These Dark Things

March 28, 2011
Capt. Natalia Monte of the Naples' carabinieri, the dedicated and scrupulously honest heroine of poet Weiss's absorbing fiction debut, must find who killed Teresa Steiner, a brilliant graduate student from Germany whose body, viciously stabbed, was discovered in an underground crypt. Natalia and her romantically inclined partner, Sgt. Pino Loriano, briskly interview a galaxy of intriguing and well-defined prime suspects: Teresa's lecherous thesis adviser, whom she rebuffed; a novice monk, also infatuated yet rejected; and Aldo Gambini, head of the local Camorra, which controls gambling, prostitution, garbage haulingâand even the collecting of money from street shrines. Could Teresa, whose thesis centered on the study of street shrines, have been skimming donations? The corruption of the Neapolitan bureaucracy, mirrored by the stench from uncollected garbage in the streets, taints but cannot overcome the vitality of the city. Weiss renders its bustling trattorias and colorful neighborhoods with flair.

May 1, 2011

Just when we thought all the possible plots had been taken, Weiss brings us a new police procedural set in Naples, Italy, that taxes the brain and gives us pause for the future of society. Captain Natalia Monte of the Carabinieri is brought in as the lead to solve the perplexing murder of beautiful graduate student Teresa Steiner. Was she killed because she challenged the old-boy network--and which one? The church, the university, or the Camorra (mob)? Natalia and her partner, Pino, must proceed cautiously because paybacks come fast and furious in this volatile city. Surprisingly, a trash strike and the controlling interests play a huge part in the investigation because of Teresa's many liaisons before her death. Natalia's a favorite type of heroine because she's no saint herself, so dig in and prepare to be riveted by this intense and violent read. VERDICT Natalia represents a new era in Italian culture in which women can operate effectively as authority figures. For all readers who love a complex story fraught with tough decisions about friendship, family loyalties, and justice.

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2011
Weiss debut mystery is the start of a new series featuring Carabinieri Captain Natalia Monte, based in her hometown of Naples. When a body is found poised in a crypt designated as a national monument, Natalia and partner Pino take the case from the local police. They soon discover that the murdered young woman was involved in some dubious activities connected to the brutal and vicious Camorra, the gang that rules crime in the region. The most intriguing aspect of this appealing debut is the female perspective it offers on the Neapolitan criminal underworld, both from Natalias side as a Carabinieri officer and from the points of view of the women who work for the Camorra. Full of vibrant descriptions of Naples and boasting a solid mystery plot, These Dark Things heralds the arrival of a most promising series. Recommend it, in particular, to fans of Michael Genelins Jana Matinova series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)