I've been hooked on this series since Book 1 (I Will Have Vengeance), recommended to me by my Italian sister-in-law (Thanks, Suki!). Slow, operatic, dark, wry, if you are looking for a fast-paced crime thriller, look elsewhere. Set in 1930s Italy under il Duce, featuring the morose, lonely Commissario Ricciardi, haunted by macabre visions of people at the moment of their violent deaths, his short-tempered, good-hearted, protective brigadier Maione, and an assortment of passionate and (of course... sigh) beautiful women, they meander through the streets of Naples, solving sordid, often gang-related, crimes, sometimes aided by a funny, tragic transgendered "femminiello." The straight "policier" narrative is interspersed with "arias": soliloquys voiced by unidentified characters, stream of consciousness or descriptive, duets between an elderly musician and an ambitious acolyte, or the thoughts of the women who are hooked on the gloomy, seemingly unreachable Commissario and are tormented (that word comes up a lot...) by it. Unrequited passions abound, brutal conflict occurs regularly, murder, suicide, disfigurement, and happy endings are not to be relied upon. It's quite delicious. You don't have to read them in order (though I recommend it). One quibble: I do not read Italian, so I can't well judge the translation, but the paperback edition I read has numerous editing errors - missing words, typos, etc., which were a mild and occasoinal distraction.

I know how I would end this series, but I'm not going to tell you. Buon appetito! ( )

Un po' stantio: secondo libro su Ricciardi che leggo e ci ritrovo (quasi) tutti i protagonisti precedenti, qualcuno nuovo ed uno morto. Si muove tutto lentamente, secondo me: una Napoli fine anni '30 descritta fra vicoli, sporcizia, feste e unalunghissimo (infinita?) "quasi" storia d'amore. Perchè ò'amore, ahimè non sboccia e il utto si trascina stancamente.
Scritto bene, niente da dire: ma senza uno straccio di colpo di scena, e con l'assassino che salta fuori sempre dopo poche pagine. ( )

As a young man, Vincenzo Sannino was infatuated with a young woman, Cettina, as she with him. To become worthy of her, he stowed away on a ship which brought him to America. There he became in the course of many years, a championship boxer called "Vinnie the Snake", after his lightning fast punch. Now rich and famous but having killed accidentally another fighter in the ring with that punch, guilt brings him home. Unfortunately, Cettina hasn't waited for him and has married, whereas he has dreamt of returning to her arms. A murder near the docks bring Ricciardi and Maione to investigate. Vinnie is accused of the murder; the policemen feel he is innocent and set out to prove it.

The was another case with twists and turns. Music plays a big part; Vinnie serenades Cettina with a song from long ago: the so-called "nameless serenade." The song speaks of autumn, love, and loss. The redoubtable Bambinella played her part, and the story involved the family business of a fabric shop. A very enjoyable outing, but, goodness, I hope Ricciardi and Enrica [who are in love with each other secretly] will get together at some point! At least she has turned down a suitor. This is my favorite mystery series set in Italy--Naples, to be exact. Setting is during the Fascist years under Il Duce.

Highly recommended. ( )