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The Darkest Winter
Bologna, 1944. World-weary Comandante De Luca is tasked with investigating three brutal murders, with the lives of ten Italian hostages on the line. The pitch-black prequel to the Inspector De Luca quartet, by the master of Italian Noir.
`A brutal evocation of a dystopian past, a stunning winter portrait of the debris and human detritus of wartime Bologna, and a gripping and complex trio of murders´ Peter May
`Imbued with the cruel compromises of a city on the brink of collapse, immersive, evocative and as opaque as the soot-stained snow, this is historical crime fiction at its finest´ Tom Benjamin
`A truly insightful, penetrating and raw portrait of a man and a city ravaged by bloody conflict and the terror of fascism and war´ Paul Burke, European Literature Network
_____
In November 1944, in the worst winter ever known in Bologna, in the depths of the war, the bomb-scarred streets are home to starving refugees who have fled the advancing Allies. The Fascist Black Brigades, the officers of the S.S. and the partisans of the Italian Resistance compete for control of the city streets in bloody skirmishes.
Comandante De Luca, who has proved himself "the most brilliant investigator" in Bologna, but who is now unwillingly working for the Political Police in a building that doubles as a torture facility, finds himself in trouble when three murders land on his a professor shot through the eye, an engineer beaten to death, and a German corporal left to be gnawed on by rats in a flooded cellar.
De Luca must rapidly unravel all three cases with ten lives on the ten Italian hostages who will face a Nazi firing squad if the corporal's killing is not solved to the German command's satisfaction.
As he navigates a web of personal and political motivations – his life increasingly at risk – De Luca will not stop until he has uncovered the dangerous secrets concealed in the frozen heart of his city.
_____
`One of Italy's most acclaimed crime authors´ Barry Forshaw
`The unravelling of the three cases is fraught with hazard and takes the reader on a dark journey into the terrible place that Bologna has become … not just a gripping whodunnit, but also a glimpse into the grim winter where this murder mystery is set´ Historical Novel Society
`Tasked with an impossible job in a world in turmoil for which the "noir" adjective seems almost inadequate, De Luca must survive on his wits and beyond in a tense race against time in a world of torn loyalties, both political and personal. The return of a much-tortured but believable character´ Maxim Jakubowski, CrimeTime
`A stripped-down historical thriller loaded with tension´ La Repubblica
`The Darkest Winter paints the portrait of a city devastated by war, scarred by bombs and with its poorest inhabitants living in desperation. The result is a living fresco, a snapshot of an era. The quality of Lucarelli's research, in-depth analysis and narrative style put him in a league of his own´ Corriere della Serra
`Lucarelli has proven yet again that he is an extraordinary writer, navigating with ease the murky waters between crime fiction, historical novel and social commentary´ La Nuova
`A brutal evocation of a dystopian past, a stunning winter portrait of the debris and human detritus of wartime Bologna, and a gripping and complex trio of murders´ Peter May
`Imbued with the cruel compromises of a city on the brink of collapse, immersive, evocative and as opaque as the soot-stained snow, this is historical crime fiction at its finest´ Tom Benjamin
`A truly insightful, penetrating and raw portrait of a man and a city ravaged by bloody conflict and the terror of fascism and war´ Paul Burke, European Literature Network
_____
In November 1944, in the worst winter ever known in Bologna, in the depths of the war, the bomb-scarred streets are home to starving refugees who have fled the advancing Allies. The Fascist Black Brigades, the officers of the S.S. and the partisans of the Italian Resistance compete for control of the city streets in bloody skirmishes.
Comandante De Luca, who has proved himself "the most brilliant investigator" in Bologna, but who is now unwillingly working for the Political Police in a building that doubles as a torture facility, finds himself in trouble when three murders land on his a professor shot through the eye, an engineer beaten to death, and a German corporal left to be gnawed on by rats in a flooded cellar.
De Luca must rapidly unravel all three cases with ten lives on the ten Italian hostages who will face a Nazi firing squad if the corporal's killing is not solved to the German command's satisfaction.
As he navigates a web of personal and political motivations – his life increasingly at risk – De Luca will not stop until he has uncovered the dangerous secrets concealed in the frozen heart of his city.
_____
`One of Italy's most acclaimed crime authors´ Barry Forshaw
`The unravelling of the three cases is fraught with hazard and takes the reader on a dark journey into the terrible place that Bologna has become … not just a gripping whodunnit, but also a glimpse into the grim winter where this murder mystery is set´ Historical Novel Society
`Tasked with an impossible job in a world in turmoil for which the "noir" adjective seems almost inadequate, De Luca must survive on his wits and beyond in a tense race against time in a world of torn loyalties, both political and personal. The return of a much-tortured but believable character´ Maxim Jakubowski, CrimeTime
`A stripped-down historical thriller loaded with tension´ La Repubblica
`The Darkest Winter paints the portrait of a city devastated by war, scarred by bombs and with its poorest inhabitants living in desperation. The result is a living fresco, a snapshot of an era. The quality of Lucarelli's research, in-depth analysis and narrative style put him in a league of his own´ Corriere della Serra
`Lucarelli has proven yet again that he is an extraordinary writer, navigating with ease the murky waters between crime fiction, historical novel and social commentary´ La Nuova
328 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 22, 2025
About the author
Carlo Lucarelli
194 books280 followersCarlo Lucarelli was born at Parma, the son of a physician. He was interested in literature and theatre when he was young, and studied Literature and History. Nowadays he lives in Mordano near Bologna.
Already in his years of study, during his research for his thesis subject he got in touch with the material for his first two books, which take place during the time of fascism and the years immediately after the war. In Italy he became well known quite soon because of these two books, and it was only a matter of time before he quit his academic activities and turned to his career as an author and all other sorts of activities, such as writing plays, film scenarios, radio-plays and, moreover, singing in a Post-Punk-Band called "Progetto K".
He is a frequently invited moderator on an Italian television programme about crime (Blu notte misteri d'Italia). As a journalist he works for several newspapers and magazines, such as il manifesto, Il Messaggero and L'Europeo. He has written more than twenty novels, including Almost Blue, (City Lights, 2001) and numerous short stories. Together with Marcello Fois and Loriano Macchiavelli he founded "Gruppo 13", a collective of crime-writers in the region Emilia-Romagna.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlo_Lu..."
Series:
* Commissario De Luca
* Inspector Collandro
* Inspector Grazia Negro
Already in his years of study, during his research for his thesis subject he got in touch with the material for his first two books, which take place during the time of fascism and the years immediately after the war. In Italy he became well known quite soon because of these two books, and it was only a matter of time before he quit his academic activities and turned to his career as an author and all other sorts of activities, such as writing plays, film scenarios, radio-plays and, moreover, singing in a Post-Punk-Band called "Progetto K".
He is a frequently invited moderator on an Italian television programme about crime (Blu notte misteri d'Italia). As a journalist he works for several newspapers and magazines, such as il manifesto, Il Messaggero and L'Europeo. He has written more than twenty novels, including Almost Blue, (City Lights, 2001) and numerous short stories. Together with Marcello Fois and Loriano Macchiavelli he founded "Gruppo 13", a collective of crime-writers in the region Emilia-Romagna.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlo_Lu..."
Series:
* Commissario De Luca
* Inspector Collandro
* Inspector Grazia Negro
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 26, 2025
The Darkest Winter is a complex and sophisticated thriller, set against the backdrop of Bologna towards the close of WWII, with Commandante De Luca unwittingly inveigled in the investigation of three murders. Finding himself working at the behest of not only his own police department, but also by the occupying Germans and the underground Partisan movement, De Luca finds himself a pawn at the mercy of forces seemingly outside of his control…
One of the most striking elements is the way that Lucarelli so strikingly depicts these seething mass of humanity populating the streets of Bologna. Disease and deprivation are rife with the flood of people and livestock the city has attracted, having become a ghetto of the disenfranchised and refugees. This is a city of starvation, black market trading and violence, where the vast majority live hand to mouth, food is scarce and the chances of survival are bleak. As the author says, the Germans as the occupying force, and the Partisans who oppose them, are not meant to deprive the general populace of food and the means of production, but in reality for the ordinary citizens life is harsh. The streets are patrolled and governed assiduously by the Germans, making the streets even more dangerous for citizens, and even the established forces of law and order find their own authority regularly challenged, as our protagonist De Luca experiences. Lucarelli completely immerses the reader in the vivid portrayal of this city, with a precise and largely dispassionate rendering of the historical detail regarding this particularly dark period of Italian history, making it all the more powerful in his retelling.
Due to the intensity of the historical detail, social commentary, and keeping track of the various opposing structures of Bologna’s ruling forces, this is not a straightforward read. As confused as De Luca becomes being manipulated by the occupying Germans, the partisans and his own police department, we as readers can feel the same amount of confusion if careful attention is not paid to the three different investigations, and the nuances of each. I very much appreciated the challenge of this book in terms of the complexity of the plot, and the fact that each murder came with it’s own particular set of challenges for De Luca to navigate. It is also worth highlighting the exemplary, taut translation by Joseph Farrell, that serves to not only keep the reader abreast of the narrative itself, but also the not insignificant historical detail that surrounds it.
By extension, this also leads to De Luca’s own crisis of conscience as to how much he should reveal and how much he should conceal, as he becomes more closely involved with those directly impacted by these brutal crimes, or those who will suffer in the light of them. He proves himself to be a stalwart and largely honourable defender of truth and justice, whilst always adhering to his own personal sense of morality when the need arises. None of the cases he is embroiled in are straightforward and all come with a certain amount of personal risk, to himself or others, but in the grip of the manipulation of others and corruptive influences, he navigates them as best as he can. Although the investigation of them largely leads to the unavoidable detriment of others, we, as outsiders, can instinctively feel the weight and heft of De Luca’s problems as each case unfolds with their own particular tensions and complexities with the backdrop of war and occupation.
Having read other books in the Commandante De Luca series, I did find this one, with its disparate crimes and complex backdrop socially and politically, to be amongst the most challenging, but also one of the most emotionally and intellectually rewarding. De Luca has a real magnetism to his character, despite his very understated and taciturn style of detection, and is one of those characters whose steadfastness and morality endears him further to the reader. This is not an easy read with quick resolutions and nifty twists that many expect from crime fiction, but instead a wonderful example of ‘faction’ where the fictional melds seamlessly with the adherence to factual detail and the vivid recreation of a particular time and space in history. Lucarelli does this with aplomb, but still endeavouring to engage the reader at every turn with complex and immersive storytelling. Highly recommended.
One of the most striking elements is the way that Lucarelli so strikingly depicts these seething mass of humanity populating the streets of Bologna. Disease and deprivation are rife with the flood of people and livestock the city has attracted, having become a ghetto of the disenfranchised and refugees. This is a city of starvation, black market trading and violence, where the vast majority live hand to mouth, food is scarce and the chances of survival are bleak. As the author says, the Germans as the occupying force, and the Partisans who oppose them, are not meant to deprive the general populace of food and the means of production, but in reality for the ordinary citizens life is harsh. The streets are patrolled and governed assiduously by the Germans, making the streets even more dangerous for citizens, and even the established forces of law and order find their own authority regularly challenged, as our protagonist De Luca experiences. Lucarelli completely immerses the reader in the vivid portrayal of this city, with a precise and largely dispassionate rendering of the historical detail regarding this particularly dark period of Italian history, making it all the more powerful in his retelling.
Due to the intensity of the historical detail, social commentary, and keeping track of the various opposing structures of Bologna’s ruling forces, this is not a straightforward read. As confused as De Luca becomes being manipulated by the occupying Germans, the partisans and his own police department, we as readers can feel the same amount of confusion if careful attention is not paid to the three different investigations, and the nuances of each. I very much appreciated the challenge of this book in terms of the complexity of the plot, and the fact that each murder came with it’s own particular set of challenges for De Luca to navigate. It is also worth highlighting the exemplary, taut translation by Joseph Farrell, that serves to not only keep the reader abreast of the narrative itself, but also the not insignificant historical detail that surrounds it.
By extension, this also leads to De Luca’s own crisis of conscience as to how much he should reveal and how much he should conceal, as he becomes more closely involved with those directly impacted by these brutal crimes, or those who will suffer in the light of them. He proves himself to be a stalwart and largely honourable defender of truth and justice, whilst always adhering to his own personal sense of morality when the need arises. None of the cases he is embroiled in are straightforward and all come with a certain amount of personal risk, to himself or others, but in the grip of the manipulation of others and corruptive influences, he navigates them as best as he can. Although the investigation of them largely leads to the unavoidable detriment of others, we, as outsiders, can instinctively feel the weight and heft of De Luca’s problems as each case unfolds with their own particular tensions and complexities with the backdrop of war and occupation.
Having read other books in the Commandante De Luca series, I did find this one, with its disparate crimes and complex backdrop socially and politically, to be amongst the most challenging, but also one of the most emotionally and intellectually rewarding. De Luca has a real magnetism to his character, despite his very understated and taciturn style of detection, and is one of those characters whose steadfastness and morality endears him further to the reader. This is not an easy read with quick resolutions and nifty twists that many expect from crime fiction, but instead a wonderful example of ‘faction’ where the fictional melds seamlessly with the adherence to factual detail and the vivid recreation of a particular time and space in history. Lucarelli does this with aplomb, but still endeavouring to engage the reader at every turn with complex and immersive storytelling. Highly recommended.
May 21, 2025
"The Darkest Winter " is crime story set in Bologna, Italy, during the World War II.
In the bitter winter of 1944 , a detective De Luca tries to solve a murder mystery in a city run by the Nazis However, the book is not just about the murder itself; it's also about dark period in history. It shows how hard and scary life was back then because of the war.
It wasn't an easy read. It was slow, confusing and hard to understand book at times. It was also outside of my usual comfort zone. So it took me a little while to get in to it , but I'm glad I read it, because I ended up liking it a lot.
In the bitter winter of 1944 , a detective De Luca tries to solve a murder mystery in a city run by the Nazis However, the book is not just about the murder itself; it's also about dark period in history. It shows how hard and scary life was back then because of the war.
It wasn't an easy read. It was slow, confusing and hard to understand book at times. It was also outside of my usual comfort zone. So it took me a little while to get in to it , but I'm glad I read it, because I ended up liking it a lot.
June 3, 2025
My first foray into Italian noir.
Took a few pages to get into but then it really got going! Loved the setting of late war Bologna.
Ridiculously bleak.
Highly recommend! I can’t wait to read the author’s other books.
Took a few pages to get into but then it really got going! Loved the setting of late war Bologna.
Ridiculously bleak.
Highly recommend! I can’t wait to read the author’s other books.
July 17, 2025
Back in 2010 I read and reviewed Almost Blue, one of Carlo Lucarelli’s contemporary Italian police procedurals, which was highly original with a blind witness who ‘sees’ voices in colour. I always meant to read more by this author, who has written loads – and now I finally have. His newly translated novel from 2020, The Darkest Winter is one of his ‘De Luca’ series, of which he wrote an initial trilogy in the 1990s, which were adapted for Italian TV. In these books, the setting is Bologna, between 1943 and the immediate post WWII period, between the collapse of the Fascist government and the installation of the German Nazis creating an Italian puppet state.
Despite being part of a series, The Darkest Winter stands alone perfectly. There is no need to know Le Luca’s past except that he was considered a fine investigator in the police before being seconded to the Political Police, an appointment which was very much against his will, especially as the building in which the Commandante is now house doubles as a torture facility, something very against his personal credo. An introduction sets the historical scene of the much-bombed Bologna, which now, with the creation of the ‘Sperrzone’ in the historic centre – an area into which German soldiers were not routinely permitted, and the Allies would refrain from bombing theoretically, becoming a sort of ghetto as refugees flooded back into the safe city centre, including of course many working for the partisans.
As the novel begins, De Luca finds himself involved in investigating three murders: a professor shot through the eye, an engineer who was beaten to death, and a German corporal found in a flooded cellar rather gnawed upon by rats! The latter is the most troubling, as for each German soldier’s life taken, the Nazis take ten Italian hostages – and unless De Luca can solve his murder quickly and to the German Secretary’s satisfaction, they will be shot. It’s the dead engineer that he’s called to first – it was obvious that he’d been beaten elsewhere by the National Republican Guard or Black Brigade and moved to the narrow portico where he was found.
That’s why Rassetto, commander of the Autonomous Unit which included De Luca, had dispatched him. since he understood about these matters, to muddy the waters in the right way, seeing that some weeks previously the Black Brigade had left on their dead claims from the partisans written with office pencils on fragments of cream-coloured cards, like criminal records. We are doing a favour to some friends, De Luca, as a payback.
A witness had heard shots though, and it’s obvious to De Luca that there’s another potential murder close by, apart from the bloated body of the German soldier they find too. That body will be the shot Professor, and it’s there that De Luca will meet Petraca, who works for the Passport Office, who was passing by. He will become a key link, knowing the right people outside the law, as De Luca doggedly investigates the murders. However, it’s not just the Germans that De Luca finds himself effectively working for, he is under pressure, but reassures Petrarca. From here, things begin to get very complicated and the pressure is on.
Hauled in by the Germans, De Luca is given just a week by the Hauptsturmführer to solve the German corporal’s death. He also has other battles, he’s a bit of a hypochondriac, always thinking he was coming down with a fever, as it’s the dead of winter in November 1944, and his coat isn’t thick enough. Then there’s Vilma, Rassetto’s vamp of a secretary who, tired of her boss has set her sights on De Luca, who is not really interested bar usual manly responses to titillation, but finds he can use her to get information with the faint promise of sex to come!
Lucarelli has a fascination with this period of Italian history, and the detail in this novel is superb. Bologna’s narrow passageways and historic buildings come to life. The Teatro del Corso was really turned into a hostel for returned refugees, and their animals, and De Luca must visit it in search of answers for instance. As you will imagine, the German soldiers are harsh masters and De Luca must tread very carefully when out and about, especially when talking to those who are linked to the partisans – his police pass doesn’t guarantee that he won’t get attention from soldiers who appear machine-gun happy. Being no fan of them or the Fascist remnants, he has to tread a political fine line. But he is also putting his life on the line making contact with those allied to the partisans but he has a strong moral sense in seeking social justice which drives him.
De Luca is a splendid creation, and I’d rather like to read the earlier trilogy now. Lucarelli really immerses the reader in the life of his protagonist and his city, writing with such intelligence, making this wartime thriller an excellent read indeed.
Despite being part of a series, The Darkest Winter stands alone perfectly. There is no need to know Le Luca’s past except that he was considered a fine investigator in the police before being seconded to the Political Police, an appointment which was very much against his will, especially as the building in which the Commandante is now house doubles as a torture facility, something very against his personal credo. An introduction sets the historical scene of the much-bombed Bologna, which now, with the creation of the ‘Sperrzone’ in the historic centre – an area into which German soldiers were not routinely permitted, and the Allies would refrain from bombing theoretically, becoming a sort of ghetto as refugees flooded back into the safe city centre, including of course many working for the partisans.
As the novel begins, De Luca finds himself involved in investigating three murders: a professor shot through the eye, an engineer who was beaten to death, and a German corporal found in a flooded cellar rather gnawed upon by rats! The latter is the most troubling, as for each German soldier’s life taken, the Nazis take ten Italian hostages – and unless De Luca can solve his murder quickly and to the German Secretary’s satisfaction, they will be shot. It’s the dead engineer that he’s called to first – it was obvious that he’d been beaten elsewhere by the National Republican Guard or Black Brigade and moved to the narrow portico where he was found.
That’s why Rassetto, commander of the Autonomous Unit which included De Luca, had dispatched him. since he understood about these matters, to muddy the waters in the right way, seeing that some weeks previously the Black Brigade had left on their dead claims from the partisans written with office pencils on fragments of cream-coloured cards, like criminal records. We are doing a favour to some friends, De Luca, as a payback.
A witness had heard shots though, and it’s obvious to De Luca that there’s another potential murder close by, apart from the bloated body of the German soldier they find too. That body will be the shot Professor, and it’s there that De Luca will meet Petraca, who works for the Passport Office, who was passing by. He will become a key link, knowing the right people outside the law, as De Luca doggedly investigates the murders. However, it’s not just the Germans that De Luca finds himself effectively working for, he is under pressure, but reassures Petrarca. From here, things begin to get very complicated and the pressure is on.
Hauled in by the Germans, De Luca is given just a week by the Hauptsturmführer to solve the German corporal’s death. He also has other battles, he’s a bit of a hypochondriac, always thinking he was coming down with a fever, as it’s the dead of winter in November 1944, and his coat isn’t thick enough. Then there’s Vilma, Rassetto’s vamp of a secretary who, tired of her boss has set her sights on De Luca, who is not really interested bar usual manly responses to titillation, but finds he can use her to get information with the faint promise of sex to come!
Lucarelli has a fascination with this period of Italian history, and the detail in this novel is superb. Bologna’s narrow passageways and historic buildings come to life. The Teatro del Corso was really turned into a hostel for returned refugees, and their animals, and De Luca must visit it in search of answers for instance. As you will imagine, the German soldiers are harsh masters and De Luca must tread very carefully when out and about, especially when talking to those who are linked to the partisans – his police pass doesn’t guarantee that he won’t get attention from soldiers who appear machine-gun happy. Being no fan of them or the Fascist remnants, he has to tread a political fine line. But he is also putting his life on the line making contact with those allied to the partisans but he has a strong moral sense in seeking social justice which drives him.
De Luca is a splendid creation, and I’d rather like to read the earlier trilogy now. Lucarelli really immerses the reader in the life of his protagonist and his city, writing with such intelligence, making this wartime thriller an excellent read indeed.
June 6, 2025
The Allies began the invasion of Italy in July 1943 it was to be a long and arduous battle. The terrain, weather, intermittent availability of resources for the allied army and the wily enemy stop started the Allied advance and it was to be a hard fought battle by battle campaign over the next ten months. With a further landing at Anzio in January 1944 of allied troops, around 70 miles behind enemy lines, there would be months of fighting before finally they could move out. The bloody battle for Cassino which was finally taken in May 1944 meant that Rome wasn’t taken until June and so the Allied forces finally reached the Gothic Line by September 1944. Bad weather was to keep them from advancing further north until April 1945 which saw Bologna taken by the Polish 2nd Corps and supporting Allied units on the 21st.
During that dark winter of 1944/45 it was the partisans who would disrupt communications, supply lines and indicate targets for Allied air attacks. In retaliation the German and Fascist Italian forces would carry out appalling reprisals on those civilians suspected of aiding the Allies.
This book has continued my interest in reading about Italy as the Second World War comes towards its end and whilst there was still a lot being played out between the German and Allied forces. There is a terrific introduction, great notes and a very useful glossary in The Darkest Winter which further helped make it a fascinating read and showed why this period was indeed the darkest winter for Bologna. The story was made even more gratifying, as a crime fiction lover, by having it as the background to such a dark and gripping investigation.
MAP OF ITALY, 1944 (my blog)
Vicecomandante De Luca is second in command of an Autonomous Unit of the Political Police in the city of Bologna it’s the winter of 1944/45. De Luca is not the happiest of men, he’s a policeman not a political beast, he has a sense of justice that may well be his downfall but what goes on in the name of patriotism and the ‘bond’ between Italy and Germany grates on him. De Luca would really rather be the detective he has always been and wanted to be. So, when he finds himself with three cases to look into, he feels like he’s on safe ground even if one of the cases has very high stakes. It’s an investigation that he’s been compelled to look into – the death of a German soldier – by the Nazis were he either finds out who the murderer is or ten Italian hostages die.
It’s not long before De Luca thinks he’s close to the truth of the matter regarding the engineers death and he also has leads in the investigation into the German’s murder. The death of the professor is already solved, someone is in custody but De Luca is approached by an officer, Petrarca, who works in the passport office. The man accused is a friend who he is sure could not have committed the crime.
De Luca has to deal with some pretty bad people not only those he comes across in his investigations but those who have brought these cases to him. Even when a character seems to be reasonable and simply doing their best under difficult circumstances they can turn out to be guilty of doing terrible deeds, committing atrocities and then there are others who do not even attempt to cover up their heinous actions. The Italian resistance whose partisans are disrupting, fighting street battles, helping people to escape the German and Italian authorities are causing mayhem and the Nazi retaliations are swift and devastating.
Through all this De Luca continues to investigate and we follow him as he tries to work out what must have happened in each case this is made all the more tense because of the ten hostages, made terrifying for both the investigator and those being investigated because the thought of what might befall them at the hands of the Nazis or Black Brigades, the weather is freezing with snow and ice and we get a glimpse of how the civilians are going about their lives in Bologna as well as how De Luca has to cope with all of this and solve the crimes under threat and with a short deadline.
De Luca is nevertheless an Italian who has authority in the Italian Social Republic, commonly known as the Republic of Salo as Salo is its capital, so we must presume is an Italian Fascist. As he investigates we get to know him and he is a man with a conscience that leads him to make decisions that he might not otherwise have done and which, albeit subtly, aid the partisan cause. He also is disgusted by the methods employed by the Nazis particularly the SS and by the Italian Black Brigades. It will be interesting to see how this plays out in future books which I do hope will be forthcoming.
All in all I found The Darkest Winter an absorbing, though at times shocking and disturbing but always a very compelling story.
During that dark winter of 1944/45 it was the partisans who would disrupt communications, supply lines and indicate targets for Allied air attacks. In retaliation the German and Fascist Italian forces would carry out appalling reprisals on those civilians suspected of aiding the Allies.
This book has continued my interest in reading about Italy as the Second World War comes towards its end and whilst there was still a lot being played out between the German and Allied forces. There is a terrific introduction, great notes and a very useful glossary in The Darkest Winter which further helped make it a fascinating read and showed why this period was indeed the darkest winter for Bologna. The story was made even more gratifying, as a crime fiction lover, by having it as the background to such a dark and gripping investigation.
MAP OF ITALY, 1944 (my blog)
Vicecomandante De Luca is second in command of an Autonomous Unit of the Political Police in the city of Bologna it’s the winter of 1944/45. De Luca is not the happiest of men, he’s a policeman not a political beast, he has a sense of justice that may well be his downfall but what goes on in the name of patriotism and the ‘bond’ between Italy and Germany grates on him. De Luca would really rather be the detective he has always been and wanted to be. So, when he finds himself with three cases to look into, he feels like he’s on safe ground even if one of the cases has very high stakes. It’s an investigation that he’s been compelled to look into – the death of a German soldier – by the Nazis were he either finds out who the murderer is or ten Italian hostages die.
It’s not long before De Luca thinks he’s close to the truth of the matter regarding the engineers death and he also has leads in the investigation into the German’s murder. The death of the professor is already solved, someone is in custody but De Luca is approached by an officer, Petrarca, who works in the passport office. The man accused is a friend who he is sure could not have committed the crime.
De Luca has to deal with some pretty bad people not only those he comes across in his investigations but those who have brought these cases to him. Even when a character seems to be reasonable and simply doing their best under difficult circumstances they can turn out to be guilty of doing terrible deeds, committing atrocities and then there are others who do not even attempt to cover up their heinous actions. The Italian resistance whose partisans are disrupting, fighting street battles, helping people to escape the German and Italian authorities are causing mayhem and the Nazi retaliations are swift and devastating.
Through all this De Luca continues to investigate and we follow him as he tries to work out what must have happened in each case this is made all the more tense because of the ten hostages, made terrifying for both the investigator and those being investigated because the thought of what might befall them at the hands of the Nazis or Black Brigades, the weather is freezing with snow and ice and we get a glimpse of how the civilians are going about their lives in Bologna as well as how De Luca has to cope with all of this and solve the crimes under threat and with a short deadline.
De Luca is nevertheless an Italian who has authority in the Italian Social Republic, commonly known as the Republic of Salo as Salo is its capital, so we must presume is an Italian Fascist. As he investigates we get to know him and he is a man with a conscience that leads him to make decisions that he might not otherwise have done and which, albeit subtly, aid the partisan cause. He also is disgusted by the methods employed by the Nazis particularly the SS and by the Italian Black Brigades. It will be interesting to see how this plays out in future books which I do hope will be forthcoming.
All in all I found The Darkest Winter an absorbing, though at times shocking and disturbing but always a very compelling story.
June 3, 2025
This is a decidedly cold, grim and complex piece of historical fiction, which makes it a compelling read.
The environment is certainly cold, being set on the fiercest, coldest winter in Bologna, as we follow inadequately clothed and nourished characters as they battle against the elements daily. It almost feels a little crass to read about such privations in warmth and comfort, but it is the reality for many in war.
It is not just the weather that is cold, there is a coldness of heart as well, as social norms begin to breakdown. For many it becomes a case of doing what is necessary just to stay alive. The penalties for crime are severe, but for many there just no other options. The city is now a place where life has little value and executions, and political murders are an everyday occurrence. However, even against such a background some do try to preserve a degree of human kindness and humanity, these tending to be the poorest and dispossessed.
It is grim but feels like an authentic portrayal of war, of life under the occupation of an army losing the war and retreating. This is the stage of the war when Hitler gave his scorched earth orders, to leave nothing of value behind, to destroy the fabric of civil life (orders that were thankfully ignored by many.) The killing of one German resulted in the execution of ten in reprisals and anything of value was likely to be looted by the Germans.
The plot consists of three individual investigations, which are running simultaneously which means that there is so much going on. Initially appearing easy to solve, these threads turn out to be quite twisty with a fair sprinkling of period noir added. The complexity doesn’t come from this though, it comes from the background against which it takes place.
The wider Italian forces have surrendered and are now on the side of the Allies, but in the German occupied areas of the North a puppet regime has been installed, Republic of Salò. So, on one side there are Germans, state forces, the fascist Black Brigades and militia men against the partisan resistance on the other. The characters (and hence the reader) have a constant battle to determine who represent what faction (even when it comes the various types of police) and where their true loyalties lie. A recipe for mistrust or betrayal, leading to outright paranoia. Here you can get the sense that the wrong word said, or ill-judged comments overheard by the wrong person can lead to arrest, incarceration, torture and death. Being on constant alert must have been terrifying and exhausting, of that we are left in no doubt.
Our central character is Comandante De Luca, a vastly experienced investigator now reluctantly working for the political police division. He’s resourceful and engaging, being an example of the good man in a bad position. In peacetime no doubt he would be a stalwart of the judicial process, but here he must be more pragmatic regarding the rule of law. For him it is a case of finding the best solution, the one he feels able to live with, following his own code of morality and justice. Crime readers love the cop faced with moral ambiguity, but I guess in times of war, faced with madness there is no other way to operate and stay sane. Of the other characters Wilma is a delight and something of a scene stealer, I will add no more.
It is violent, as might be expected, but not particularly graphic. What is striking is the callous, matter-of-fact side to the killing, hammering home the sense that what is just another killing added to all the other millions. It is no surprise veterans were so reluctant to recount their experiences.
This is not a novel I found I could race through, even though it is relatively short and the translator has done a fine job, because I found myself trying to fix the different factions and locations in my mind as the story progressed.
It is fiction but it is clearly well researched with sources given, a background introduction and a usefully glossary, together with maps.
An atmospheric historical noir that captures the struggle for survival during wartime.
The environment is certainly cold, being set on the fiercest, coldest winter in Bologna, as we follow inadequately clothed and nourished characters as they battle against the elements daily. It almost feels a little crass to read about such privations in warmth and comfort, but it is the reality for many in war.
It is not just the weather that is cold, there is a coldness of heart as well, as social norms begin to breakdown. For many it becomes a case of doing what is necessary just to stay alive. The penalties for crime are severe, but for many there just no other options. The city is now a place where life has little value and executions, and political murders are an everyday occurrence. However, even against such a background some do try to preserve a degree of human kindness and humanity, these tending to be the poorest and dispossessed.
It is grim but feels like an authentic portrayal of war, of life under the occupation of an army losing the war and retreating. This is the stage of the war when Hitler gave his scorched earth orders, to leave nothing of value behind, to destroy the fabric of civil life (orders that were thankfully ignored by many.) The killing of one German resulted in the execution of ten in reprisals and anything of value was likely to be looted by the Germans.
The plot consists of three individual investigations, which are running simultaneously which means that there is so much going on. Initially appearing easy to solve, these threads turn out to be quite twisty with a fair sprinkling of period noir added. The complexity doesn’t come from this though, it comes from the background against which it takes place.
The wider Italian forces have surrendered and are now on the side of the Allies, but in the German occupied areas of the North a puppet regime has been installed, Republic of Salò. So, on one side there are Germans, state forces, the fascist Black Brigades and militia men against the partisan resistance on the other. The characters (and hence the reader) have a constant battle to determine who represent what faction (even when it comes the various types of police) and where their true loyalties lie. A recipe for mistrust or betrayal, leading to outright paranoia. Here you can get the sense that the wrong word said, or ill-judged comments overheard by the wrong person can lead to arrest, incarceration, torture and death. Being on constant alert must have been terrifying and exhausting, of that we are left in no doubt.
Our central character is Comandante De Luca, a vastly experienced investigator now reluctantly working for the political police division. He’s resourceful and engaging, being an example of the good man in a bad position. In peacetime no doubt he would be a stalwart of the judicial process, but here he must be more pragmatic regarding the rule of law. For him it is a case of finding the best solution, the one he feels able to live with, following his own code of morality and justice. Crime readers love the cop faced with moral ambiguity, but I guess in times of war, faced with madness there is no other way to operate and stay sane. Of the other characters Wilma is a delight and something of a scene stealer, I will add no more.
It is violent, as might be expected, but not particularly graphic. What is striking is the callous, matter-of-fact side to the killing, hammering home the sense that what is just another killing added to all the other millions. It is no surprise veterans were so reluctant to recount their experiences.
This is not a novel I found I could race through, even though it is relatively short and the translator has done a fine job, because I found myself trying to fix the different factions and locations in my mind as the story progressed.
It is fiction but it is clearly well researched with sources given, a background introduction and a usefully glossary, together with maps.
An atmospheric historical noir that captures the struggle for survival during wartime.
April 9, 2025
The Darkest Winter is an intense, complex and absorbing crime thriller, oozing atmosphere to capture the distrust of a City, Bologna, Italy in 1944. A distrust borne of the fact that it’s a City over run by Germans believing WW2 can still to be won, Fascists trying to make their impact as the dominant force over the Germans, and Resistance fighters who are against both. I found this not only an excellent suspense page turner, but also so very different given the period in time and the setting. I was totally captivated.
Comandante De Luca, is now working for the political police but his heart remains in his former life as a police investigator where he had the reputation as ‘the most brilliant investigative officer in Bologna.’ And it is that reputation which sees him being forced, initially, by the 3 competing forces (SS, Fascists and Resistance) and then due to his natural investigative instinct that compelled him to undertake the investigation of 3 separate murders.
In ‘normal’ conditions, he would be able to follow leads unencumbered by those around him. But in 1944 Bologna, his greatest challenge was knowing who he could trust and who were out to do anything but allow him to do his policing job. Not just to deflect from identifying the murderers, but more a reflection of the political times.
As I got to know De Luca, I find I very much liked the character. A character full of compassion, fairness but not afraid to follow his instinct no matter the danger to his personal safety.
Not a quick and easy skim read – author and his subject matter deals with some pretty grim times in Italy’s history – but The Darkest Hour is definitely worth a read.
Comandante De Luca, is now working for the political police but his heart remains in his former life as a police investigator where he had the reputation as ‘the most brilliant investigative officer in Bologna.’ And it is that reputation which sees him being forced, initially, by the 3 competing forces (SS, Fascists and Resistance) and then due to his natural investigative instinct that compelled him to undertake the investigation of 3 separate murders.
In ‘normal’ conditions, he would be able to follow leads unencumbered by those around him. But in 1944 Bologna, his greatest challenge was knowing who he could trust and who were out to do anything but allow him to do his policing job. Not just to deflect from identifying the murderers, but more a reflection of the political times.
As I got to know De Luca, I find I very much liked the character. A character full of compassion, fairness but not afraid to follow his instinct no matter the danger to his personal safety.
Not a quick and easy skim read – author and his subject matter deals with some pretty grim times in Italy’s history – but The Darkest Hour is definitely worth a read.
May 1, 2025
Translated from Italian into English (and done very well) this is the story of Vice Commandant De Luca, set in Bologna, during the dreadful winter of 1944. The Allies have stopped their advance northwards through Italy awaiting Spring and De Luca is working for the Political Police. An absorbing historical crime novel which authoritatively reflects the desperate conditions for the people living there during this time.
Briefly, Bologna is under German control, with the support of the Fascists under Mussolini, but partisans are active amongst the rubble of the city, following Allied bombing raids. When a German officer is found murdered the SS chief gives De Luca 7 days to find the culprit or he will shoot 10 hostages. No pressure then! With two other bodies discovered he now has three murders to solve.
The Nazis have a total lack of interest in anything remotely like justice and I loved how De Luca was determined to get to the truth despite all the pressure he was under. He’s a great character with a brilliant investigative brain but compassionate and honest. This is a nerve wracking storyline, good plot full of suspense and it’s hard to know who to trust. An absorbing and at times dark and harrowing story. A compelling read and I would definitely want to read more by this author.
Briefly, Bologna is under German control, with the support of the Fascists under Mussolini, but partisans are active amongst the rubble of the city, following Allied bombing raids. When a German officer is found murdered the SS chief gives De Luca 7 days to find the culprit or he will shoot 10 hostages. No pressure then! With two other bodies discovered he now has three murders to solve.
The Nazis have a total lack of interest in anything remotely like justice and I loved how De Luca was determined to get to the truth despite all the pressure he was under. He’s a great character with a brilliant investigative brain but compassionate and honest. This is a nerve wracking storyline, good plot full of suspense and it’s hard to know who to trust. An absorbing and at times dark and harrowing story. A compelling read and I would definitely want to read more by this author.
May 28, 2025
The Darkest Winter is a gloomy, intriguing, hard hitting crime thriller set in war time Italy.
During the latter stages of the war, in 1944, Italy is under German occupation, and we set our scene in Bologna. It's Comandante De Luca's task to investigate three savage murders, while the survival of ten Italian hostages are in the balance.
Will De Luca succeed? Be sure to pick your copy up to find out.
So all in all, this was such a gripping, raw tale with believable characters that feel real, and a great atmospheric feel, with distrust being constantly ripe in the air.
It's gritty, it's dark, it's stout-hearted.
4 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's from me.
During the latter stages of the war, in 1944, Italy is under German occupation, and we set our scene in Bologna. It's Comandante De Luca's task to investigate three savage murders, while the survival of ten Italian hostages are in the balance.
Will De Luca succeed? Be sure to pick your copy up to find out.
So all in all, this was such a gripping, raw tale with believable characters that feel real, and a great atmospheric feel, with distrust being constantly ripe in the air.
It's gritty, it's dark, it's stout-hearted.
4 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's from me.
December 28, 2025
An odd book in many ways. The details the chaos of Bologna in the Winter of 1944, but I found the way in which De Luca solves the crimes a little bit unconvincing. The novel gathers pace at the end and your left with a an easy feel at the end of the story. Perhaps as many Italians felt as the Whall started drag towards its end.
April 10, 2025
Dark Italian criminal investigation. Set during the later stages of WW2 and with Italy still under German occupation, three murders have happened and both the Italian police and the German officers in charge want them solved. An intriguing, gritty read.
May 21, 2025
Three murders to solve against a backdrop of WW2 Bologna and a detective who valued perhaps the challenge more than the world he works for. Really great exploration of the period and a set of fine mysteries too
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
December 30, 2025
I have not read any of the books in the Inspector De Luca series, so this prequel has proven to be a very enjoyable and intriguing introduction to him and his world. Faced with three murders to solve, and an incredibly broad spectrum of characters demanding his time, from Nazi Officers to the Italian resistance, it is hard for De Luca to know which way to turn, a problem I found equally as baffling as I tried to keep up with the trio of victims we are introduced in a very short space of time.
As we we settle into the story, the flow became easier to keep up with, and as I watched De Luca trying to navigate a very delicate political situation, I found myself developing a real respect for him as a character. Carlo Lucarelli has created a really interesting protagonist, one who clearly has a love of the chase, of the investigative elements of police work, even if it does mostly fall outside of his official remit. But he also has a clear moral code, one which pushes him to act in ways not always loyal to his paymaster, or even the dominant Nazi presence in Bologna.
I found myself very much drawn into this story, and transported through the year back to a time where tensions were high, and the threats to people’s safety were very, very, real. There is a really interesting protagonist feeling of authenticity to the story, a sense that the author has a thorough understanding of not only the city in which he has set his story, but also of the impact of war upon its politics and its residents. And for Italy it was a very turbulent time, with so many areas of conflict beyond the threat of war alone, the essence of which comes through very strongly in this book.
I really enjoyed getting to known De Luca, and his companion in the investigations in this book, Petrarca. They made for a good team, even if their perspective on the cases, and their reasons for wanting to seek the truth, were poles apart. And then there is Vilma, allegedly a secretary, but a woman who has hidden depths, and a real taste for the darker sides of war.
And this darkness is explored in all of its gory detail, although not to graphic extremes. Lucarelli doesn’t shy away from the gruesome realities of war, and the treatment of the ‘enemy’ or those considered traitorous. This is is a story set during the second world war, and the scenes, as harsh as they are to read, are a necessary evil in the depiction of a truly evil time.
If you enjoy an authentic historical murder mystery, with complex characters and a heap of misdirection, set against an almost ticking clock deadline for uncovering the truth, this could well be the book for you. I’m certainly drawn into the world of Inspector De Luca, and will be looking out for the other books to earmark as future reads.
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