The Namesake

April 2, 2012
Police commissioner Alec Blume looks into the murder of a Milan insurance agent in Fitzgerald’s fine third novel featuring the American expat living in Rome (after 2011’s The Fatal Touch). Found outside the court buildings in Piazza Clodio, the victim had the same name as no-nonsense magistrate Matteo Arconti. Could this be an act of defiance from the Calabrian Mafia? The kidnapping of a 14-year-old girl, whose journalist father was quite critical of the mob, may also be linked to the crime syndicate. Blume winds up going undercover after a false confession by a mobster’s wife he plants to draw out Arconti’s killer leads to near catastrophic repercussions. Meanwhile, by submerging himself in both investigations, Blume can avoid dealing with his growing relationship with Chief Insp. Caterina Mattiola. Fitzgerald provides an insightful glimpse into the machinations of Italian police work and the criminal world, where strong family bonds astound even the most perceptive cop. Agent: Sarah Ballard, United Agents.

Starred review from May 1, 2012

Milanese actuary Matteo Arconti was kidnapped and killed simply because his name was the same as that of a Rome-based magistrate. He was executed as a warning to government officials to butt out of organized crime activities. But the magistrate can't resist pushing back, and he wants Commissario Blume in Calabria, where the movers and shakers of Italian organized crime will convene the next week. So Blume takes on an undercover role, leaving Caterina, his deputy and girlfriend, in a bind with a tangentially related case. Blume's situation looks dire when the 'Ndrangheta crime organization kidnaps him. VERDICT Shifting points of view and locales help clarify a complex storyline and alert readers to an interconnectedness that the police can't hope to see. Fitzgerald's feat of blending Italy's storied past with a contemporary thriller is done extraordinarily well. The third in this exciting series (after The Fatal Touch) juggles multiple storylines and deepens readers' understanding of Alec and Caterina. If your readers loved Michael Dibdin's Aurelio Zen series, get them started on this one. [See Prepub Alert, 3/21/12.]

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