Death in Florence

by Marco Vichi

Overview

Florence, 1966. The rain is never-ending. When a young boy vanishes on his way home from school the police fear the worst, and Inspector Bordelli begins an increasingly desperate investigation.Then the flood hits. During the night of November 4th, the swollen River Arno, already lapping the arches of the Ponte Vecchio, breaks its banks and overwhelms the city. Streets become rushing torrents, the force of the water sweeping away cars and trees, doors, shutters and anything else in its wake.In the aftermath of this unimaginable tragedy the mystery of the child's disappearance seems destined to go unsolved. But obstinate as ever, Bordelli is not prepared to give up.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781605989303
Publisher:	Pegasus Books
Publication date:	10/15/2015
Series:	Inspector Bordelli Mysteries
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	400
Sales rank:	864,740
File size:	815 KB

About the Author

Marco Vich's novel Death in Florence won the Scerbanenco, Rieti, and Camaiore prizes. His novels Death in August and Death and the Olive Grove are available from Pegasus Crime.

Editorial Reviews

10/12/2015
The catastrophic flood that devastated Florence in 1966, in which scores of people died and some of the city's greatest artistic treasures were destroyed, serves as the backdrop for Bordelli's absorbing fourth mystery featuring wryly witty Insp. Franco Bordelli (after 2014's Death in Sardinia). Giacomo Pellissari, an "untroubled boy, studious and obedient," disappears on his way home from school one day during a heavy rain. Photos of the 13-year-old in the newspapers and on TV bring no results. Bordelli begins to think Giacomo has been kidnapped by Martians. Much of the book takes place inside Bordelli's head, including reminiscences about WWII, reflections on unattainable women, philosophical ponderings and musings about what he'll have for lunch. Don't expect gore or scientific analysis; Bordelli often intuits rather than deduces. Assistance and insight are supplied by his longtime friends Rosa, a prostitute with a heart of gold, and small-time crook Ennio Botti. The quirkily fascinating personality of Bordelli makes for an entertaining and often thought-provoking mystery. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

As delicious and satisfying as the Tuscan cuisine that Bordelli savors every chance that he gets.

Dayton Daily News

Vichi shows us ever more secret and dark sides to an otherwise sunny city. But his happiest creation, in my opinion, remains the character of Inspector Bordelli. 

Andrea Camilleri

Inspector Bordelli has a lot on his mind. He wonders why he’s never found a great woman, he’s got to cut back on cigarettes, and he should probably figure out who killed that wealthy older lady in her 17th-century villa.

The New York Times

Bordelli is a marvelous creation. He’s a WWII vet with still-vivid memories of its horrors, a dedicated policeman who is close friends with a former prostitute and a thief, a man who administers his own punishment to a shopkeeper gouging flood victims, a hopeless romantic who falls in love easily and totally with a beautiful young salesgirl, and a man who takes a dangerous gamble to try to nail Giacomo’s killers.

Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine

For those who have wandered the streets of Florence or who want to inhabit another person’s head for a while and to delve into the musings of a dogged detective, this is a rewarding read. Indeed, as I approached the end, I couldn’t put it down.

Historical Novels Review

Inspector Bordelli has a lot on his mind. He wonders why he’s never found a great woman, he’s got to cut back on cigarettes, and he should probably figure out who killed that wealthy older lady in her 17th-century villa.

The New York Times