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The fifth adventure for Inspector Falcone and agents Costa and Peroni begins unexpectedly as they return from a convivial and congratulatory evening with their companions, Raffaela, Emily and Teresa. The team has come back to Rome from Venice (the site of their fourth case) where Falcone was seriously wounded during the affair. He has now recovered though he seems a shadow of his former incisive self to his comrades. The mayhem that breaks out as Falcone is threatened with being abducted is a shock to all concerned but most of all to Falcone himself. He reveals to the others the appalling case of 14 years before when a boy disappeared and a student was beaten to death. The circumstances concerned an excavation of the subterranean remains of ancient Rome beneath the current city by archaeologists. David Hewson presents his tale in alternating chapters concerning the present and 14 years before. This seems confusing at first but one soon tunes in to the pattern and becomes familiar with the characters. A number of these characters appear in both periods so the skill of the writer in delineating them clearly is apparent. Underground Rome is suitably labyrinthine mirroring the convolutions of the plot. Horror is an emotion that Hewson is particularly good at evoking – he can build up a scene of murder extremely well so that the blood, the mess and the shadows become almost real. The central team has developed over the novels but for a fresh reader they are easily understandable without the background. Falcone is the focus of this tale since he alone of the group was involved in the original case. The others assist in the elucidation of what actually happened with their own contributions – Nic Costa and Gianni Peroni do the legwork of the investigation while their companions Emily and Teresa use their appropriate skills. Emily is an ex-FBI agent who can provide a sounding board for Costa’s ideas on this cold case and put forward suggestions of her own. Teresa is a police pathologist so she can contribute her professional skill concerning the bodies of victims. They are caught up in the case because of their relationships with the policemen so they can work closely with them. David Hewson can really evoke an Italian atmosphere well – whether the modern city or the frightening underground city. The twists of the story are cleverly done – even when the situation seems obvious he can produce a strange response that can turn the tale on its head. The climax is absolutely shattering.
Reviewed by Jennifer S. Palmer, April 2007
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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