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Commissario Soneri #8
Gold, Frankincense and Dust: A Commissario Soneri Investigation
Parma. A multiple pile-up occurs on the autostrada into the city. A truck transporting cattle skids off the road. Dozens of cows and bulls go on the rampage, injured and crazed. In the chaos, the burned body of a young woman is found at the side of the road. Her death has no apparent link to the carnage.
Commissario Soneri is assigned the case. It is a welcome distraction: his mercurial lover Angela has decided to pursue other options, leaving him even more morose than usual.
The dead woman is identified as Nina Iliescu, a Romanian immigrant whose beauty had enchanted a string of wealthy lovers. Temptress, muse, angel - she was all things to all men. Her murder conceals a crime and a sacrilege, and even in death she has a surprise waiting for Soneri.
Commissario Soneri is assigned the case. It is a welcome distraction: his mercurial lover Angela has decided to pursue other options, leaving him even more morose than usual.
The dead woman is identified as Nina Iliescu, a Romanian immigrant whose beauty had enchanted a string of wealthy lovers. Temptress, muse, angel - she was all things to all men. Her murder conceals a crime and a sacrilege, and even in death she has a surprise waiting for Soneri.
200 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2007
13 people are currently reading
61 people want to read
About the author
Valerio Varesi
65 books45 followersValerio Varesi, nato a Torino nel 1959, vive a Parma e lavora nella redazione de La Repubblica di Bologna. Romanziere eclettico, è il creatore del commissario Soneri, protagonista dei polizieschi che hanno ispirato le serie televisive "Nebbie e delitti" con Luca Barbareschi (distribuite anche negli Stati Uniti). I romanzi con protagonista Soneri sono tradotti in tutto il mondo, e nel 2011 Valerio Varesi è stato finalista al CWA International Dagger, il premio internazionale per la narrativa gialla. Parallelamente Varesi ha iniziato la propria personale ricognizione della recente Storia italiana con tre romanzi generosi e appassionanti: La sentenza, Il rivoluzionario e Lo stato di ebbrezza
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
October 11, 2018
This is a crime investigation dominated by fog and the narrative flows and curls and is as deceiving as the fog. The novel starts with a huge accident on the autostrada in Parma, a scene the police cannot find because of the fog. Soneri is sent out because he knows the area, and the whole plot develops from the rather surreal and carnivalesque scenes that Soneri and inspector Juvara experience en route to the accident scene. It is this sense of the hallucinogenic of the dissolving and disintegrating that dominate the investigation of a dead, badly burnt body that is unrelated to the accident. During the investigation, Soneri's own personal life and his sense of self become as ambivalent, confusing and slippery as the fog that plays tricks and swirls and darkens just like memory. Varesio is a fairly philosophical writer and dialogue in the novel is at times cryptic and opaque as it emulates the fog itself.
Varesi's crime novels are not for readers who enjoy fast action type crime, nor are they quite like Andrea Camilleri's Commissario Montalbano novels. Varesi's novels belong to a Northern Italian sensibility in style, atmosphere and tone, as they are set in and around Parma and Emilia-Romagna, which is wetter, mistier and rather more bleak and Gothic.
Though not as good as the first two novels in the series, I enjoyed this third novel in the Commmissario Soneri series. I have watched the excellent RAI TV production of Varesi's Commissarion Soneri investigations, which are equally atmospheric and gnomic.
Varesi's crime novels are not for readers who enjoy fast action type crime, nor are they quite like Andrea Camilleri's Commissario Montalbano novels. Varesi's novels belong to a Northern Italian sensibility in style, atmosphere and tone, as they are set in and around Parma and Emilia-Romagna, which is wetter, mistier and rather more bleak and Gothic.
Though not as good as the first two novels in the series, I enjoyed this third novel in the Commmissario Soneri series. I have watched the excellent RAI TV production of Varesi's Commissarion Soneri investigations, which are equally atmospheric and gnomic.
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August 5, 2016I'm giving it a 3.5 rating; frankly, I'm getting tired of reading about main characters with so much inner angst that it overshadows the rest of the story.
Gold, Frankincense and Dust is the third book in the Commissario Soneri series after River of Shadows and The Dark Valley. River of Shadows was okay, and I loved The Dark Valley, with its rich atmosphere and excellent characterizations, and I realized after reading that novel that Varesi was an author I'd watch in the future. So when I saw that this book had been published, I bought it and well, frankly, it wasn't all I'd hoped it would be. On one level, there's a really good mystery here and some well-outlined and important social issues; on another, though, it was overshadowed by way too much of Soneri's personal life to the point that it detracted my reading from the punch that the core mystery might have delivered without it. Then again, it's a personal preference of mine to prefer edgy crime over a main character's inner angst, so it's one you absolutely have to read and decide about for yourself whether or not it's your cup of tea. Or perhaps in this case, espresso.
Gold, Frankincense and Dust has a great opening -- Soneri is called to the scene of "one hell of a pile-up" on the autostrada, even though it's really a case for the flying squad. His expert knowledge of the Lower Po Valley is why he must go, especially because there's a heck of a fog that's settled in. Once he arrives, there's chaos within a somewhat surreal atmosphere -- bulls are roaming around with a cow and a herd of a pigs, causing his partner, Juvara, to pose the question of whether or not they've landed in Animal Farm. Disco music is blaring in the background at a fairground. Smoke is everywhere, adding to the fog's confusion. As the police and firefighters arrive and start looking around, they discover a body which has been badly burned. Soneri, despite opinions that the body must have been thrown from the car during the accident, believes that this was not the case -- that the body had been burned somewhere else and then brought to where it was found. Through a stroke of good luck, there is a clue as to the body's identity, and it is identified as being that of a young Romanian girl named Nina Iliescu. It doesn't take long for Soneri and his colleagues to realize that this is no ordinary woman, and that her life is filled to overflowing with secrets. Add to this the old man who got on a bus with twenty euros and two photos and never made it to his destination alive -- and our Commissario has his hands full. But keeping himself focused is tough for Soneri -- his personal situation with Angela has become a bit iffy, making him fearful that "loneliness lay in wait" if she decides that he's not really the man she wants in her life.
As in his other works, Varesi's finest talent lies in his ability to evoke atmosphere and maintain it throughout the novel. The first scene in the fog sets the tone for the rest of the novel, as Soneri's investigations uncover a host of things that lay hidden, and not just in the life of the dead girl. Being able to navigate in the mist in the Po Valley is one thing; trying to navigate his way through a murky personal life where he can't see the outcome is another. He's also good at writing characters, and the mystery of the dead girl brings out people from many very different walks of life. And then there's Soneri himself -- whom
"in every victim, ... found the frustrations of all human affairs, and for this reason he always felt close to them."
In this book, one of the main themes running throughout the story is that of "precariousness," as revealed through Soneri's personal life and his interactions with those who live on the edge of poverty and on the margins of society. Varesi carries this theme throughout the book and he does it well. Unfortunately, considering everything this book has going for it, Soneri's constant worries about being a middle-aged man teetering on the brink of loneliness because of Angela's tendency to wiffle back and forth about her future took away a lot of the fun of the crime solving. By the time it got to the end, I really wanted this book to be over. On a personal level, that's tough for me to say, because I normally enjoy reading this author's work.
But then again, as I noted above, my preference leans toward edgy without much inner angst within the characters (unless it's noir, then bring it on) so my complaint about all the personal stuff interfering with the crime solving may not be something that bothers other readers. It's a little involved for cozy readers, and doesn't have the edge loved by readers of noir, so I'd place it within the police procedural bracket with an added middle-age crisis sideline. And finally, although this book didn't really do it for me, I will be waiting somewhat impatiently for Varesi's next book to be published.
Gold, Frankincense and Dust is the third book in the Commissario Soneri series after River of Shadows and The Dark Valley. River of Shadows was okay, and I loved The Dark Valley, with its rich atmosphere and excellent characterizations, and I realized after reading that novel that Varesi was an author I'd watch in the future. So when I saw that this book had been published, I bought it and well, frankly, it wasn't all I'd hoped it would be. On one level, there's a really good mystery here and some well-outlined and important social issues; on another, though, it was overshadowed by way too much of Soneri's personal life to the point that it detracted my reading from the punch that the core mystery might have delivered without it. Then again, it's a personal preference of mine to prefer edgy crime over a main character's inner angst, so it's one you absolutely have to read and decide about for yourself whether or not it's your cup of tea. Or perhaps in this case, espresso.
Gold, Frankincense and Dust has a great opening -- Soneri is called to the scene of "one hell of a pile-up" on the autostrada, even though it's really a case for the flying squad. His expert knowledge of the Lower Po Valley is why he must go, especially because there's a heck of a fog that's settled in. Once he arrives, there's chaos within a somewhat surreal atmosphere -- bulls are roaming around with a cow and a herd of a pigs, causing his partner, Juvara, to pose the question of whether or not they've landed in Animal Farm. Disco music is blaring in the background at a fairground. Smoke is everywhere, adding to the fog's confusion. As the police and firefighters arrive and start looking around, they discover a body which has been badly burned. Soneri, despite opinions that the body must have been thrown from the car during the accident, believes that this was not the case -- that the body had been burned somewhere else and then brought to where it was found. Through a stroke of good luck, there is a clue as to the body's identity, and it is identified as being that of a young Romanian girl named Nina Iliescu. It doesn't take long for Soneri and his colleagues to realize that this is no ordinary woman, and that her life is filled to overflowing with secrets. Add to this the old man who got on a bus with twenty euros and two photos and never made it to his destination alive -- and our Commissario has his hands full. But keeping himself focused is tough for Soneri -- his personal situation with Angela has become a bit iffy, making him fearful that "loneliness lay in wait" if she decides that he's not really the man she wants in her life.
As in his other works, Varesi's finest talent lies in his ability to evoke atmosphere and maintain it throughout the novel. The first scene in the fog sets the tone for the rest of the novel, as Soneri's investigations uncover a host of things that lay hidden, and not just in the life of the dead girl. Being able to navigate in the mist in the Po Valley is one thing; trying to navigate his way through a murky personal life where he can't see the outcome is another. He's also good at writing characters, and the mystery of the dead girl brings out people from many very different walks of life. And then there's Soneri himself -- whom
"in every victim, ... found the frustrations of all human affairs, and for this reason he always felt close to them."
In this book, one of the main themes running throughout the story is that of "precariousness," as revealed through Soneri's personal life and his interactions with those who live on the edge of poverty and on the margins of society. Varesi carries this theme throughout the book and he does it well. Unfortunately, considering everything this book has going for it, Soneri's constant worries about being a middle-aged man teetering on the brink of loneliness because of Angela's tendency to wiffle back and forth about her future took away a lot of the fun of the crime solving. By the time it got to the end, I really wanted this book to be over. On a personal level, that's tough for me to say, because I normally enjoy reading this author's work.
But then again, as I noted above, my preference leans toward edgy without much inner angst within the characters (unless it's noir, then bring it on) so my complaint about all the personal stuff interfering with the crime solving may not be something that bothers other readers. It's a little involved for cozy readers, and doesn't have the edge loved by readers of noir, so I'd place it within the police procedural bracket with an added middle-age crisis sideline. And finally, although this book didn't really do it for me, I will be waiting somewhat impatiently for Varesi's next book to be published.
April 25, 2013
Letto tutto di un fiato, è molto coinvolgente nelle descrizioni di Parma e chiaramente nel giallo ma a livello di "drama" un po' troppo ripetitivo, cioè sì ti immedesimi nei sentimenti del protagonista ma la parte biografica d'amore è un po' troppo reiterata. Anche la fine "risolutiva" fa percepire una sensazione generale di persone come tenute insieme con lo scotch un po' deprimente, a volte poco realistico e anche se comprendo la paura della solitune alla soglia della vecchiaia spaventi, ma la reazione al tradimento così dimessa e contenuta a mio parere ha poco da spartire con le reazioni che fuori dal romanzo si veriferebbero.
Spietata e chirurgica la critica alla mentalità di Parma, in un libro dove si fa leva sull'imbruttimento degli spazi pubblici, delle impressioni sulla gente di Parma "guardando intorno le tavolate di impiegati e professionisti in giacca e cravatta, uguali come gli anolini usciti dallo stesso stampo." "Soneri cercò di immaginare la reazione dei benpensanti parmigiani quando avrebbero scoperto che il bruto non era uno straniero e nemmeno un poveraccio drogato, ma uno stimato professore di diritto. osservarlo ora, seduto sulle sedie di compensato della questura, abbattuto sui gomiti come un vecchio olmo schiantato dal vento, faceva quasi pena."
insomma una critica aspra, onesta e trasversale.
Buon libro, ne leggerò altri di questa serie.
Spietata e chirurgica la critica alla mentalità di Parma, in un libro dove si fa leva sull'imbruttimento degli spazi pubblici, delle impressioni sulla gente di Parma "guardando intorno le tavolate di impiegati e professionisti in giacca e cravatta, uguali come gli anolini usciti dallo stesso stampo." "Soneri cercò di immaginare la reazione dei benpensanti parmigiani quando avrebbero scoperto che il bruto non era uno straniero e nemmeno un poveraccio drogato, ma uno stimato professore di diritto. osservarlo ora, seduto sulle sedie di compensato della questura, abbattuto sui gomiti come un vecchio olmo schiantato dal vento, faceva quasi pena."
insomma una critica aspra, onesta e trasversale.
Buon libro, ne leggerò altri di questa serie.
December 20, 2017
Commissario Soneri, Valerio Varesi's Parma detective, was new to me. Books in translation are always a little dependent on the ability of the translator to communicate the little nuances of the plot, but this is done well.
This is a decent story, centring on the discovery of a burnt out body near an autostrada pile-up, and that of an elederly man who has died on a bus heading back and forwards to Romania. Are the two deaths linked? Along the way, the book touches on the role of Roma gypsies in Italian society and how they're treated, but essentially this is a good old-fashioned detective yarn with credible characters.
It was also short, always a good thing when you're looking at a new author. I'd read more Soneri books, for sure.
This is a decent story, centring on the discovery of a burnt out body near an autostrada pile-up, and that of an elederly man who has died on a bus heading back and forwards to Romania. Are the two deaths linked? Along the way, the book touches on the role of Roma gypsies in Italian society and how they're treated, but essentially this is a good old-fashioned detective yarn with credible characters.
It was also short, always a good thing when you're looking at a new author. I'd read more Soneri books, for sure.
June 29, 2014
Something went seriously wrong with this one. Such a disappointment. Somewhere americanese crept in and it jarred after the beautiful writing and translation of the earlier books. I found it difficult to follow the story and even to know who two of the characters were. The story felt weak. The are we still on thing with Angela was overblown had the resolution pathetic considering the intelligence previously demonstrated by the character. I had this on preorder and was really looking forward to it. There may have been publishing problems as the publication date was put back several months from the original date advertised. In any event the result is not up to standard.
September 10, 2020
Ormai è il quinto Varesi che leggo e, vista la delusione degli ultimi, mi sono ben guardata dal comprarlo. Semplicemente, l'ho trovato in biblioteca - è uscito da un pezzo, un annetto, forse - e ho detto: toh, proviamo, mal che vada non avrò speso niente.
E mi sono presa una pausa da "Revolutionary Road", che è una lettura viscerale e proprio per quello non può essere continuativa sennò potrei anche arrivare al suicidio, imbarcandomi in questa che sapevo, o immaginavo, sarebbe stata una traversata leggera e senza mal di mare.
Bene, l'ho finito, e non ci ho messo molto, anche perché con Varesi il problema è che a un certo punto la tira così in lungo che l'importante è finire, come dice Mina.
E allora cominciamo dai pregi, che ci sono e sono quello che rendono unico nel bene e nel male questo giallista/cronista della redazione bolognese di Repubblica (mai letto niente di lui sul quotidiano: da noi arriva con la cronaca milanese).
Intanto ci troviamo subito in medias res e il caos primordiale con un incidente, tori e maiali in libertà ai bordi dell'autostrada, i fumi di un incendio, e quella cazzo di nebbia che anche se ci sei nato non capisci più niente e non ti orienti più, qui sono qualcosa di più della letteratura, diventano simboli di quell'Italia inafferrabile e senza più coordinate che Varesi e i suoi personaggi soffrono senza capire. E' una scena felliniana, un circo senza domatori:
"Gli sembrava tutto posticcio, un luna park come quello che diffondeva in lontananza il sottofondo musicale. E lui che sfidava il suo Minotauro immerso in una nebbia che aveva improbabili colori da fiera. Sentiva Juvara implorarlo, ma lui se ne stava lì a osservare la bestia immobile, riflettendosi nei suoi occhi grandi e rassegnati. Fu solo un attimo, perché poi il toro girò la testa e filò via svanendo nel buio."
E in questo romanzo, letteralmente fino all'ultima pagina Soneri brancolerà nel buio, perché, pur essendosi fatto un'idea via via più precisa di chi e come potrebbe aver commesso il delitto su cui lui indaga, non ha capito niente della vittima: che vittima rimane, ma lui si era sentito in dovere di idealizzarla in quanto donna, in quanto giovane, straniera, incinta, senza rendersi conto (ma l'autore sì, e ci aveva messo sottilmente sull'avviso qua e là) che quando frequenti un certo sottobosco e hai un conto in banca così imponente, qualcosa devi pur aver fatto per arrivare dove sei arrivata.
Interessante, e resa bene nelle sue ambiguità, anche la descrizione della crisi di stanchezza di Angela verso il commissario, e della conseguente crisi di angoscia, gelosia e ansia da solitudine di lui. Peccato che finisca tutto, contro ogni verosimiglianza, a tarallucci e vino, e anche che - è il principale difetto di questo autore, anti-simenoniano per eccellenza - Varesi la tiri così in lungo, questa crisi, con reiterazioni di dialoghi e moltiplicazioni della stessa scena che prolungano lo strazio più del lettore che del personaggio.
Soneri vede la sua donna in un'enoteca con il rivale? Bene, ci tornerà ogni sei pagine, in quell'enoteca.
Il martedì ha provato a telefonarle ma in ufficio non rispondeva nessuno e il cellulare era staccato? Bene, la stessa sequenza accadrà anche il giovedì, il venerdì e la domenica. E così via.
Senza contare che purtroppo il personaggio di Angela, ingessata nei suoi tailleur da avvocatessa con lo studio in centro che sa i segreti di tutta la Parma-bene, non solo non è stato mai approfondito nei romanzi precedenti, ma (Varesi si lascia scappare un'occasione clamorosa, visto che è lei ad aprire le ostilità) rimane convenzionale perfino qui. Algida, senz'anima, non femme fatale (magari) ma donna in carriera della borghesia medioalta. Ingessata, sì.
A proposito di personaggi: ricompare qui, con un altro nome e sotto altre vesti, l'allegorico protagonista del roman-roman "Le imperfezioni". Se là ci angosciava come simbolo della perdita e della sconfitta senza appello, qui ha imparato a vivere, a lasciarsi vivere, a ridere di sé e della commedia umana, e cerca invano di impartire lezioni di saggezza a Soneri, che invece è il tipo d'uomo incapace di recitare una parte.
A ribadire il suo pessimismo di base sui rapporti di coppia, oltre alla crisi tra il commissario e la sua compagna e alla girandola di illusioni che circondava la bella vittima Nina, Varesi introduce fin dall'inizio un testimone chiave (reticente o, alla Carofiglio, inconsapevole? Lo capiremo solo leggendo), un vecchio malvissuto che ha trascorso gli ultimi vent'anni in latitanza, nascosto tra gli zingari, per sfuggire alla giustizia dopo avere ucciso la moglie.
Leggiamo questo dialogo da "Sonata a Kreutzer":
"Ma è stato davvero per gelosia?" lo incalzò Soneri.
"Importa poco questo" bisbigliò il vecchio. "Ero un'altra persona. Quando lei sarà vecchio" proseguì "magari diventerà indulgente e capirà i delinquenti. Non si può mai dire. Io che ero un delinquente, oggi potrei fare il poliziotto."
"Li capisco anche oggi, non creda" intervenne il commissario. "Perlomeno capisco perché agiscono in un certo modo. Poi c'è la legge, ma è un'altra cosa."
"Forse mia moglie non mi tradiva..." sussurrò il vecchio con un'espressione da sonnambulo. "Il guaio è che era sfuggente, ambigua. Mi dava sempre l'impressione che non pensasse esclusivamente a me. Mi teneva sulla corda... Ecco quel che non sopportavo."
"E' il modo migliore per farsi amare", concluse Soneri.
E mi sono presa una pausa da "Revolutionary Road", che è una lettura viscerale e proprio per quello non può essere continuativa sennò potrei anche arrivare al suicidio, imbarcandomi in questa che sapevo, o immaginavo, sarebbe stata una traversata leggera e senza mal di mare.
Bene, l'ho finito, e non ci ho messo molto, anche perché con Varesi il problema è che a un certo punto la tira così in lungo che l'importante è finire, come dice Mina.
E allora cominciamo dai pregi, che ci sono e sono quello che rendono unico nel bene e nel male questo giallista/cronista della redazione bolognese di Repubblica (mai letto niente di lui sul quotidiano: da noi arriva con la cronaca milanese).
Intanto ci troviamo subito in medias res e il caos primordiale con un incidente, tori e maiali in libertà ai bordi dell'autostrada, i fumi di un incendio, e quella cazzo di nebbia che anche se ci sei nato non capisci più niente e non ti orienti più, qui sono qualcosa di più della letteratura, diventano simboli di quell'Italia inafferrabile e senza più coordinate che Varesi e i suoi personaggi soffrono senza capire. E' una scena felliniana, un circo senza domatori:
"Gli sembrava tutto posticcio, un luna park come quello che diffondeva in lontananza il sottofondo musicale. E lui che sfidava il suo Minotauro immerso in una nebbia che aveva improbabili colori da fiera. Sentiva Juvara implorarlo, ma lui se ne stava lì a osservare la bestia immobile, riflettendosi nei suoi occhi grandi e rassegnati. Fu solo un attimo, perché poi il toro girò la testa e filò via svanendo nel buio."
E in questo romanzo, letteralmente fino all'ultima pagina Soneri brancolerà nel buio, perché, pur essendosi fatto un'idea via via più precisa di chi e come potrebbe aver commesso il delitto su cui lui indaga, non ha capito niente della vittima: che vittima rimane, ma lui si era sentito in dovere di idealizzarla in quanto donna, in quanto giovane, straniera, incinta, senza rendersi conto (ma l'autore sì, e ci aveva messo sottilmente sull'avviso qua e là) che quando frequenti un certo sottobosco e hai un conto in banca così imponente, qualcosa devi pur aver fatto per arrivare dove sei arrivata.
Interessante, e resa bene nelle sue ambiguità, anche la descrizione della crisi di stanchezza di Angela verso il commissario, e della conseguente crisi di angoscia, gelosia e ansia da solitudine di lui. Peccato che finisca tutto, contro ogni verosimiglianza, a tarallucci e vino, e anche che - è il principale difetto di questo autore, anti-simenoniano per eccellenza - Varesi la tiri così in lungo, questa crisi, con reiterazioni di dialoghi e moltiplicazioni della stessa scena che prolungano lo strazio più del lettore che del personaggio.
Soneri vede la sua donna in un'enoteca con il rivale? Bene, ci tornerà ogni sei pagine, in quell'enoteca.
Il martedì ha provato a telefonarle ma in ufficio non rispondeva nessuno e il cellulare era staccato? Bene, la stessa sequenza accadrà anche il giovedì, il venerdì e la domenica. E così via.
Senza contare che purtroppo il personaggio di Angela, ingessata nei suoi tailleur da avvocatessa con lo studio in centro che sa i segreti di tutta la Parma-bene, non solo non è stato mai approfondito nei romanzi precedenti, ma (Varesi si lascia scappare un'occasione clamorosa, visto che è lei ad aprire le ostilità) rimane convenzionale perfino qui. Algida, senz'anima, non femme fatale (magari) ma donna in carriera della borghesia medioalta. Ingessata, sì.
A proposito di personaggi: ricompare qui, con un altro nome e sotto altre vesti, l'allegorico protagonista del roman-roman "Le imperfezioni". Se là ci angosciava come simbolo della perdita e della sconfitta senza appello, qui ha imparato a vivere, a lasciarsi vivere, a ridere di sé e della commedia umana, e cerca invano di impartire lezioni di saggezza a Soneri, che invece è il tipo d'uomo incapace di recitare una parte.
A ribadire il suo pessimismo di base sui rapporti di coppia, oltre alla crisi tra il commissario e la sua compagna e alla girandola di illusioni che circondava la bella vittima Nina, Varesi introduce fin dall'inizio un testimone chiave (reticente o, alla Carofiglio, inconsapevole? Lo capiremo solo leggendo), un vecchio malvissuto che ha trascorso gli ultimi vent'anni in latitanza, nascosto tra gli zingari, per sfuggire alla giustizia dopo avere ucciso la moglie.
Leggiamo questo dialogo da "Sonata a Kreutzer":
"Ma è stato davvero per gelosia?" lo incalzò Soneri.
"Importa poco questo" bisbigliò il vecchio. "Ero un'altra persona. Quando lei sarà vecchio" proseguì "magari diventerà indulgente e capirà i delinquenti. Non si può mai dire. Io che ero un delinquente, oggi potrei fare il poliziotto."
"Li capisco anche oggi, non creda" intervenne il commissario. "Perlomeno capisco perché agiscono in un certo modo. Poi c'è la legge, ma è un'altra cosa."
"Forse mia moglie non mi tradiva..." sussurrò il vecchio con un'espressione da sonnambulo. "Il guaio è che era sfuggente, ambigua. Mi dava sempre l'impressione che non pensasse esclusivamente a me. Mi teneva sulla corda... Ecco quel che non sopportavo."
"E' il modo migliore per farsi amare", concluse Soneri.
September 2, 2017
I have enjoyed this series of novels, so far, with the exception of the rather unconvincing relationship with the protagonist's rather annoying girlfriend. in this, the main scenario, which is intriguing, is overwhelmed by a very uninteresting crisis in a relationship that is, at best, peripheral to the plot.
April 6, 2016
Varesi paints such a rich picture of the lower Po valley and all various tribes of people who live there. It's in the great tradition of musing philosopher detectives.
March 4, 2024
Tutto inizia con il ritrovamento del cadavere di una donna carbonizzata. Soneri è chiamato a indagare e quasi subito viene annunciato il ritrovamento di un anziano rumeno morto per cause apparentemente naturali su un bus che lo portava in Italia dal suo paese.
Lo donna viene identificata come una giovane immigrata clandestina impiegata in mille lavori; la scoperta che la ragazza era incinta risveglia nella mente di Soneri, già in crisi con la sua compagna Angela, fantasmi mai sopiti.
Soneri si sente vecchio, si fa prendetre dal lavoro e sembra che lui ed Angela abbiano oramai desideri divergenti.
Tra un attacco di gelosia ed un momento di scoramento Soneri riuscirà a scoprire molti particolari della vita di Nina sotto le sue molteplici identità e alla fine a ricostruire i motivi e le modalità dell'omicidio.
Lo donna viene identificata come una giovane immigrata clandestina impiegata in mille lavori; la scoperta che la ragazza era incinta risveglia nella mente di Soneri, già in crisi con la sua compagna Angela, fantasmi mai sopiti.
Soneri si sente vecchio, si fa prendetre dal lavoro e sembra che lui ed Angela abbiano oramai desideri divergenti.
Tra un attacco di gelosia ed un momento di scoramento Soneri riuscirà a scoprire molti particolari della vita di Nina sotto le sue molteplici identità e alla fine a ricostruire i motivi e le modalità dell'omicidio.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 3, 2018
The weakest so far in the series I think. Too many other things happening such as the protagonists relationship with Angela that weaken the book and detract from what could have been a great story.
The charm of the first two books was missing for me, the lunches, the cuisine, the drinks that always made my tummy rumble.
Also think in this one there were a few clues flagged up that were never mentioned again - the dog by the body and then the leader of the Romanians at the market driving I think the BMW with a pretty lady on his arm.
The charm of the first two books was missing for me, the lunches, the cuisine, the drinks that always made my tummy rumble.
Also think in this one there were a few clues flagged up that were never mentioned again - the dog by the body and then the leader of the Romanians at the market driving I think the BMW with a pretty lady on his arm.
December 1, 2021
A good series. In this one the usually laconic Soneri opens up not least because he’s having relationship issues with Angela. He also meets an elegant vagrant (a fallen marchesa) who teaches him about the ephemerality of life and seizing the coincidental moment. The case - which begins with a Felliniesque scene in the autostrada in the fog - involves the murder of a bewitching high class prostitute and leads to feuds among the Roma, drug smuggling and the sale of stolen gold as well as a lot of infidelity.
January 31, 2018
Un commissario, una città e tanta nostalgia...
Soneri esce nella notte e nella nebbia per non vedere cosa sta diventando la sua amata Parma. Si crogiola nel ricordo di un tempo, ma la vita lo costringe a scuotersi e a trovare la via per uscire dall'impasse. E alla fine in qualche modo viene ripagato: risolve il caso e ritrova la sua donna.
Soneri esce nella notte e nella nebbia per non vedere cosa sta diventando la sua amata Parma. Si crogiola nel ricordo di un tempo, ma la vita lo costringe a scuotersi e a trovare la via per uscire dall'impasse. E alla fine in qualche modo viene ripagato: risolve il caso e ritrova la sua donna.
June 25, 2018
Hotter Crime
I really enjoyed this book. It has twists , turns and unusual characters. Soneri has a personal crisis which is woven through the story and familiar faces are all present. I usually go for Scandi. Crime stories. But I seem now to be drifting towards Mediterranean Crime. Maybe I need the heat!!!! It's been a long winter!!!!😀
I really enjoyed this book. It has twists , turns and unusual characters. Soneri has a personal crisis which is woven through the story and familiar faces are all present. I usually go for Scandi. Crime stories. But I seem now to be drifting towards Mediterranean Crime. Maybe I need the heat!!!! It's been a long winter!!!!😀
September 14, 2022
Four and a half. I enjoyed this the most - the same mist, the philosophising but fewer characters, more about the commissario and his life. Fewer typos.
Always intriguing. Always reflections, always some history. Always a comment on the rich or the fascists, always good food and wine. Often the issues of foreigners, poverty and corruption.
Great views of Parma. And what it is to age well.
Always intriguing. Always reflections, always some history. Always a comment on the rich or the fascists, always good food and wine. Often the issues of foreigners, poverty and corruption.
Great views of Parma. And what it is to age well.
October 26, 2019
Another great novel in the Commisario Soneri series. This book positively drips with atmosphere and is packed with characters (a new bunch of murder suspects). Midsommer Murders this is not!
October 27, 2020
Not Great
An excess of description and too many Road names etc. Plot was interesting but shallow.
Basically a book for navel gazers.
An excess of description and too many Road names etc. Plot was interesting but shallow.
Basically a book for navel gazers.
October 17, 2021
Atmospheric with a great sense of place, an intriguing puzzle and an interesting lead character
December 4, 2015
My rating is tentative and based on the previous two books (in English) written by Valerio Varesi. I wanted to make a complaint about this book before I start to read it - WHY IS IT NOT AVAILABLE IN A KINDLE EDITION? I have the previous two books in my Kindle collection and would have liked to have this one the same.
I anticipate I will have something more positive to say after I finish this book.
Well, I finished the book last night. Gold, Frankincense and Dust has been something of a let-down after reading Varesi's first two books. The plot is nothing special and the way it is worked out is, as Soneri often says in the book, a matter of luck of the draw of the cards.
I won't spoil the plot in case you want to read this book but more than half the text involves either Soneri's failing love affair with Angela (Does she love me? Does she not? Towards the end of the book does anyone really care?) and his deep and meaningless philosophical discussions with the pauper marchese Sbarazza who at one stage says to Soneri as they share a plate of tortelli di zucca (pumpkin ravioli for us non-Italians): "Don't go down that path. It'd be an infinite process and finish up in complete nonsense or with the conclusion that everything you do is wrong because there's always a more promising possibility."
That quote pretty much sums up the book for me. Quite sad really after the first two books which I really enjoyed.
Regards,
Peter
I anticipate I will have something more positive to say after I finish this book.
Well, I finished the book last night. Gold, Frankincense and Dust has been something of a let-down after reading Varesi's first two books. The plot is nothing special and the way it is worked out is, as Soneri often says in the book, a matter of luck of the draw of the cards.
I won't spoil the plot in case you want to read this book but more than half the text involves either Soneri's failing love affair with Angela (Does she love me? Does she not? Towards the end of the book does anyone really care?) and his deep and meaningless philosophical discussions with the pauper marchese Sbarazza who at one stage says to Soneri as they share a plate of tortelli di zucca (pumpkin ravioli for us non-Italians): "Don't go down that path. It'd be an infinite process and finish up in complete nonsense or with the conclusion that everything you do is wrong because there's always a more promising possibility."
That quote pretty much sums up the book for me. Quite sad really after the first two books which I really enjoyed.
Regards,
Peter
November 22, 2014
My first Italian mystery novel. The story takes place almost entirely in fog in and around Parma in the Berlusconi era. A fiftyish detective stumbles upon a charred corpse by the side of the autostrada. The body is eventually identified as that of an attractive Romanian illegal immigrant and the the investigation of the crime leads us through the fog shrouded streets to dumpsters, Roma encampments, the city's ruling class, the sexual exploitation of the Berlusconi era and the wine bars of Parma. The author wrote his baccalaureate thesis on Kierkegaard and it shows. The crime is solved more or less through coincidences and luck and there is a running commentary by an impoverished aristocrat: a small sample of his dinner conversation: "The passions, even if they toss you about this way and that, impel you forward. It's because of them that we keep ourselves active. They move everything forward, transforming the world, perhaps into a repugnant mess, but somewhere in that shambles there'll be the spring of continual competition towards an ill-defined future." On the one hand I enjoyed the story on the other I sometimes found the plot overly random in its course, the aristocrat eventually bored me and there were some solecisms in the translation that put me off.
February 10, 2016
third episode in the Commissario Soneri series. I liked the first and second books and after reading "The Dark Valley" I thought the writing was getting better and the plots improving.
I still like the mysterious atmosphere of Parma and the Po valley in the mist, but Soneri is getting on my nerves with his insecurities and and his whining about his relationship with Angela. It's time to get over his mid-life crises.
Do they eat anything else in Parma besides Tortellini in Brodo, Parma ham and Parmiggiano?
I still like the mysterious atmosphere of Parma and the Po valley in the mist, but Soneri is getting on my nerves with his insecurities and and his whining about his relationship with Angela. It's time to get over his mid-life crises.
Do they eat anything else in Parma besides Tortellini in Brodo, Parma ham and Parmiggiano?
June 28, 2015
An reasonable read. I had not read the first two so had no preconceived notions. The inner conflict with his love interest swamped the story and weakened his character.
Scenes set well. Sbarazza was interesting.
Una lettura ragionevole. Non avevo letto i primi due quindi non aveva pregiudizi. Il conflitto interiore con il suo amore interesse inondato la storia e ha indebolito il suo personaggio. Scene. La trama e la sorte dei Romeni tipo di insieme e il tipo di non ha. Il flusso nei reati era discutibile. Sbarazza è stato molto interessante.
Scenes set well. Sbarazza was interesting.
Una lettura ragionevole. Non avevo letto i primi due quindi non aveva pregiudizi. Il conflitto interiore con il suo amore interesse inondato la storia e ha indebolito il suo personaggio. Scene. La trama e la sorte dei Romeni tipo di insieme e il tipo di non ha. Il flusso nei reati era discutibile. Sbarazza è stato molto interessante.
January 19, 2015
I was a huge fan of Varesi's first two books, so rich in atmosphere and mystery. This started promisingly enough with the mist and fog of the Po Valley yet again coming to the fore, but it was more a look into Soneri's crumbling relationship than a cunning page turner like before. There are some beautiful passages in it, however, which go some way towards making up for the so so story throughout.
May 13, 2018
I very much enjoyed this one, it really flew by. I wasn't into it at first but it certainly warmed up towards the conclusion. Looking forwsrd to reading the fourth book.
Only negative is too much Angela, she really is an annoying character who I detest immensely. Haha
Only negative is too much Angela, she really is an annoying character who I detest immensely. Haha
January 8, 2014
Darker and full of depth - love this series
February 21, 2016
Thought the deep thoughts would never end..
April 16, 2017
L'indagine poliziesca, peraltro raffazzonata, viene soffocata dalle schermaglie amorose tra il commissario e l'amata. Troppo colore. Troppo di tutto e poca sostanza.
June 19, 2017
Another entertaining and atmospheric story set firmly in the mists of the Po valley.I love the local details and sense of place, each detective has a firm character. I have never read the original Italian of this, but do think that there were a few times when the translation was maybe a little too literal, so of the phrasing seemed off even if technical correct.
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