Sangue Sull'Altare

by Tobias Jones, Luca Fontana (Translator)

“Sangue sull’altare” è il racconto di uno dei più inquietanti casi di cronaca nera degli ultimi cinquant’anni. Un omicidio di paese, nelle cui ombre si riconoscono quelle dell’Italia intera. 12 settembre 1993, via Pretoria, Potenza. Questo è l’ultimo giorno in cui la giovane Elisa viene vista viva. Poi per diciassette anni più niente: non una segnalazione, un messaggio, una novità; solo interminabili inchieste, programmi televisivi sensazionalistici e sospetti incrociati. Fino a quando, nel marzo 2010, un cadavere viene ritrovato, ormai mummificato, nel sottotetto della chiesa della Santissima Trinità, la parrocchia che la giovane frequentava: è quello di Elisa. Tobias Jones si è immerso in questa palude fatta di depistaggi e omertà, misteri senza soluzione e condanne tardive, cercando risposte che sembravano sommerse. Questo libro non è solo la cronaca di un’indagine; è la reazione indignata di un osservatore attento di fronte ai silenzi e alle contraddizioni che dal primo giorno hanno avvolto vittima e carnefice, complici e investigatori, clero e politica, in una terra in cui ogni porta sembrava chiusa. Fino all'inaspettata risoluzione, avvenuta seguendo le tracce di un altro omicidio a migliaia di chilometri di distanza. "Sangue sull'altare" è il ritratto di un pozzo scuro sul cui fondo è rimasta la nudità inspiegabile dell’orrore.

Genres: True Crime, Crime, Nonfiction, Italy, Serial Killer, English Literature

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Tobias Jones was on the staff of the London Review of Books and the Independent on Sunday before moving to Parma in 1999. He is a regular contributor for the British and Italian press.

Reviews

[Simona~ pagine_e_inchiostro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recensione a cura della pagina instagram Pagine_e_inchiostro:
Sangue sull'altare è il racconto di uno dei casi di cronaca nera che più ha toccato noi Italiani da vicino: il caso della scomparsa di Elisa Claps. II 12 settembre 1993 una ragazza di sedici anni scompare nel nulla, sul percorso che va da casa Claps alla chiesa di paese. Subito si cerca Danilo Restivo, considerato da tutti lo "strambo", che sembrava avere una particolare ossessione per la ragazza. Nonostante l'evidenza della sua colpevolezza, a Restivo è stata restituita la libertà e il caso Claps è rimasto un cold case. Finché, un decennio dopo, lo stesso Restivo non ha sferrato un nuovo attacco ai danni di un'altra donna, in Inghilterra, attirando nuovamente l'attenzione su di sé. Dopo anni di ricerca, la svolta paradossale: il corpo di Elisa viene trovato esanime, occultato nella stessa chiesa in cui era stata vista l'ultima volta.

Inizia così un caso che ha segnato la storia italiana, fatto di corruzione e potere, caratterizzato dall’omertà di un paesino, dai depistaggi esterni e dall’inefficienza delle istituzioni.
L’autore dipana un caso di cronaca che ha coinvolto l'estero, le alte sfere della chiesa e persino la politica.
In quello che è un intricato caso di sparizione, si raccontano le indagini, la reazione della famiglia alla scomparsa di Elisa, la loro lotta per la giustizia e il complesso rapporto che lega il carnefice alla vittima. Ma non solo, l’autore racconta la storia di Potenza e della Basilicata, immergendosi in una regione isolata che ha radici storiche profonde.

Un’inchiesta giornalistica ricca di dettagli, che dona agli italiani una verità nascosta per troppi anni e che restituisce dignità alla famiglia Claps che, nonostante tutto, non ha mai smesso di lottare.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Exhaustive examination of the murder of Elisa Claps in Italy and the later subsequent murder of Heather Barnett in Dorset, some years later.
Well written, especially relating to how Elisa's family coped in the aftermath of her death; I thought the meandering descriptions of various Italian locales were unnecessary, but the explanations of Italian political corruption were useful and enlightening additions.
An interesting read about a very, very strange man.

[Geoff Huckle · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting case presented in a not-as-interesting fashion. The book is padded out, far too much, with what is essentially a history and travelogue of the area in which it occurs. Found this a bit of a slog to get through.

[Sebastiano Fame Di Libri Cappello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Non ci sono parole.

[Auni · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went into this book not knowing anything at all other than what was written at the back of the cover. I knew that this was a true crime and was totally intrigued. To me, it was one of the book that I could not speed through it. I took my time to digest, imagine and research about the places mentioned. It was fascinating how I got to not only experience a story but also experience the places that were mentioned.

The story was to say the least very haunting. It gave me chills and got my heartbeat pumping. To picture that it really happened just made it even frightening. The story of the Claps family did leave an impact. I was frightened, upset as well as felt the anger although this happened way before my time and at a place far from home. What is sad is that there are probably many more such stories that continue to happen today.

There were parts of the book that made it difficult to read. As I was more intrigued with just the crime part, I wanted to skip through the writer's experience writing about Italy and the many histories. Although I find it fascinating, it was a bit hard to follow especially since I am not familiar with the name of the places and I get confused with the Italian names and such. Had I known better about Italy, I believe I would certainly be able to appreciate it more.

All in all, I'm glad that I found out about the Claps' stories and stories that were contained in this book. If it wasn't for this book, I would probably have never known.

[Liam Ostermann · Rating 4 out of 5]

(corrections, but no changes, made to this 2021 review in 2024).

If you have read Jones's book The Dark Heart of Italy then you know this book will be worth reading - if you haven't then it will still speak to you. It can broadly be described as a true crime book though I would add that it is much more - I can't stand true crime books - it is a portrait of a crime, and the family it affects, but more it is a powerful portrait of a society and what is wrong with it's institutions - political, judicial, religious and also about the way people are corrupted by a corrupt society so that truth is lost or ignored. Very powerful book - very readable - I can't recommend it enough.

[Deanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this was like sitting in the chair at home, shouting at the television because you can't believe what is going on.
A young woman goes missing after meeting a young man who she finds creepy but is too nice to tell him to go away. After she disappears people come forward with misleading information, some innocently, some with more sinister reasons, but more amazing is the attitude of the local priest who refuses to allow the police to search the church where she was last seen.
As a result the killer goes on to kill another and is suspected of killing a third.

[Roanna Sanelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very thorough explanation and detailed analysis of the Elisa Claps as well as the Heather Barnett cases. The tragedies in both cases are incredibly sad but more so knowing that both could have been avoided.

It is clear that Tobias is an excellent journalist, writer and human who was very clearly invested in this case, in keeping it alive as well as spread it to a global audience.

[Orla Galvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ate this book alive while on holidays in Milan years ago. Couldn't put it down. Gripping and so well told. Even emailed the author and got a reply at the time. Bonus 😜

[Johnboy Somerville · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting look back into a time of Italian history where the respected few thought they were above the law.

Claps' journey from disappearance to burial coincides with the reign of Silvio Berlusconi as Italian Premier and this leads the reader to understand why a number of key facts were disregarded and why criminal investigative processes were not adhered to as rigidly as they should.

Heather Barnett's trial, though held in England was a massive trial in Italy with only local press seemingly interested and this means that it was missed by many (the trial of Milly Dowler was around the same time and was front page by the press).

Even though justice has been served for these 2 murders, there are still plenty of unanswered questions. Why? being the most pertinent.
Why also were powerful people allowed to hold such away and prevent justice being served earlier? Why were the Claps family led through so torturous a wait to find out what happened to their daughter/sister? How much did the church actually know?
Are there others?

A most intriguing read.

[L_attraversalibri · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,75 ⭐️

Una lettura che mi ha accompagnata per giorni, lasciandomi un misto di dolore, lucidità e rispetto profondo per la famiglia Claps. La parte finale è quella che mi ha colpita di più, perché Tobias Jones riesce a entrare con delicatezza nelle crepe emotive di chi ha vissuto diciotto anni di attesa e silenzio. Il funerale, il viaggio a Potenza, l’omelia di Don Ciotti, la stanchezza che finalmente trova una forma di pace, tutto arriva con una forza che non avevo messo in conto.

Ho trovato invece meno in linea con i miei gusti alcune divagazioni geopolitiche e le parentesi sulla situazione politica italiana, che personalmente avrei preferito altrove. Non tolgono valore al lavoro, ma spezzano un po’ il ritmo, soprattutto per chi conosce già molti dettagli del contesto.

Resta però un libro necessario, scritto con cura e rispetto, capace di restituire dignità a Elisa e di mostrare con chiarezza quanto sia costato arrivare alla verità. Un’opera che si porta dietro un peso umano enorme, e che merita di essere letta proprio per questo

[S1990 · Rating 3 out of 5]

The heart of the book isn't bad, AT ALL! But there are so many sidestories that get told that are just not so relevant (for me at least) that it takes away from the center story, and that is just too bad! The story of Elisa, her family and Heather is very well written with loads of details and insight, but all those parts about Italy, Italian politicians and different people he might be involved with, just took away from it for me, but that also, is very personal. If you don't mind it, it's a fantasticly well written and detailed book!

[Louise Armstrong · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did quite like this - it was good the way he tied in the crime and its aftermath with the situation in Italy as a whole. I wasn't so sure about the mix of travel writing and crime writing. I'll be honest, I skipped the travel bits.

Very interesting to read a real account and compare it with a thriller. Certainly the events are so outrageous that I'd be inclined to put a thriller with the same material down saying, 'Life's not really like that.'

I think I prefer thrillers - you can forgot them. The family will never forget and because they are real, I'll remember them too.

[Stephen Goldenberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating and horrific account of the decades long search for both the body and the murderer of Eliza Clapps. From very early on, it’s obvious who the murderer is and Jones’s book doubles as an exposé of the corruption of the Italian authorities, especially the Catholic Church.
It also gives the reader a mini travelogue of the little known Basilicata region of Italy. However, this does tend to distract from the hunt for the killer, plus the sheer length of the investigation leads to quite a lot of repetition.

[Chiara Ferrari · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book follows developments through a number of years before the mystery is solved and justice is delivered. It begins like a cracking true-crime story but soon widens out into a study of the politics, geography and culture of Basilicata, a deprived and seemingly forgotten province near the heel of Italy. It does go on a bit and I got impatient to get back to the story. For this reason I was tempted to rate it as 3 stars, but I have the feeling it will remain in the mind.

[Keeley Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully told

A fascinating insight into a region of Italy i wasn't familiar with, woven into a haunting and frustrating story of the disappearance of a 16 year old girl. The author is wonderfully empathetic, and describe the family of Elisa vividly. Highly recommended, an extraordinary piece of true crime writing.

[N.J. Danatangelo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love his writing and find he has an exacting eye for the peculiarities of the Italian way of life. I couldn’t put this book down and feel equal parts furious, ashamed, and sadness for this whole debacle. Sunlight is the best disinfectant so hopefully we can get even more sun shining on these morally corrupt cretins.

[Gabriella Padalino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting story. True crime story

[aj · Rating 4 out of 5]

a brilliant telling of the story of elisa claps, with references and links to dark parts of italy’s history.
if youre interested in true crime amongst parts of europe, i would highly recommend

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blood on the Altar, on its surface a detailed account of the disappearance of 16-year-old Elisa Claps on September 12, 1993, in Potenza, in southern Italy, is equal parts cultural critique and true crime expose. The investigation that ensues upon Elisa's failure to return home on that fateful Sunday morning is astoundingly shoddy. Advancing at a glacial pace and impeded at every turn by officials who seem to have something to hide, it stumbles and sputters as it encounters one roadblock after another. Various theories, both plausible and absurd, are brought forward to explain Elisa's disappearance, but the family is convinced the person to blame is Danilo Restivo, a young man several years older than Elisa who was supposed to meet her that morning and by all accounts was the last person to see her alive. Restivo, an oddball loner with a hair fetish, has no reasonable explanation for what happened after he claims to have left Elisa, and yet to the Claps family's astonishment and frustration Restivo is coddled and protected by those in positions of power, and never fully called upon to account for the crime they are sure he committed. Years pass and Elisa remains missing, though it seems there is a false sighting or bogus lead every other day. The Claps family's agonies do not diminish. Then the scene shifts to Bournemouth, in Dorset, England, where Restivo has moved and where Heather Barnett, a mother of two and Restivo's neighbour, is brutally murdered. Tobias Jones, author of The Dark Heart of Italy, is as much an expert on Italy as any outsider can be and has written a riveting story of a criminal cover up and justice denied.

[Monica Colangelo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Il libro è il racconto di diciotto anni di angoscia, un racconto pulito come - forse - un italiano non avrebbe saputo fare, di questi anni bui della storia d'Italia, rappresentata da una storia che da privata è diventata parte di tutti.
La storia di Elisa, di Danilo, di Potenza, della Basilicata, raccontata da un inglese, si spoglia di giri di parole ed inutili fronzoli e artifizi letterari per andare dritti al punto.
Sono lucana, più o meno coetanea di Elisa, ho vissuto da sempre tutta la storia. E credo che non solo ogni lucano ma ogni italiano debba leggere e riflettere sempre, su quanto accaduto.
In più, le descrizioni storiche e paesaggistiche della Basilicata già da sole meritano un premio.

[Lindsay Lynch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating read on a remote region of Italy - there were parts in the beginning that went rather slowly for me, (pages 50-100) but I found Tobias Jones' reporting to be riveting. Sheds a lot of light on the flaws of the Italian justice system, and how others like Amanda Knox can be caught up in the sensationalistic media. I'm interested to read his other non-fiction work.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not only is this a gripping story of two horrific murders and how the culprit is overlooked by the police only allowing him to kill again, the book also gives you a guided tour of the region of Italy where the first murder happened. A really gripping read.

[Matthew Ogborn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fascinating book from Tobias Jones, one of the finest all-round writers to have come out of England. It delves deeply into a little known region of Italy, uncovering a shocking series of cover ups and moral vacuum revolving around the hypocritical church and politicians

[Aurora · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is simply hauntingly beautiful. Beautiful the way it is written, how it feels as if you are a passenger in the car in which the writer is driving through Italy. Haunting because of the terrible murder which started everything.
In the end I felt as if I lost someone I knew.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This true story is sad and ultimately inspiring. Elisa Claps' family never gave up in their search for Elisa and for justice.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a sad read and so distressing for the family involved. We are all so used to watching murders being investigated on TV that you wonder how such basic clues and facts were not followed up.