Mazzeri: Love and Death in Light and Shadow

by Peter Crawley

'He had heard the spirits calling his name from the maquis and he had heard their footfalls as they passed by his window in the night. The spirits had summoned him. He could not deny them.' It is the last summer of the twentieth century in Calvi, northern Corsica, and an old man sits watching the kites fly. The festival of the wind is a lively and colourful celebration, but the old man's heart is heavy, he has heard the Mazzeri whisper his name. He accepts that people prefer to believe the dream hunters belong to the past and yet he knows only too well that at night they still roam the maquis in search of the faces of those whose time has come. Ten years later in the high citadel of Bonifacio, in the southern tip of the island, Richard Ross, armed with only the faded photograph of a Legionnaire standing beneath a stone gateway, finds the locals curiously unwilling to help him uncover his family's roots. He rents a villa on the coast and meets the singularly beautiful Manou Pietri, who enchants him with tales of the megalithic isle, its folklore and the Mazzeri - the dream hunters. For a while Ric's life beneath the Corsican sun is as close to perfect as he could wish. Then a chance encounter with a feral boy turns Ric's world upside down, and he is drawn deep into a tangled web of lies and deceit, where truth and legend meet, and from which the Mazzeri offer him little hope of escape. Set in Corsica, Mazzeri is a contemporary novel about this complex mediterranean island, its people and its traditions, which has been influenced by the author's own experiences.

400 pages, Hardcover

First published June 12, 2013

About the author

Peter Crawley was born in Chiswick in 1956. He was educated at Cranleigh School in England and at the Goethe Institut Freiburg-im-Breisgau in Germany. He spent much of his youth in Germany, Austria, France and Corsica. Mazzeri, his first novel, was published by Matador in 2013 and Boarding House Reach the following year. He has since published four more novels: Ontreto, the follow-up to Mazzeri, The Truth In Fiction, a collection of short stories, The Wind Between Two Worlds, set in contemporary London and more recently Constant Tides, a story of Messina, Sicily. Peter Crawley is a former transatlantic yachtsman and historic motor racing driver. His interests include his family, his research, writing and skiing. He lives in Chertsey, Surrey, with his wife, Carol. They have three daughters.

Reviews

[Lewis Weinstein · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty good book that could have been an excellent book with better editing. Too many loose ends. However, still worthwhile.

One reason I read it is that we are traveling to Corsica - actually we're in Corsica now. Lot's of local flavor, but nobody I'd like to meet.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extremely well-crafted novel, subtly blending essences of mystery and thriller with romance and history. There's a lot of detail about the culture and sensibilities of Corsica and its inhabitants, much of it very relevant to the plot, but the author incorporates it into the story in such a way that it never feels like too much information or tiresome exposition.

The biggest strength of the novel is its characters, not least of them Corsica itself, which is beautifully described with tremendously rich imagery and description that suggests the author's intimate knowledge of the area. The protagonist, Ric, is well drawn, likeable but with hints of a troubled past that unfolds as the story progresses. Supporting characters are three-dimensional, all with emotions, history and motives of their own.

An enjoyable but thoughtful and reflective novel, one that I would highly recommend.

[David Canford · Rating 5 out of 5]

I choose this book as we were going to Corsica on vacation. As well as a good story it has a lot of information about Corsica and its history. There are some great descriptive passages though a few are a little overdone. The sexual tension between the two main characters is very well written. It is definitely worth reading especially if you have been to, or want to know more about, Corsica which is a stunning island.

[Wicherjohn · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 40%, clunky, wordy, and repetitive. Gave it 150 pages hoping some plot or character development would occur but alas none I could discern.

[Annie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Peter Crawley’s Mazzeri is a novel that demands patience. A lot of patience. Even though it begins with a suspenseful opening sequence involving a kidnapping, Crawley slows the pace back down for a good half of the book while he puts all his pawns into place for the finale...

Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review consideration.