ABOUT
THE BOOK

Translated from the Italian by Antony Shugaar

2020 Longlist

A Commissario Ricciardi Neapolitan mystery that packs a real punch.

Years ago, Vinnie Sannino left Naples on a ship bound for America, where he found fame and wealth 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 recently when her husband was 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.

About the Author

Maurizio de Giovanni lives and works in Naples. In 2005, he won a writing competition for unpublished authors with a short story set in the thirties about Commissario Ricciardi, which was then turned into the first novel of the series. His books have been translated into French, Spanish and German, and are now available in English.

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