Entitled Il Senso del Dolore in its original language, this is the first of de Giovanni’s Commissario Ricciardi novels to be translated into English. It’s set in Naples in 1931 and begins with the murder of Maestro Vezzi, a famous tenor who’s found dead in his theatre dressing room. Ricciardi soon discovers that Vezzi was arrogant and widely hated, but was also a centrepiece at the theatre, drawing the audiences and thereby making it viable. As he investigates, the detective must answer many questions, not just about the killing but about himself.
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