My pencilled list of things to expect from Italian Crime Fiction isn't particularly long or even all that surprising. A certain, shall we say obsession, with food; an eccentric, slightly grumpy, protagonist who spends a lot of time in his own head and seems to be quite happy there; and the occasional unexpected interpersonal relationship. That's a tick in boxes for RIVER OF SHADOWS then. Set on the banks of the River Po in Parma during a long cold, wet winter where the best everyone can hope for is that the river freezes to limit the reaches of the flooding, a barge captain goes missing on a night when everyone is distracted by the rising water levels.That night the bargeman's brother falls from a window in a local hospital, a death that looks like suicide, but is quickly shown to be murder. Set in the current day, the roots of the fate of both brothers weaves its way into the society of boatmen and river dwellers and back to their time as fascist militia members in WWII.Whilst there's a slightly subdued feeling to the story telling in this book, there's something beautifully atmospheric, introspective, and complex building. Commissario Soneri contributes a lot to all of those aspects, a wonderfully individualistic character with a particular personal style, he's a thinker and an observer, rather than an action man. Unless you're talking about his rather unusual relationship with a girlfriend who is commitment phobic and fond of eclectic sexual encounters. A girlfriend who could be some men's idea of the perfect woman - all sex and no complications - it's Soneri that seems to long for more. I really liked this Commissario, and not just because he's my favourite sort of detective - a bit grumpy, a bit eccentric, a loner by circumstance rather than preference. I liked that he questioned everything and everybody, including himself. I liked his cynicism, his sense of irony.There was something very believable about the way that the past directly impacted on everyone. There's something very evocative about the way that the communist / fascist differences in particular continued to affect present day lives and perceptions. That idea of the past and the future winding in and out is repeated in the way that the life of the people ebbed and flowed along with the river that dominated how and where they lived.RIVER OF SHADOWS really is exactly my sort of book - characters, a society and a landscape each with their own positive and negative aspects. Considered, introspective and thoughtful analysis of all of those elements, and a direct line between the past and the present.Now if you're sitting comfortably, a bit of housekeeping. RIVER OF SHADOWS is the fourth book in the overall Soneri series, and the first one available in translation. A second has been translated - THE DARK VALLEY - which I understand is the 6th book in the series. As teeth grindingly annoying as that is, if you love slower, atmospheric translated crime fiction, then this is seriously good option.http://www.austcrimefiction.org/revie...
I had great problems connecting with this book. It took me forever to read and normally I whip through murder mysteries with no problem but it wasn't the case for this one.The pace was ridiculously slow, maybe it's the relaxed Italian culture, but it dragged along. The book couldn't hold my attention either, I would find my mind drifting off and thinking about other things only to find I hadn't taken in any of the story.The main character, I think his name was Soneri, was generally likeable. He seemed like a nice man, although his relationship with his girlfriend got on my nerves. They seemed to spend most of their time together trying to find risqué places to sleep together, including someone's flat and the barge belonging to the missing Tonna. I know it's not real but it comes across as really unprofessional and I like my policemen to do things properly. One thing that also got on my wick (sorry for ranting, I'm in one of those moods!) was how much they went on and on about food. I know Italians are passionate about what they eat but every time someone sat down at a dinner table I would get a detailed recipe. Overall, this was a bit of a disappointment. At the end it was just a relief to finish and I'm not sure I completely understood who was the murderer or why. I think I'll stick to my Scandinavian reads. I always seem to enjoy them more.
What do You think about River Of Shadows (2010)?
Excellent translation from the original Italian. This was a joy to read, atmospheric. You feel the cold oppressive mist, the sparseness of the lives of the characters. I also liked that there was little of the battling with superiors that features quite strongly in some other italian detective series. The story was strong with no turn around reveal ending. Instead the story gently builds and you can see where the protagonist is going. There is good characterisation and a wonderfully told story. Very enjoyable. This is the first book in a series and I eagerly await the second.
—Aoife
Like Fred Vargas's Adamsberg, but about half as good. No, wait - 20% as good. Repetitive language & motifs, presumably (on a charitable interpretation) supposed to be evocative of the river and its ebbs and flows, are insufficiently fluid and just don't work. Characters are wooden and painfully obviously serve single purposes. Milestones in the story are revealed again as though tide marks in the retreating flood, which could be an OK, if simplistic, device - but it's executed so ham-fistedly that you're left wondering if he just drew a stake with plot-line notches on it and filled in the rest around it by throwing watercolours. Summary: don't bother.
—Igor Clark
Most Americans who know anything about World War II are aware of at least the broad outlines of the war in Italy: the American invasion, the rise of the partisans, the fall of Mussolini, his re--establishment by the Germans and his final "disposition" by the partisans after the Germans were pushed out of Italy. But what most--and I include myself--don't really think about is that the partisan fighting really amounted to a civil war; there were plenty of people who still believed in Fascism for one reason or anther and actively helped the Italians Fascists in their fight against the partisans. The inevitable occurred, as it always does in civil wars: reprisals on both sides, mounting viciousness--and a legacy of hatreds that endures until the last member of that generation dies.Commisario Soneri of the Parma police is called to investigate what looks like a suicide of an elderly man. But the evidence suggests murder. More or less on instinct, Soneri winds up in Torricella, a town on the Po River, not far from Parma where, during flooding due to heavy rains, the older brother of the supposed suicide has disappeared, his barge suddenly floating free down the Po. Later, his body is found deliberately submerged in the river. A check into the brothers' past reveals that they were Fascists who collaborated actively with the Blackshirts during World War II to round up local partisans, most of whom were Communists. Soneri is convinced that the reason for the two murders that occurred within hours of one another lies in the fighting of 50 years ago.A very good book although murky at times; it's a little hard to follow the action. One never knows if that's due to the author or to the translation. Still, the characters are quirky enough, the local color of the riverine area of the Emilia region is well done, and the history of the sort of thing that happened all over Italy during that war interesting. This is the first in a series, and I'm looking forward to reading the next.
—Joyce Lagow
