BLACK AUGUST

Narrator Tim Gerard Reynolds deftly captures the taciturn, prickly Commissario Piero Trotti, who likes nothing better than fighting crime in Pavia, Lombardy, and enjoying an endless supply of boiled sweets. Williams won a Crime Writers' Association award for this fourth volume in the Trotti series, which excels in depicting contemporary Italy. In addition to Trotti, Reynolds spiritedly portrays a huge cast of suspects and police with countless melodious Italian voices and accents. Trotti's assistant, Pisanelli--he of many fiancées--is one of the most memorable. Particularly engaging is hearing a newspaper account of the complex case, which mistakenly identifies the corpse. Listeners will enjoy learning a bit of Italian history as Trotti finally nabs the killer. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2015]