(reviewed by JD Jung)
Inspector Carlo De Vincenzi is faced with one of his toughest assignments yet. Senator Prof. Ugo Magni was found shot to death in a Milan antiquarian bookstore. On the shelf just above the body, a book of erotica: La Zaffetta – Venetia 1531, was missing.
Could this be a clue to the murder? There is more, though. Not only did the senator create “an environment of morbid tension, subterfuge and intrigue around himself”, but he was a shameless womanizer, with no woman off-limits. Possible suspects are endless– fellow scientists, Magni’s wife, jealous husbands, petty thieves, an unscrupulous private investigator, and more. Oh yes, the victim was interested in spiritism and seances, as were the bookstore owner and scholars like himself. Could that have had anything to do with his murder?
Inspector De Vincenzi has a reputation for using his intuition and looking deep into the psyche of possible suspects in order to solve crimes. He uses psychological clues instead of looking at concrete evidence and other tangible factors, like a suspect’s prior arrest record.
Even though he is somewhat of an enigma to us, the reader can’t help but like him. I thought that I prefer stories where the protagonist is completely fleshed out, but not in this case. Surprising the amount of ambiguity works.
In addition to the plot twists and the setting of 1930’s Milan, I particularly enjoyed the colorful and quirky characters.
Death in a Bookstore was originally published as Sei donne e un libro in 1936. Though the author, Augusto De Angelis, was considered “the father of Italian crime fiction”, his books were later banned by the fascist government.
Death in a Bookstore has been translated in English for the first time. Fans of classic Italian crime fiction are sure to love this one.
