A best-seller across Europe, Italian author Faletti’s first novel is a top-notch thriller. Monte Carlo, in Monaco, is supposed to be one of the safest places on earth, with a police force more concerned with paparazzi than with homicide, but that all changes when a mystery man calls a popular radio show. The next day two faceless bodies are discovered, along with I kill written in blood. The substantial cast of characters that assembles to find the killer is led by Frank, a former FBI agent; Frank’s best friend, Nicholas, the police commissioner; and the charismatic DJ Jean-Loup Verdier. All the characters are fully fleshed and three-dimensional, which makes the use of multiple viewpoints particularly enjoyable. The dialogue and narration could have been a little tighter, but Faletti manages to pull it off, maintaining a good pace and masterfully building tension through 600 pages, a clear sign of a major new talent. This one will appeal not only to devotees of European crime fiction but also to thriller fans in general. --Jessica Moyer
Description:
From Publishers Weekly
Personal tragedies affect almost everyone involved in Faletti's well-constructed serial killer novel set in glitzy Monte Carlo. FBI agent Frank Ottobre is recovering in Monaco from his wife's death by visiting his friend police commissioner Nicolas Hulot when the first deaths occur, of an American race car driver and the celebrated driver's chess champion girlfriend. Ottobre is soon drawn into a baffling case where the killer goads police with untraceable phone calls to Jean-Loup Verdier, the principality's most popular radio host, before each murder. As the victim count mounts, so does the suspense in this fine cat-and-mouse game of skill and subtlety. A smooth translation and several intriguing subplots, one of which features a powerful American general intent on vigilante justice, keep the pace moving briskly, despite the unusual length. First published in Italy in 2002, this winning novel marks Milan-based publisher Baldini Castoldi Dalai's entry into the U.S. market. (June)
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From
A best-seller across Europe, Italian author Faletti’s first novel is a top-notch thriller. Monte Carlo, in Monaco, is supposed to be one of the safest places on earth, with a police force more concerned with paparazzi than with homicide, but that all changes when a mystery man calls a popular radio show. The next day two faceless bodies are discovered, along with I kill written in blood. The substantial cast of characters that assembles to find the killer is led by Frank, a former FBI agent; Frank’s best friend, Nicholas, the police commissioner; and the charismatic DJ Jean-Loup Verdier. All the characters are fully fleshed and three-dimensional, which makes the use of multiple viewpoints particularly enjoyable. The dialogue and narration could have been a little tighter, but Faletti manages to pull it off, maintaining a good pace and masterfully building tension through 600 pages, a clear sign of a major new talent. This one will appeal not only to devotees of European crime fiction but also to thriller fans in general. --Jessica Moyer