The Death of a Mafia Don

Michele Ferrara #3

by Michele Giuttari

A bomb explodes in the centre of Florence, hitting the car of Chief Superintendent Michele Ferrara of the elite Squadra Mobile. The attack rocks the ancient city to its foundations. Ferrara was clearly the target - and he did, after all, just controversially imprison notorious Mafia boss Salvatore Laprua.

A week later, another bomb explodes - bringing tragedy for Ferrara and a determination to find the culprit. But that same morning, Salvatore Laprua is found dead in his prison cell. So who is the mysterious influence behind the bombings - someone even the Mafia fear?

An ingenious, gripping mystery, The Death of a Mafia Don has been a bestseller in Italy and across Europe. Written by former Florence police chief Michele Giuttari, it offers a fascinating insight into the secret world of the Mafia, and life in Florence.

Genres: Crime, Fiction, Italy, Mystery, Italian Literature, Detective, Thriller

372 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Michele Giuttari is former head of the Florence Police Force (1995-2003), where he was responsible for re-opening the Monster of Florence case and jailing several key Mafia figures. He is now a special advisor to the interior minister in Rome, with a remit to monitor Mafia activity.

Reviews

[Sophie Bane · Rating 1 out of 5]

The title of this novel sounds promising, and it begins well enough – with a bomb blast in the centre of Florence, which appears to have the senior police officer Michele Ferrara as its target.

However… I really, really struggled to get into this. I don’t know whether it’s the writing style itself or the translation, but to me it felt that a lot of the prose, and particularly the dialogue, was quite laboured, and there were some phrases that just felt too clunky and out of place, particularly some of the use of English colloquialisms that jarred with the rest of the text. There was a good plot struggling to get out (Mafia feud, links to terrorism and joint ventures between Mafia and Al-qaeda), but it really wasn’t very well served by the writing.

It is tempting to put this down to the fact that Giuttari is a former police chief, and certainly the procedural elements of the novel feel authentic (though confusing to non-Italians, as there are a lot of different law enforcement/ intelligence organisations in the plot) but the characters don’t seem to have much depth. Most of the dialogue is focused on exposition, and the old creative writing maxim of ‘show, don’t tell’ is largely ignored, which means that you get descriptions of the way the characters are feeling, but not much sense of how it manifests itself.

All of that being said, I think the plot does show promise. This might be one of those occasions where a film adaptation might work particularly well – the core idea of Mafia and Islamist extremists working together is as intriguing as it is terrifying, and could create a great action movie. The business of Mafia politics also seems to be well represented – though I always find it difficult to keep straight in my head who the big bosses are and who the families are in each of the districts, but that’s my own personal failing and may not apply to everybody who reads the book.

In short, I couldn’t really get into this book – finishing it felt like more of a chore than a pleasure, which is a shame as it does have some promising elements. I wouldn’t recommend it as a reader, but if I was looking for a novel to option for a TV adaptation/ film, there is plenty to work with here.

[Rachael Murphy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was determined to finish this book but only because I don't like to start things and not finish them. I struggled to get through it. The characters were poorly formed and lacked personality. I knew where the book was set but without knowing what that place actually looks like I was given no insight.
The book did get more interesting towards the end but there was no build up, just vague mentions of an overall plot when then took a completely different direction.
The one thing I will say is that it may have been lost in translation. The language was quite simple and seemed almost inappropriate at times which may be down to how it was translated from Italian.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was similar to the previous book in the Ferrara series, A Death in Tuscany, in that it developed slowly and only picked up—to a frenzied pace—at the very end. What concerns me more is that Giuttari isn't really interested in his characters, only the investigation. After reading the first three books in the series, I still feel that I don't really know Ferrara, his wife, or any of his lieutenants. I was surprised that this book included what seemed to be a subplot involving the romantic life of a new character, but that was explained later on when it turned out to be a plot device involving the investigation.

Giuttari writes with authority on police matters, as indeed he should given his background, but he isn't really a novelist. Novelists care about their characters and know that interesting characters are the key to keeping the reader's interest. Giuttari is more of a scenarist.

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather convoluted mystery set in Florence. A bomb explodes in the city centre, injuring Michele Ferrara, head of the Squadra Mobile, who has just completed the arrest of a leading mafioso, Salvatore Laprua. As Ferrara recovers, a further explosion claims more lives and Laprua is found dead in his cell.

Being a fan of Italian detective series such as Donna Leon’s Brunetti, Andrea Camilleri’s Montalbano and Michael Dibden’s Aurelio Zen, I had high hopes of this thriller, especially as the writer is a former police chief. The premise of the plot is original and ingenious, and the police investigation itself feels as authentic as you would expect.

However, Ferrara himself is rather flat and forgettable as a character, with none of the individual quirks that make the above mentioned detectives so memorable. There were also too many similar characters, among both the police and the Mafia, and the overlapping of numerous different police departments added to the confusion - certainly convincing given the labyrinthine nature of Italian bureaucracy but not helpful to a mystery novel.

The pace picks up in the final third of the novel, and the different strands of the plot resolve themselves rather well, but overall my rating reflects a solid rather than outstanding reading experience.

[Carolien · Rating 4 out of 5]

What you get with Michele Giuttari is a authentic look at the complexities of police work and details involved. If the plot involves a massive bomb in the middle of Florence shortly after 9/11 which may have been planted by the Mafia or an international terror network, it gets very convoluted at times. The vast cast of characters include a whole group of Sicilian Mafia bosses and the reader must pay attention. Like all his books, it picks up pace over the course of the story. I enjoy this series.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Guittari definitely improves with each book. I got a little lost in some of the procedural duties at times, but for once, he makes no attempt to titillate the reader with unnecessary sex scenes and this story had the highest stakes yet. Mafia Don has a lot of daring plot elements, which Guitarri pulls together in a suspenseful yet believable read.

Given the hints about Ferrara's future, though, I'm curious how long Guitarri spun out the series.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my favourite so far of this author's books. Either he is getting better or I'm getting more accustomed to his style.

This is a very Italian crime novel. Looking into the Mafia and what surrounds them. The author is still enjoying planting the character he seems to write himself as at the centre of everything in the world he's created. This irritated me less in this book than the others. Described these books could sound very similar to the Brunetti series. In reality I'd say they're very different. I see this author as an Alpha Male describing himself as he sees himself in these books. The other characters aren't as well described but that doesn't really cause me problems.

I found this a good story I rolled through quite easily. I found the final chapters a tad fantastic but I let it go. The bit I found most irritating was the the consequences of the final chapters wasn't ever looked into. Maybe in the next book? This is a fun crime story that can't be read with a critical eye. Just roll with it. I wouldn't advise reading this without reading the book prior to this though A Death in Tuscany, as that forms the backbone of a lot of this book.

[Jane Crampton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a real fan of Michele Giuttari his plots are excellent and his characters have a real depth. You can tell he writes from his experiences as head of Squadra Mobiles of Florence his understanding of how procedures and processes work in reality shines from the page. I think it's a real benefit reading his novels in sequence you get a deeper understanding of Michele Ferrara, how his mind works and why he makes the decisions he does. Loved this book, a real ingenious plot, kept me gripped throughout.

[Nancy Oakes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give the prize to Michele Giuttari for the fact that this book in his series had the most believable action of them all. For a longer review that is combined with two others (Death in Tuscany, A Death in Calabria), click here.

[Judith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book at the Lawrence Kansas pubic library sale shelf and am delighted to have found not only a new author, but one that writes about Italy, the country that I love, and one that has several books out already! Howard Curtis' translation is excellent, right to the point, and keeps the intensity of the growing mystery high. It is fascinating to learn about the ins and outs of the Italian police system, its rivalry/relationships with other para-military para-police organizations, and of course it is fun to wander around Firenze in the course of this novel. The changing world of the Mafia, too, is part of the mystery and it is interesting to know how it is coping (or not) with the changing demography of Italy and the growth of international crime.

I note that some readers were not as impressed with this mystery as I am. Knowing Florence may help. And also having been in Florence, as I was, during the time of the Beast of Florence (the murders committed at that time were solved by Giuttari and there is frequent reference to the Beast in all of his mysteries).

[Chazzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bomb explosion goes off in the middle of Florence, Italy. The recuperation shakes winds and walls across a wide area. Superintendent Michele Ferrara of the Squadra Mobile is seriously injured. His driver doesn’t survive.

There has been fighting in the Middle East. Could it have been a Taliban terrorism attack? There seems to be a rift developing within the Mafia — Old School versus the Newer Generation. Drug business is growing internationally — could that be it? A major boss of the Mafia has been captured and jailed — retribution for that action?

Another bombing and a death a week later makes Ferrara determined to find the why and who is responsible for these actions. Each new lead takes Ferrara and his men deeper into the workings of the Mafia looking for the one that is called the Lion and the Basilisk. It seems these two hold the power over the current Mafia.

I found it interesting and a bit involved in following the investigation. I did enjoy the read.

Interesting, the author is a retired Florence police chief.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Crime fiction in Florence. Inspector Ferrara, who has recently put away a Mafia boss, is the target of a bomb. The investigation into this and a further atrocity reveals a power struggle in Cosa Nostra. Where this novel falls down is its accuracy: the competing and conflicting labyrinthine police departments reflect reality but stifle the drama, until the large cast finally builds momentum right up to a surprising twist.

[Stuart · Rating 2 out of 5]

Second book of this author I have read and the last. I read that he is the 'leading Italian crime writer' but I find hims (or the translation) stilted and confusing. Too many people and too many organisations involved. in the epilogue someone sums up 'There are too many things these days we can't know. The world used to be simpler; the good guys were on one side, the bad guys on the other.....not any more!' That's the way I felt. I still don't know how it was resolved.

[Donald Schopflocher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Italian (and Italy-set) crime fiction dwells on two major themes: the thin line between right and wrong, and the corruption of the system(s). This intricately plotted police procedural focuses on the latter theme eventually delivering the adrenaline rush of a good spy thriller. (It definitely helps to have read the previous books in this series as character development is cumulative).

[Alessandro Boriani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Come il titolo che lo precede (la Loggia degli Innocenti) questo è decisamente più 3,5 che 3. Lettura agile in cui il poliziesco sconfina nello spionistico. Rispetto agli altri la trama è meno intricata a favore di un complotto nelle alte sfere dello Stato, crescono i nomi (a tratti ci si perde pure un po') e Ferrara è un po' meno operativo. Il libro, comunque, si legge davvero con piacere.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've really enjoyed all of the books that I've read by Michele Giuttari. Obviously a man blessed with a vast wealth of knowledge into the inner workings of the Italian underworld.
The aptly named Michele Ferrara is a formidable adversary to an criminal. So much so that the only way to be found to stop him is to quite literally blow him up!

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the first book I've read by this author. The main problem I had was the number of policemen in it from all departments that I had trouble remembering who was who from where and ended up writing myself a little aide-memoire and then the Mafia lot, some of whom were known by two different names! The story was OK but I don't think that I would read anymore by this author.

[Karen Bartlett · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointed - maybe lost in translation?
Usually anything set in Italy with a mystery/crime involved is right up my alley, but this one didn't grab me.
Previous works by Ferrara have been ok, but this one I have to give up on...

[Ann Macdonald · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have liked it even more if it weren't for the irritating habit of giving someone their full and complicated job title practically every time they were mentioned, and also the make and model of every car every time the vehicles were mentioned. So unnecessary and grating!

[Jake McGuffie]

DNF. i'm very sorry jun for borrowing this from you only to take like 2 years to read it and then tap out after 10 odd chapters. the pace is AGONISING and i just cannot get into it. maybe i'll go back to it eventually but ah, i've just got other things i want to do first 3

[Mike Rymarz · Rating 2 out of 5]

No idea of something was lost in translation or simply poor writing, but this was not an enjoyable read. Dull, slow and everything neatly telegraphed so even a 7 year old could understand. Not the best read of the year.

[Suzanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I struggled to read this book until I realized that I didn’t care what happened.

[Miss J C Rowe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable but too many Italian names to remember

[Chris McGarrry · Rating 5 out of 5]

brilliant book

[Laura Toomer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took a long time to get to the point.

[Georgie]

DNF @ 36 pages

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

#3 in a series, takes place in Italy - international crime. I wasn't able to keep all of the
characters straight, but informative and enjoyable read.

[Liz C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good. I think I may have read this before but it was good.

[Kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

I usually like this author’s work but this was tedious and I gave up midway through.

[Darin Dykstra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book!