter where Martina is living. Claudia shares his love of martial arts and his virulent hatred of injustice.

Gianrico Carofiglio was an anti-Mafia prosecutor in Bari, a port on the coast of Puglia, for many years, and is now a member of the Italian senate. He has sold over 2.5 million books of the Guerrieri series in Italy alone.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Carofiglio is an anti-Mafia prosecutor in the southern Italian city of Bari, and maybe someday he'll write a novel with a main character who faces the same kinds of challenges as he does. Until then, we have this second book (after 2005's Involuntary Witness), a bestseller in Italy, starring Bari defense lawyer Guido Guerrieri, who could have just gotten off an Alitalia flight from the Land of Grisham or the Los Angeles of Michael Connelly's The Lincoln Lawyer. Guerrieri can't resist taking on a case no other lawyer will touch, that of Martina Fumai, who has accused her vicious ex-boyfriend, the son of a powerful judge, of assault. Colorful characters, unexpected plot twists and smooth, often sharp writing ("The best of Vietnamese New Wave.... The kind of music I love so much I can even listen to it for five minutes at a stretch") will keep readers turning the pages. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

A woman has accused her former lover of assault and battery, not to mention harassment and stalking. But because the man is the son of a powerful judge, the victim can't find a lawyer to take her case. Enter defense attorney Guido Guerrieri, who soon discovers that this seemingly hopeless (and potentially career--destroying) case is also a lot trickier and more dangerous than he had expected it to be. The second novel by Italian prosecutor Carofiglio, smoothly translated by Curtis, is breezy and witty but also dark and moody. The author's familiarity with the legal system allows him to play up its weaknesses, and Guerrieri, a man who values the rights of his clients above his own professional well-being, is an intelligent and sympathetic series lead. Readers bored with assembly-line American legal thrillers should welcome this latest Italian import with open arms. David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 218 pages
• Publisher: Bitter Lemon Press (March 15, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1904738532
• ISBN-13: 978-1904738534
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #380,347 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars terific Italian thriller, October 4, 2006

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Walk in the Dark (Paperback)

A Walk in the Dark
Gianrico Carofiglio
Bitter Lemon, Oct 2006, $14.95
ISBN: 1904738176

In Bari, Italy, defense lawyer Avvocato Guido Guerrieri earns a living providing legal council to petty criminals; his business depends on returning customers as most of his clients are repeat offenders. However, for whatever reason deep in his pyche, Guido has a soft spot for the underdog especially abused females so at times he will take on impossible cases.

This is one of those times when Guerrieri turns champion because to his chagrin he is immediately attracted to Sister Claudia, director of Safe House, who asks him to help one of her volunteers now hiding at the shelter. The woman moved in with a wealthy Prince Charming who turned into an abusive beast. He beat her in public twice and in private several times. Because of his connections, the carabineri, the police and a judge deny the woman's plea for protection from his harming her. Two lawyers have said no, but Guerrieri agrees to take on the case of protecting the ex girlfriend Martina Fumai, Sistaer Claudia and the shelter from Ernesto Scaianatico, son of of a criminal appeals court judge. However, Guido will learn the hard way why his peers said no.

This terific legal thriller stars a fascinating protagonist who normally is indifferent and bumbling when it comes to his typical clients; however some cases fire up his inner gut turning him into a capable caring attorney and much more. Guido's two capers (see INVOLUNTARY WITNESS) are legal noirs as he struggles to insure his clients remain safe against powerful adversaries who use money and abuse of power to insure victory over justice. Gianrico Carofiglio provides a terific Italian thriller

Harriet Klausner

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Justice is well-served, November 30, 2008

By 

Eloi (Ely, NV USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: A Walk in the Dark (Paperback)

This is tightly-plotted tale of underdog revenge with wonderful characters--Sister Claudia, please watch my back--in just 215 pages. I read it in a night, then re-read it a few days later to clear up some of the moral ambiguities, because everyone, even protagonist lawyer Guerrieri, has to work through some murk. I'm still thinking, but this is a police novel in the tradition of Simenon's Maigret novels and Duerrenmatt's The Judge and His Hangman. A terrific read.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Italian courtroom drama, December 9, 2008

By 

Blue in Washington "Barry Ballow" (Washington, DC United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: A Walk in the Dark (Paperback)

"A Walk in the Dark" is a taut, well-constructed crime story, written by a former Italian prosecutor, that opens a window on the considerable problems in the Italian legal and juridical systems. This is a common theme in Italian crime writing, but "A Walk..." has the feel of an original. The book is set in the southern Italian port city of Bari and features protagonist Guido Guerrieri, a principled and well-respected lawyer who is known to take on lost causes. Guerrieri has some major personal issues that are well-told parts of the story.

In "Walk in the Dark," Guerrieri represents a woman with a complaint against the son of a senior Bari judge. It's a case that is definitely not a career enhancing assignment and one that turns out to be dangerous as well.

While the book's plot is somewhat classic and not overly-ambitious, the great strength of the story is in the interaction between its characters, each one of which is well-developed and credible. There is some real challenge, as well as enjoyment, here for the reader. This is a book that transcends the mystery genre, approaching literature.

Author Gianrico Carofiglio's wonderful writing is well served by an excellent translation by Howard Curtis. Highly recommended.