Starred review from February 2, 2009
Set in 1808, the superb third whodunit from the pseudonymous Gregorio (the husband-wife team of Michael G. Jacob and Daniela De Gregorio) to feature Prussian magistrate Hanno Stiffeniis (after 2008's Days of Atonement
) subtly probes the heart of human darkness. When a woman who collects precious amber, a resource Napoleon hopes to use to generate funds, is horribly butchered, Stiffeniis must work for his French occupiers to solve the mystery. As more victims follow the first, Stiffeniis's hopes of a speedy resolution that would enable him to be present for his latest child's birth are dashed. Aided by Johannes Gurten, an odd apprentice who's adopted Buddhism, the sleuth attempts to get cooperation from those working at all levels of the amber trade to identify the killer's true motive. While some readers will anticipate the solution, the pitch-perfect evocation of the period and the compelling, gloomy atmosphere more than compensate for any lack of surprise.
February 1, 2009
The casualties of war provide cover for a brutal serial killer.
Napoleon's occupation of Prussia in the early 19th century has left the landscape blanketed with noxious flies swarming over corpses, excrement and food. In the manner of his recently deceased mentor Immanuel Kant, narrator and sometime sleuth Hanno Stiffeniis is performing scientific tests on this detritus in hopes of convincing the French to clean up Prussia for the health of all. His mission is unexpectedly interrupted by a request from Colonel Antoine Claudet of the French army. The valuable amber abundant in the Prussian terrain has become a prized commodity, and the French are digging it up to take back to Napoleon when one of the Prussian women working with the amber is found murdered. At first it's assumed that Kati Rodendahl was bludgeoned in the face to obscure her identity, but after some probing, Stiffeniis suggests instead the killer's anger that the victim had been concealing amber. Teaming up with the compassionate Dr. Heinrich, Stiffeniis unearths plots within plots. As more victims follow, the case becomes emblematic of the raw and angry feelings of the populace and, as Stiffeniis faces bureaucratic obstruction, the volatile political atmosphere. It also becomes frighteningly personal for the detective. Gregorio's grim finale is leavened by a ray of hope.
The third dose of Stiffeniis (Days of Atonement, 2008, etc.) boasts the same strong evocation of history and, refreshingly, a looser and more confident narrative voice.
(COPYRIGHT (2009) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)
March 1, 2009
Napoléon, having conquered Prussia, now wants to finance his campaign into Russia by using Prussian amber, but when a killer targets the women who collect the stones, Prussian procurator Hanno Stiffeniis is ordered to investigate. Working for the French does not endear Steffeniis ("Days of Atonement; Critique of Criminal Reason") to his countrymen, but he manages to impress all with his ability to conduct a complex murder investigation, enter the world of amber smuggling, and sort out the convoluted reasoning of the killer. Gregorio (a pseudonym for Michael G. Jacob and Daniela De Gregorio) writes dense prose and detailed passages on living conditions of the time. But he excels in his depiction of an unusual sleuth who combines the wily psychology of a conquered people with the underlying philosophy of his former teacher, Emmanuel Kant. Recommended for mystery readers who like literary historicals.
Copyright 2009 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
March 1, 2009
Upon finishing this third mystery featuring nineteenth-century Prussian magistrate Hanno Stiffeniis, readers are likely to give thanks for modern medicine and hygiene. As a serial killer methodically hacks and slices his (or her) way along the Amber Coast of the Baltic Sea, Gregorio takes every opportunity to supply vivid descriptionsnot just of the killers handiwork, but also of various unpleasant anatomical inner workings. Amid the viscera, there is a crime to solve. With his wife due to deliver their fourth child and the Napoleonic Wars raging, Stiffeniis is called away to Nordcopp, where he is charged with finding the person responsible for murdering an amber collector. Unfortunately, his investigative talents, learned in Critique of Criminal Reason (2006) from no less than Immanuel Kant, cannot prevent further grisly deaths. Gregorio uses the idea of amber as a metaphor to evoke the passion of those who trade the stones as well as to suggest the evil strength and perverted intelligence of his villain, a horrifying blend of Hannibal Lecter and Joseph Mengele. Philosophy and chemistry run amok in this intelligent, compelling, but definitely difficult-to-read thriller.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)
February 2, 2015
Umbria, Italy, provides the backdrop for this strong first in a new thriller series from Gregorio, the husband-and-wife writing team of Michael Jacob and Daniela De Gregorio (Critique of Criminal Reason and three other mysteries set in Napoleonic-era Prussia). After a powerful earthquake devastates Umbria in the fall of 2009, the ’Ndrangheta, the ruthless Calabrian crime family, starts moving into the region. Against some of the ’Ndrangheta’s hit men and drug lords stands young Sebastiano Cangio, who fled to London after witnessing a cold-blooded execution on a beach in his native Calabria and now works as a park ranger in Umbria, a job that allows him to pursue his passion, Apennine wolves. Cangio and his new and resourceful girlfriend, Loredana Salvini, prove worthy foils to the merciless mafiosi. Gregorio effectively captures the grisly incongruities of mob relationships and the hypocrisies of Italian marital accommodations in this stark tale of violent murder and rampant political corruption.
April 1, 2015
In this series launch from husband-and-wife team Michael Jacob and Daniela De Gregorio ("Hanno Stiffenis" mysteries), a young park ranger in Umbria faces off against the 'Ndrangheta, a powerful Calabrian crime family.
Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Starred review from March 1, 2015
After witnessing a deadly Mafia hit in his home region of Calabria, Sebastiano Cangio, a student with a lifelong passion for researching the lives of wolves, fears Mafia retribution and flees Italy for London. After a few miserable months as a real-estate agent, Sebastiano is desperate to return home and applies for a job as a park ranger in Umbria, one of Italy's most beautiful and unspoiled regions and, most important, one that's far away from the Mafia. It's a dream jobuntil Sebastiano discovers a body in the park and realizes it has all the marks of a Mafia hit. The local police seem surprisingly unconcerned, and Sebastiano soon realizes he can either look the other way or he can try to fight against the corruption and violence the Mafia will bring to his adopted region. An unexpected but suspicious source of support comes from General Corsini, the head of Italy's secret police, but the odds remain stacked strongly against Sebastiano. Outstanding writing, a suspenseful and terrifying plot, and enough twists to keep even the most seasoned reader guessing, this is a terrific read that belongs in all mystery collections.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)