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Book: "Garlic, olive oil and killer"

Author: Pino Imperatore

Rating from (1 to 6): 5

Pino Imperatore's "Garlic, Olive Oil, and Murderer" tells the story of a die-hard bachelor police inspector, a hard-faced commissioner, and two masters of Neapolitan cuisine with a wingi-ready joke to pull off. The funniest detective team in Italian crime fiction. This book is pretty jokey written. I had never met Pino Imperatore as an author. He has quite a playful way of writing, just Italian style. Highly recommended to read this book, have it for your home library. It is for people who appreciate a well written mystery with twists and an intelligent plot. An excellent way to spend a cold weekend. I'm beginning to predict crime novels with a humorous twist. I've gotten awfully hooked on Paul Levine (I've already told you about Green Daiquiri, and I've already started the second part of his Kill All Lawyers series, which I'll tell you about soon). Well, Pino Imperatore's "Garlic, Olive Oil and Murder" is not at all inferior to Paul Levine. Again, a fun thriller comedy, with countless twists and indescribable emotions. A book like this can never be redundant. This fall I'm definitely on a wave to read either books that have a lot of story in them or ones that keep a smile on my face and on the dreary rainy fall days, my soul is warm and cozy, a bell is heard, laughter is heard.

In the charming Neapolitan neighbourhood of Mergelina, Francesco and Pepe Vitiello run the welcoming family restaurant, Parthenope. In this place that has kept its traditions over the years, they serve superb dishes and peppery anecdotes. Inspector Gianni Scappese, a lover of culinary art and beautiful women, works in the newly opened police station located opposite the restaurant. Rumor has it that the ghost of a merry widow roams there, but the policeman feels right at home in the control room since he grew up in the same neighborhood. In the warm and sincere attitude of the Vitiello brothers, he finds everything he has lost in recent years. In the weeks before Christmas, however, Naples is shaken by the murder of a boy whose corpse is literally "seasoned" by the killer with garlic, olive oil and hot peppers. What secret lies behind this malevolent ritual? What message is the killer trying to send? To discover the truth, the inspector will have to dive deep into Neapolitan culture, to explore its symbolism, beliefs and legends. He hopes to do so with the help of his tenacious boss, Commissario Carlo Importa, and the brilliant insights of the Vitiello brothers.

It's a novel that wisely blends comedy and thriller, and Pino Imperatore directs a terrific chorus of passion and joy, of meanness and ingenious twists and punches. A thrilling race against time, with an extraordinary finale.