Blackout

September 1, 2008
In Morozzi's overly clever psychothriller, three people get trapped in an elevator in Bologna, Italy—Claudia, a student moonlighting as an exotic dancer; Tomas, a teenager planning to rendezvous with his girlfriend in Amsterdam and elope; and Aldo Ferro, who looks like Elvis and just happens to be a serial killer. When chance brings them together, stuck between floors in a deserted building on a summer weekend, they first try to survive. But as the temperature rises and tempers snap, all three react to the stress in ways true to their nature. Clearly influenced by Hollywood movies and such classic Japanese manga as Battle Royale
, the story offers plenty of suspense and well-drawn characters. Unfortunately, some unnecessary sadism and a contrived closing twist will leave some readers feeling less than satisfied.

Starred review from September 1, 2008
This latest Italian import will remind fans of Giorgio Falettis I Kill (2008), though its considerably bloodier. The novel opens with Aldo Ferro, Elvis impersonator, successful businessman, torturer, and serial killer, working on his latest victim. Returning to his private bachelor apartment for more supplies, late in the afternoon on one of the hottest Bank Holidays ever seen in Bologna, Ferro gets into an elevator with Claudia, a young waitress returning from work, and Tomas, a teenage boy about to run away to Amsterdam with his girlfriend. Halfway up, the elevator stops. No ones cell phone has any service, and the emergency call box fails to work. Throughout this fast-moving, compulsively readable, and horrifying story, narration alternates between Aldo, Claudia, and Tomas as they struggle to escape, gradually descending into despair and even madness as the hours tick by. The tiny cast accentuates Morozzis skill at deep and detailed characterization, and he never once fails in pace or plot. The twist at the very end will leave readers questioning the very underpinnings of our world. A superb one-sitting read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)