Previous
releases in the series are: Death in August and Death
and the Olive Grove
Marco Vichi's Death in Sardinia, the latest translated installment
in the Inspector Bordelli police procedural novels, brings
alive Italy and Florence in the 1960's. Although the plot
is straightforward involving the murder of a particularly
unsavory character, the real interest is Bordelli himself
as he works to solve the crime. Bordelli, a man in his fifties,
tries to deal with the social changes in Italy during the
1960's as he still recalls vividly the fresh and painful memories
of his WWII experiences. De to this confluence of the WWII
memories with contemporary Italy, the author paints a highly
nuanced inspector.
What makes the
Bordelli mysteries so compelling are the challenges Bordelli
faces as a man in his mid-fifties: namely, a broken love affair,
single, smoking too much, the daily routine of living, and
trying to understand young people of the 1960's. Bordelli
as a character soon becomes more interesting to follow than
the actual procedures involved in solving the crime. For non-Italians,
the book provides insights into the inter-workings of the
Italian police and judicial system. For others, as Bordelli
navigates streets and landmarks of Florence to solve the murder,
the author introduces the reader to a vibrant Florence not
described in guide books.
Arthur Marco Vichi
continues the tradition of Henning Mankell's Inspector Wallender
and Donne Leon's Commissario Brunetti characters, all of whom
face similar challenges as they navigate their respective
personal and social challenges in solving crimes.
Death in Sardinia
is a thrilling novel that provided an intriguing mystery,
fast paced suspense and settings so visual that I yearned
for more from this talented author. A must read for anyone
who loves foreign mysteries with intelligent characters and
an engrossing plot.
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