Nameless Serenade

The ninth Commissario Ricciardi Neapolitan mystery is “noir with a heart, haunting and beautiful . . . A literary thriller of exceptional quality” (NB Magazine). Years ago, Vinnie Sannino left Naples on a ship bound for America, where he found fame and fortune as a boxer. But his gilded life in the new world came to an abrupt end when, during a fight, with a heavy punch to the head of his opponent, Vinnie killed a man in the ring. Now, Vinnie’s back in Italy, pining for the woman he left behind. Cettina, however, is now a married woman. She was, at least, until her husband was recently found dead, killed by a single blow to the head. For Commissario Ricciardi, one of the most faceted cops in fiction, and his partner Maione, it is a going to be a long, rainy, week in Naples. “Deep melancholy infuses the crafty whodunit plot of de Giovanni’s superior ninth mystery set in 1930s Italy . . . Ricciardi, who’s literally haunted by visions of the dead, continues to be one of the most nuanced and intriguing sleuths in contemporary crime fiction.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “De Giovanni is one of the best historical crime writers out there. His Commissario Ricciardi novels, set during the fascist period in Italy, are intelligent and totally engrossing. Nameless Serenade is a perfect addition to the series; a really satisfying murder mystery, an insight into 1930s Naples and a thrilling chapter in the life of the Commissario. Lyrical prose and intriguing rounded characters contribute to making this one of the finest in the Ricciardi chronicles.” —NB Magazine

That Autumn it seemed the rain in Naples would never stop, and Commissario Ricciardi found himself having to face not only a homicide but long-buried feelings that have grown thick roots inside him. It's been over fifteen years since Vinnie Sannino left on a ship for America without telling anyone. There Vinnie found fame, success, and wealth as a boxer, becoming the middleweight champion of the world. But that all came to a terrifying halt when his last opponent died in the ring and Vinnie lost his desire to fight. Now, he's back in Italy in search of the woman he left behind, Cettina, the love of his life. But Cettina has moved on. She's now a married woman. Or, she was until recently. Her husband, a wealthy businessman, has been found murdered. There's no murder weapon to speak of. He was killed with a single blow to the head, not unlike the blow that felled Vinnie's opponent in the ring on that fateful night in America. PRAISE FOR THE COMMISSARIO RICCIARDI MYSTERIES "A superb historical series."— The New York Times "Rich and strange."—Barry Forshaw in the FT "Fascinating mix of Christie-like whodunit and spooky thriller set in 1931 Naples."— Shots Magazine "The construction of Glass Souls is remarkable... The powerful rhythm with which the plot develops will surprise readers at every turn."— La Repubblica

Over the last three decades, Italian crime fiction has demonstrated a trend toward a much higher level of realism and complexity. The origins of the New Italian Epic, as it has been coined by some of its proponents, can be found in the widespread backlash against the Mafia-sponsored murders of Sicilian magistrates which culminated with the assassinations of Judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino in 1992. Though beginning in the Italian language, this prolific, popular movement has more recently found its way into the English language and hence it has found a much wider international audience. Following a brief, yet detailed, history of the cultural and economic development of Sicily, this book provides a multilayered look into the evolution of the New Italian Epic genre. The works of ten prominent contemporary writers, including Andrea Camilleri, Michael Dibdin, Elena Ferrante, and Massimo Carlotto, are examined against the backdrop of various historical periods. This "past is prologue" approach to contemporary crime fiction provides context for the creation of these recent novels and enhances understanding of the complex moral ambiguity that is characteristic of anti-mafia Italian crime fiction.

Reviews "This collection of poetry both reflects and creates attitudes that we now regard as characteristic of our age – the crisis of nationhood and the burden of citizenship. Ebi Yeibo’s White Masks unambiguously exposes the dystopian nightmares of a nation and a people’s willing detachment from humanity. While some poets of his generation are content with dreaming of an ideal world, in White Masks, Yeibo, through the resources of memory, experiments with the idea of a better world." Professor Ogaga Okuyade, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. "…Ebi Yeibo’s White Masks is a collection inspired by hope. In whichever way it is read, it cannot but invite a political and social argument. Highly recommended to the discerning reader—to anyone who takes more than a passing interest in any aspect of modern Nigerian poetry." Professor Hyginus Ekwuazi, University of Ibadan, Nigeria "…In theme, temper, and style, Yeibo reconfigures human experience in a manner that makes it ethereal. In White Masks, Yeibo charts new frontiers of human experience in culture, environment, spirituality, and history, while also foregrounding the nuances that give his earlier poetry its distinctiveness." Professor Sunday Awhefeada, Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria

Naples detectives face a coldblooded killer amid the chill of winter in the third book of the Italian author’s acclaimed mystery thriller series. A heinous double murder in a squalid apartment on the wrong side of town pits the motley collection of cops known as the “bastards” of the Pizzofalcone precinct against their superiors, the press, and the local political hierarchy. Now Inspector Lojacono and Officer Di Nardo must work against the brutal headwinds and bring the killer to justice if there’s to be any hope of saving their reputations. As with his acclaimed historical mystery series featuring Commissario Ricciardi De Giovanni, Maurizio de Giovanni once again brings the dark side of Naples to light with the Bastards of Pizzofalcone. One of the most popular and prolific mystery authors in Europe, his award-winning novels offer a brilliant vision of the criminal underworld and the lives of the cops in Italy's most atmospheric, dangerous, and lustful city.

An abandoned baby and a missing dog lead a group of Neapolitan cops to murder and mayhem in this mystery by the author of Cold for the Bastards. The next installment in Maurizio de Giovanni’s bestselling “Bastards of Pizzofalcone” series unfolds during the crisp beginning of April in contemporary Naples as a new evil spreads throughout the city. . . . A baby is left abandoned beside a dumpster. A young Ukranian maid fights the torrents of greed and frustration with the world around her. Small animals begin to disappear off the streets. The task of solving these mysteries is entrusted to a team of policemen in which few believe: the Bastards of Pizzofalcone. Complete with stirrings in the city’s criminal underbelly and a fight against a seemingly inhuman evil, this novel is sure to delight fans of de Giovanni’s previous works. De Giovanni is one of Europe’s most renowned and versatile mystery writers. His award-winning and bestselling novels, all of which take place in Naples, engage readers in gripping tales of Europe’s most fabled, atmospheric, dangerous, and lustful city. “A rich ensemble cast lifts de Giovanni’s funny, poignant fourth police procedural featuring the “losers and pariahs” who man the little Pizzofalcone police station located in the heart of Naples. . . . De Giovanni is a master of the witty, elegantly plotted fair-play mystery.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

This study argues for Hogg's centrality to British Romanticism, resituating his work in relation to many of his more famous Romantic contemporaries. Hogg creates a unique literary style which, the author argues, is best described as 'kaleidoscopic' in view of its similarities with David Brewster's kaleidoscope, invented in 1816.