A Few Drops of Blood

Starred review from February 24, 2014
Weiss’s terrific second mystery featuring Capt. Natalia Monte of the Naples Carabinieri (after 2011’s These Dark Things) opens with a bizarre double murder—the bodies of senior museum curator Vincente Lattaruzzo and gossip columnist Carlo Bagnatti are found naked in a homoerotic pose in the garden of Countess Antonella Cavazza. As Natalia digs into the associations of the victims, she uncovers a welter of relationships that illustrate the ties between the Camorra and the populace and bring into question her friendships with people like Suzanna Ruttollo, who was once married to a violent Camorra boss. The attempt to discover the truth behind the killings may compromise Natalia’s integrity and force her to accept an offer from the Camorra. Memorable characters boost this atmospheric mystery redolent of the city’s art, architecture, and the détente that permits the Carabinieri and the Camorra to both operate in a state of tense and fragile peace. Agent: Yishai Seidman, Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Literary Agency.

April 1, 2014

Confronted by a dramatically staged murder of two gay lovers posed on a statue in a countess's backyard, Capt. Natalia Monte of the Carabiniere ponders motives. Hate crime, yes, but is it antigay or instead, a passionate statement left by another lover? It takes her connections with female mob bosses to ferret out the real story behind the deaths of these two men--an art curator and a tabloid reporter. As her investigation deepens, successive murders threaten to make Naples look like a homophobic murder capital. Ernesto Scavullo--a particularly loathsome mob boss--looks heartless enough to orchestrate such carnage. But beyond these lurid sexual liaisons lurks a secret motive dating back to World War II. Natalia must ascertain what has stirred up all this wrath, and why now. VERDICT Fans of Weiss's series debut These Dark Things who have been awaiting a sequel will find their patience well rewarded by this strong follow-up. Alternating between wistful and doggedly pragmatic, Weiss's protagonist walks a fine line as a Neapolitan cop.

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2014
Carabinieri Captain Natalia Monte (These Dark Things, 2011) has one foot solidly planted in law enforcement, but the other dangles in her old Naples neighborhood, which is awash in organized crime. Natalia thinks she's seen the worst of Naples' underworld until she responds to a report of two bodies discovered in a countess' garden. The men are posed naked astride a horse sculpture with evidence nearby indicating a traditional vendetta killing. A little digging reveals that the victims were homosexual, and, considering the routine attacks on Naples' gay community, Natalia can't eliminate that factor as a possible motive. But depraved camorra boss Ernesto Scavullo lurks in the background, and Natalia senses his connection to the murders. At the same time, Natalia's former partner and lover Pino returns, forcing her to finally confront her feelings. Weiss' cast is outstanding: gifted, tortured Natalia shares the stage with dangerously exotic Naples and the camorra's simultaneous roles as parasite and protector. Highly recommended for police-procedural and international-crime-fiction readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)