Death in August (Inspector Bordelli) - Tapa blanda

Vichi's prose transports readers to the deserted, sweltering streets of down-and-out Florence, thanks to a translation by Stephen Sartarelli that conveys the dialogue with a lyricism and tongue-in-cheek wit one instinctively senses were present in the original. Straight from the city that brought us da Vinci and Dante, Vichi is on a par with writers like Henning Mankell and Elizabeth George who have elevated the police procedural to a work of art.

Vichi's stellar first in a new mystery series (and his U.S.debut) introduces endearingly melancholic Inspector Bordelli. Vichi delivers a plausible solution worthy of a golden age crime novel. Readers will look forward to seeing more of this flawed hero.

Inspector Bordelli has a lot on his mind. He wonders why he's never found a great woman, his Beetle is acting up, he's got to cut back on cigarettes, and he should probably figure out who killed that wealthy older lady in her 17th-century villa.--Susannah Meadows

Florence, summer 1963. Inspector Bordelli is one of the few detectives left in the deserted city. He spends his days on routine work and his nights tormented by the heat and mosquitoes.With the help of his young protégé, the victim’s eccentric brother, and a semi-retired petty thief, the inspector begins a murder investigation. Each suspect has a solid alibi, but there is something that doesn’t quite add up...