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kcfromaustcrime's review against another edition
3.0
Perhaps I should just start this off by saying Mafia storylines are possibly my least favourite scenarios. Maybe (and probably unfairly) it seems like an easy target, the other possibility is that there's rarely anything new or illustrative about their activities. Either way, I'm acutely aware that this is a personal prejudice which is undoubtedly irrational and unreasonable.
Adding to the complication was THE NAMESAKE being the third Commissario Alex Blume novel, and my not having read either of the earlier ones. This meant that Blume, an interesting, enigmatic and flawed character, was not always quite fully fleshed out in my mind. Whilst not having read the earlier books didn't seem to matter in terms of picking up the plot of this part thriller / part police procedural, somehow I couldn't help wondering if the slightly disconnected feeling I was getting could be partially because it would have been better to have read this series in order. Whilst there were some aspects of Blume's backstory built into THE NAMESAKE, somehow he always seemed slightly distant, fuzzy around the edges. Perhaps other reviewers, who have read the full series, will be able to be much clearer on this requirement.
Given that involvement of the Ndreangheta in the plot, it wasn't all that surprising to find some predictable elements being explored - corruption, loyalty, power plays, so called "honour", vengeance and vendetta. The main plot pits Blume directly against one of the main underworld figures, whilst the sub-plot, the death of a poor unfortunate man who just happens to have the same name as a well-known Magistrate, is left to Blume's colleague (and romantic partner) Caterina and the rest of the team. The pace of the investigation is rapid, although the storyline doesn't always serve that well with the action frequently getting bogged down in a lot of extraneous meanderings into complicated family setups, past and present activities and what seemed like a lot of dead-end alleyways.
The best part of the book was undoubtedly Blume, who is one of those classic strongly principled, but deeply flawed men. Struggling with commitment issues in his personal life, he's professionally decisive especially when it means he can avoid being quite so proactive personally. Although this did lead to a couple of scenes which, seemed somewhat disconnected from the main action, did provide some quite funny moments (I'm never going to park anywhere near a rubbish dump ever again in my life!),
The book also has a strong sense of place and culture. It felt quintessentially Italian in style and tone. Whilst it could very well be that people with more interest in things Mafia would find THE NAMESAKE works as a standalone, to be honest, I wish I'd read the earlier books first, but I'm definitely going to do just that.
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/namesake-conor-fitzgerald
Adding to the complication was THE NAMESAKE being the third Commissario Alex Blume novel, and my not having read either of the earlier ones. This meant that Blume, an interesting, enigmatic and flawed character, was not always quite fully fleshed out in my mind. Whilst not having read the earlier books didn't seem to matter in terms of picking up the plot of this part thriller / part police procedural, somehow I couldn't help wondering if the slightly disconnected feeling I was getting could be partially because it would have been better to have read this series in order. Whilst there were some aspects of Blume's backstory built into THE NAMESAKE, somehow he always seemed slightly distant, fuzzy around the edges. Perhaps other reviewers, who have read the full series, will be able to be much clearer on this requirement.
Given that involvement of the Ndreangheta in the plot, it wasn't all that surprising to find some predictable elements being explored - corruption, loyalty, power plays, so called "honour", vengeance and vendetta. The main plot pits Blume directly against one of the main underworld figures, whilst the sub-plot, the death of a poor unfortunate man who just happens to have the same name as a well-known Magistrate, is left to Blume's colleague (and romantic partner) Caterina and the rest of the team. The pace of the investigation is rapid, although the storyline doesn't always serve that well with the action frequently getting bogged down in a lot of extraneous meanderings into complicated family setups, past and present activities and what seemed like a lot of dead-end alleyways.
The best part of the book was undoubtedly Blume, who is one of those classic strongly principled, but deeply flawed men. Struggling with commitment issues in his personal life, he's professionally decisive especially when it means he can avoid being quite so proactive personally. Although this did lead to a couple of scenes which, seemed somewhat disconnected from the main action, did provide some quite funny moments (I'm never going to park anywhere near a rubbish dump ever again in my life!),
The book also has a strong sense of place and culture. It felt quintessentially Italian in style and tone. Whilst it could very well be that people with more interest in things Mafia would find THE NAMESAKE works as a standalone, to be honest, I wish I'd read the earlier books first, but I'm definitely going to do just that.
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/namesake-conor-fitzgerald
tasmanian_bibliophile's review
3.0
‘Remember, though, this is a story that will not end well.’
American-born Commissario Alec Blume has lived in Italy since his teens. This gives him an unusual view of the country: an insider’s awareness of Italy’s social and cultural intricacies combined with an outsider’s appreciation of the country’s beauty.
The novel opens with the apparent kidnapping of a teenage girl. Shortly afterwards, a man is found dead outside the court buildings in Piazza Clodio. The man, an insurance agent, had the misfortune of having the same name as a magistrate who is investigating a high-ranking member of the Calabrian mafia, the ‘Ndrangheta.
Blume sees an opportunity to force Agazio Curmaci, the ‘Ndrangheta’s second in charge, to return to Italy from Germany. To do this, he needs to join forces with an undercover agent who may have another agenda.
Part thriller, part police procedural, the story unfolds over a week. There’s a significant amount of detail about the ‘Ndrangheta which is interesting if you are interested in the cultural, political and social factors that have led to its rise. Sometimes the detail is peripheral to the story, but I found it interesting.
This is the third novel to feature Commissario Alec Blume, but the first I’ve read. I’m hoping to add the first two to my reading list.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
American-born Commissario Alec Blume has lived in Italy since his teens. This gives him an unusual view of the country: an insider’s awareness of Italy’s social and cultural intricacies combined with an outsider’s appreciation of the country’s beauty.
The novel opens with the apparent kidnapping of a teenage girl. Shortly afterwards, a man is found dead outside the court buildings in Piazza Clodio. The man, an insurance agent, had the misfortune of having the same name as a magistrate who is investigating a high-ranking member of the Calabrian mafia, the ‘Ndrangheta.
Blume sees an opportunity to force Agazio Curmaci, the ‘Ndrangheta’s second in charge, to return to Italy from Germany. To do this, he needs to join forces with an undercover agent who may have another agenda.
Part thriller, part police procedural, the story unfolds over a week. There’s a significant amount of detail about the ‘Ndrangheta which is interesting if you are interested in the cultural, political and social factors that have led to its rise. Sometimes the detail is peripheral to the story, but I found it interesting.
This is the third novel to feature Commissario Alec Blume, but the first I’ve read. I’m hoping to add the first two to my reading list.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
shelleyrae's review
4.0
While this is the third book featuring Commissario Alec Blume, The Namesake is the first I have read from this British author. Part police procedural/part crime thriller, this series is set in Italy and pits Blume, more often than not, against the organised crime families of Italy. In The Namesake, the body of a man who bears the same name as a Magistrate, is dumped outside of a courthouse in Rome, a threat that Blume attributes to the Ndreangheta. Seizing an opportunity that might force Ndreangheta's second in command, Curmaci, to return from Germany, Blume leaves the investigation of the dead body to his girlfriend and colleague, Caterina and reluctantly working with the DSCA, Blume makes a bold move against Curmaci, that has the potential to backfire spectacularly.
Corruption, vengeance, loyalty and honour are the main themes explored amidst both the justice and organised crime systems of Italy. The main plot involves Blume's desire to bring down Curmaci which is supported by several subplots including the investigation of the namesake killing, the abduction of a young girl, a 'family' tussle for power, the relationship between the sons of Curmaci and his rival Tony, and a man out for vengeance. While the events in the novel take place over only a week, and there is a fair bit of action, The Namesake can be dense with detail at times which slows the pace considerably. The detail is interesting in and of itself, but does not always contribute directly to the story so I found my attention wavering occasionally.
Blume is an enigmatic character, while deeply flawed he is also a man with strong principles. I never really got a handle on his motivation for his determination to bring down Curmaci, though there is a vague mention of a previous incident between them and I think it must be something I missed, not having read the first two books.
Of the supportive characters, it was the teenage Ruggerio that caught my attention. The son of Curmaci, he is not sure of his position in the Ndreangheta family but eventually he makes decisions that sets his path.
The Namesake is a literary crime novel, atmospheric with interesting characters. I would have liked to have read the previous titles in the series, [b:The Dogs Of Rome|7104368|The Dogs Of Rome (Commissario Alec Blume, #1)|Conor Fitzgerald|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1312066289s/7104368.jpg|8022182] and [b:The Fatal Touch|10915279|The Fatal Touch (Commissario Alec Blume #2)|Conor Fitzgerald|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1312051611s/10915279.jpg|14276236] first but The Namesake does still work as a stand alone.
howjessicareads's review against another edition
3.0
I really love Donna Leon's books, so I was excited when Shelf Awareness sent me The Namesake (an Italian mystery, not to be confused with the novel by Jhumpa Lahiri) for review. It didn't have the same brilliance as Leon's books, but it was still fun, and the mistaken identity premise was intriguing.
In The Namesake, his third Commissario Alec Blume novel, Conor Fitzgerald delves into the mysterious secrets of the 'Ndrangheta--an organized crime syndicate whose constituent families see it as almost a form of religion.
It all starts simply enough: Blume has been working with magistrate Matteo Arconti to investigate a Roman doctor's "suicide," which quickly leads them to the Megale family--key leaders in one of the branches of the 'Ndrangheta. Then a Milanese insurance adjustor, also named Matteo Arconti, is found dead outside the court buildings where Magistrate Arconti works. Blume and his girlfriend, Inspector Caterina Mattiola, quickly realize the dead Arconti was harmless, his murder a warning from the 'Ndrangheta to Matteo Arconti the magistrate.
(Read the rest of my review here).
In The Namesake, his third Commissario Alec Blume novel, Conor Fitzgerald delves into the mysterious secrets of the 'Ndrangheta--an organized crime syndicate whose constituent families see it as almost a form of religion.
It all starts simply enough: Blume has been working with magistrate Matteo Arconti to investigate a Roman doctor's "suicide," which quickly leads them to the Megale family--key leaders in one of the branches of the 'Ndrangheta. Then a Milanese insurance adjustor, also named Matteo Arconti, is found dead outside the court buildings where Magistrate Arconti works. Blume and his girlfriend, Inspector Caterina Mattiola, quickly realize the dead Arconti was harmless, his murder a warning from the 'Ndrangheta to Matteo Arconti the magistrate.
(Read the rest of my review here).
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