Review
'I am a big fan of Lambert's writing, especially his short stories, so I was intrigued to see how he handled this slight departure into the realms of literary thriller.
Very well, is the answer, and without compromising his style. The plot builds nicely, hooking you from the first chapter. This is gritty but intelligent stuff set in Rome where an English bookseller finds himself embroiled in a mystery involving a collection of old photographs he finds among the belongings of an ex-lover. Lambert is really very good indeed. Will I read on? Absolutely.' --Scott Pack, Me & My Big Mouth
'Lambert's third novel is a sophisticated literary thriller set on the seamier fringe of Rome's gay scene.'
--Guardian
'a slow-burning, beautifully written crime story that brings to life the Rome that tourists don't see - luckily for them.' --Daily Telegraph
Very well, is the answer, and without compromising his style. The plot builds nicely, hooking you from the first chapter. This is gritty but intelligent stuff set in Rome where an English bookseller finds himself embroiled in a mystery involving a collection of old photographs he finds among the belongings of an ex-lover. Lambert is really very good indeed. Will I read on? Absolutely.' --Scott Pack, Me & My Big Mouth
'Lambert's third novel is a sophisticated literary thriller set on the seamier fringe of Rome's gay scene.'
--Guardian
'a slow-burning, beautifully written crime story that brings to life the Rome that tourists don't see - luckily for them.' --Daily Telegraph
Product Description
A dark and fast-paced literary thriller about love, sex, art and death
Book Description
Andrew Caruso has been a second-hand-book dealer in Rome for thirty years when a collection of old photographs changes his life forever. He finds the photos among the possessions of his ex-lover, Michel; the images – possibly from police archives – are fascinating, but when Andrew and his art-critic friend Daniela decide to launch an exhibition, the shop is raided the day before the opening and the display seized with surprising violence. In his quest to understand the significance of the pictures, Andrew crosses paths with Alessandro, a journalist who knows more about their history than Andrew can imagine. But Alessandro offers hope, as well as information: hope, in a world where kidnap, subterfuge and even murder are the norm; a world of criminal intrigue in which no one is safe, or above suspicion. Meanwhile, in a cellar, a kidnapped girl hopes desperately for rescue. Part thriller, part love story, Charles Lambert's second novel is both gripping and exhilarating; brilliant and hard-edged, it clearly marks Lambert as a name to note.
About the Author
Charles Lambert was born in the United Kingdom in 1953. In 1976 he moved to Milan and, with brief interruptions in Ireland, Portugal and London, has lived and worked in Italy since then. Currently a university teacher, academic translator and freelance editor for international agencies, he now lives in Fondi, exactly halfway between Rome and Naples. His first novel, Little Monsters, is also published by Picador.
