Mystery

A Quiet Death in Italy

A Quiet Death in Italy

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  • Create Date：2022-04-09 09:52:20
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Tom Benjamin
  • ISBN：1472131576
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Summary

'The locale is brought to life 。 。 。 the plot keeps you guessing' The Times

'A slow-burning， tense and brooding thriller' The Herald Scotland

'Tom Benjamin's debut novel blows the lid off a political cauldron in which Leftist agitators， property moguls， the police and city elders struggle for survival and dominance' Daily Mail

'It's an immensely promising debut， which leaves the reader feeling they really know the city。' Morning Star


Bologna: city of secrets， suspicion 。 。 。 and murder

When the body of a radical protestor is found floating in one of Bologna's underground canals， it seems that most of the city is ready to blame the usual suspects: the police。

But when private investigator Daniel Leicester， son-in-law to the former chief of police， receives a call from the dead man's lover， he follows a trail that begins in the 1970s and leads all the way to the rotten heart of the present-day political establishment。

Beneath the beauty of the city， Bologna has a dark underside， and English detective Daniel must unravel a web of secrets， deceit and corruption - before he is caught in it himself。

A dark and atmospheric crime thriller set in the beautiful Italian city of Bologna， perfect for fans of Donna Leon， Michael Dibdin and Philip Gwynne Jones。

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Reviews

Jane ，

Read right after a trip to Bologna。 Surprisingly depressing and political。 I liked the details about Bologna a lot， and that the author and his main character are Brits living in Bologna。 Although clearly contemporary， it had a feel of the past。

Thomas ，

I have had this one in my read pile for a while and finally got around to reading it。 It is different to the other Italian based crime fiction I have read， being by a British author based in Italy， and the protagonist a British ex journalist who is working in his families firm of private investigators run by his ex Carabinieri father in law。 I have to say I thought it was a superb read and thoroughly enjoyed it。 It was fresh and the action and plot was well thought out and paced。 The setting bei I have had this one in my read pile for a while and finally got around to reading it。 It is different to the other Italian based crime fiction I have read， being by a British author based in Italy， and the protagonist a British ex journalist who is working in his families firm of private investigators run by his ex Carabinieri father in law。 I have to say I thought it was a superb read and thoroughly enjoyed it。 It was fresh and the action and plot was well thought out and paced。 The setting being Bologna was new to me also with plenty set in Venice， Naples etc。 So far there are another two books in the series and I'm looking forward to getting around to them too in the future。 The family dynamic of the book is also an intrigue and I'm looking forward to seeing how that develops in the series。  All in all a solid first book with lots of potential。 。。。more

Lorenzo Piazza ，

A truly insulting portrayal of Bologna and Bolognese people。 Utter contempt and sense of superiority （perhaps even subconscious） posturing as an ironic description of local quirks。 I tried at first to pass off some on the comments and implications as just good-natured albeit unsuccessful sarcasm， to seeing them as tone-deaf but ultimately harmless， to just seeing them as the ignorant， sensationalist and vile slander that they are。Also， this is supposed to be a detective story， but detecting does A truly insulting portrayal of Bologna and Bolognese people。 Utter contempt and sense of superiority （perhaps even subconscious） posturing as an ironic description of local quirks。 I tried at first to pass off some on the comments and implications as just good-natured albeit unsuccessful sarcasm， to seeing them as tone-deaf but ultimately harmless， to just seeing them as the ignorant， sensationalist and vile slander that they are。Also， this is supposed to be a detective story， but detecting doesn't seem to be this detective's strong suit， as 98% of the solutions come from people just telling him stuff （and him not expecting it） or stuff happening while he's present （and him still not expecting it）。 Daniel Leicester isn't only disrespectful and offensive （or rather， the author is disrespectful and offensive though Lancaster， who is clearly just an ego trip of who the author wishes he were）， but he is also incompetent， useless and dull， which could be argued is even worse for this kind of entertainment。Oh and hopefully for the next books （as this seems to be a series） I hope someone along the editorial chain （if the author can't be bothered） could have the decency of Googling the names of streets and placed mentioned？ Maybe we would at least avoid this carnival of indifferent misspelling。 。。。more

Cathy Cole ，

The reason why I picked up A Quiet Death in Italy is entirely due to its setting。 I've been "traveling" around Italy， solving mysteries one after the other， but I had yet to sample one set in Bologna。 I thought it was time to "visit" a new location。The portrait resident Tom Benjamin paints of Bologna is one of unrest caused by some of the usual suspects: corrupt police， corrupt government officials， and greedy property developers， with the added flavor of very vocal and active radical protester The reason why I picked up A Quiet Death in Italy is entirely due to its setting。 I've been "traveling" around Italy， solving mysteries one after the other， but I had yet to sample one set in Bologna。 I thought it was time to "visit" a new location。The portrait resident Tom Benjamin paints of Bologna is one of unrest caused by some of the usual suspects: corrupt police， corrupt government officials， and greedy property developers， with the added flavor of very vocal and active radical protesters。 Some of the scenes set during protests were very well-written， making me feel as though I were right in the streets with the main character。Former investigative journalist and widower Daniel Leicester is a British ex-pat living in Bologna with his young daughter and working for his father-in-law as a private investigator。 He has a very strong sense of right and wrong and is willing to stand up for his principles-- but not at the expense of his common sense。 When you're a single parent of a young child， you do have to draw a line somewhere， and I was happy to see that Leicester could make this distinction。As well-written as A Quiet Death in Italy is， and as much as I learned about present-day Bologna， the story and its main character never really captured my interest or my imagination。 Your mileage may certainly vary， so if you're looking for a mystery set in a different Italian location， you may definitely want to give this book a try。 。。。more

Laura Hamilton ，

This was an interesting read， it did take me a while to get into it as it was so descriptive， perhaps due to it being set somewhere other than the easy to imagine Venice or Rome， in order to get the place/setting into mind。The mix of murder， revenge， politics and police corruption in the past and present made an eclectic mix of threads for this novel。You could start to see the way Italy worked differently to the UK and that corruption seemed deeply imbedded in the state structure。Be interesting This was an interesting read， it did take me a while to get into it as it was so descriptive， perhaps due to it being set somewhere other than the easy to imagine Venice or Rome， in order to get the place/setting into mind。The mix of murder， revenge， politics and police corruption in the past and present made an eclectic mix of threads for this novel。You could start to see the way Italy worked differently to the UK and that corruption seemed deeply imbedded in the state structure。Be interesting to see how the series develops。 。。。more

Chris Chapman ，

Great political and emotional backstories。 Solitudine， despite dying as the book starts （that's not a spoiler btw）， is a fully realised character， through his journal mainly， and had emotional and tragic heft。 I'm not normally a detective story reader but really enjoyed this！ Great political and emotional backstories。 Solitudine， despite dying as the book starts （that's not a spoiler btw）， is a fully realised character， through his journal mainly， and had emotional and tragic heft。 I'm not normally a detective story reader but really enjoyed this！ 。。。more

Piisa ，

First of series， a rather dark book。

Barbara ，

An undemanding and not-too-bad detective novel containing rather a lot of stereotypical characters and a bit of a scramble at times。

Marek T ，

Private Investigator Daniel Leicester sets out to uncover the truth around the death of aging political activist Paolo Solitudine， and in turn discovers corruption and betrayal that spans both the past and the present。Beautifully written and with a clear understanding of Italian culture， Tom Benjamin has written a story that is as engrossing as it is aware of the societal turmoil of the young country it is set in。 I'll certainly be picking up the sequel。 Private Investigator Daniel Leicester sets out to uncover the truth around the death of aging political activist Paolo Solitudine， and in turn discovers corruption and betrayal that spans both the past and the present。Beautifully written and with a clear understanding of Italian culture， Tom Benjamin has written a story that is as engrossing as it is aware of the societal turmoil of the young country it is set in。 I'll certainly be picking up the sequel。 。。。more

Carol El Hawary ，

Good plot and really evocative of Bologna。

Alex Jones ，

A beautifully written mystery thriller set in Bologna， Italy introduces Private Investigator， Daniel Leicester and his family who run the Agency he works for。Steeped in Italian history， this book is the story of the investigation into the death of Paolo Solitudine， a member of an anarchist party who’s body washes up in the underground canal system。A story full of political intrigue， police corruption and money， this is an excellent start to a new series。Daniel is an enticing protagonist who has A beautifully written mystery thriller set in Bologna， Italy introduces Private Investigator， Daniel Leicester and his family who run the Agency he works for。Steeped in Italian history， this book is the story of the investigation into the death of Paolo Solitudine， a member of an anarchist party who’s body washes up in the underground canal system。A story full of political intrigue， police corruption and money， this is an excellent start to a new series。Daniel is an enticing protagonist who has suffered tragedy yet Tom Benjamin doesn’t make that the be and end all of the story， which can often be the case。The family investigative team are easy to like and in particular Daniel’s Daughter Rose looks like a well crafted character who will grow into the series as she becomes older and even more inquisitive than she already is。The locations are superbly drawn， and the mystery is crafted with skill and its almost an effortlessly good read。Fantastic Start and a series to watch out for and follow。。🔥🔥🔥🔥 。。。more

Beatrijs ，

Set in contemporary Bologna， Daniel Leicester， a former investigative journalist turned private detective， is asked to investigate the death of a former anarchist， Paolo Solitudine （the surname means solitude）。 Bologna is definitely one of the main characters of this first novel， written by a British author who moved to Italy permanently some time ago。 He shows he knows the customs of Italian life thoroughly， but in doing so he sometimes neglects to involve the reader closely on the road to disc Set in contemporary Bologna， Daniel Leicester， a former investigative journalist turned private detective， is asked to investigate the death of a former anarchist， Paolo Solitudine （the surname means solitude）。 Bologna is definitely one of the main characters of this first novel， written by a British author who moved to Italy permanently some time ago。 He shows he knows the customs of Italian life thoroughly， but in doing so he sometimes neglects to involve the reader closely on the road to discovering who murdered Paolo and why。 That being said， for those who remember this dark period in recent Italian history the book takes the reader back to the days when people were killed for ideological divergences alone。 The main themes in the novel – apart from murders – seem to be the classical ones of love and betrayal， with more than a smattering of corruption; and though I find it hard to put my finger on it exactly， the writing leaves something to be desired。 Quite an enjoyable read， but overall not memorable。 。。。more

Osvaldo Querin ，

An excellent thrilling story of an English detective in Italy The story is great and the relationships between detective and daughter totally believable。 I thoroughly enjoyed the story and can't wait to read the next book。 My only problem is in the two instances in the book of the use of "was stood" and "was sat" which is just wrong！ But art from this， a fantastic read！ An excellent thrilling story of an English detective in Italy The story is great and the relationships between detective and daughter totally believable。 I thoroughly enjoyed the story and can't wait to read the next book。 My only problem is in the two instances in the book of the use of "was stood" and "was sat" which is just wrong！ But art from this， a fantastic read！ 。。。more

Lea Moore ，

The writer clearly understands parts of Bolognas varied history。 Living close to the city， but not being able to go there due to lockdown， I enjoyed all the name checks。 However， I felt the writers overwhelming need to display his knowledge of the area was to the narratives detriment。 Sometimes， in a few chapters， the story was lost。 However， an enjoyable enough read。

Anne Fenn ，

3。5 stars。 Entertaining mystery set in Bologna， location was the best bit。

Colin Hogan ，

Initially felt a bit like a travelogue rather than a crime thriller。 However， despite a rather complex storyline & characters that required greater definition to avoid reader confusion I found myself gradually warming to the novel & eventually enjoyed it - quite an achievement given my early antipathy to the first couple of chapters。

Mara ，

All reviews are about the reader， not the book。 Some more than others。 Cautions apply when reading what follows。。 :）3。5A Quiet Death in Italy left me speechless， disconcerted and somewhat appalled。 “Is this the way we appear？ Is this all we are？ He did understand zero， nil。。。 or How does he dare？” These were some of the thoughts flashing along my mind while reading this book。 But while insulting my sense of self he was dragging me screaming in to his nightmare。 What seemed a mystery novel was re All reviews are about the reader， not the book。 Some more than others。 Cautions apply when reading what follows。。 :）3。5A Quiet Death in Italy left me speechless， disconcerted and somewhat appalled。 “Is this the way we appear？ Is this all we are？ He did understand zero， nil。。。 or How does he dare？” These were some of the thoughts flashing along my mind while reading this book。 But while insulting my sense of self he was dragging me screaming in to his nightmare。 What seemed a mystery novel was revealing itself as a dark and disturbing noir。 （Particularly dark and disturbing if you are a bolognese， mind you。。）It has a slow start， with many many nits （a skewed view of history and actuality， heavy stereotyping， etc） and I thought it wasn’t such a gripping read。。。 until I found my self in quicksand and drowning， that is。。。I need time to come to grip with the story it tells and some of its characters too。 I’m not sure I’ll ever come to terms with the image of Italy it shows， though。 But then it would be my problem， wouldn’t it？ For all those readers out there who love European style noir。 We just need to give his editor a map of Bologna so s/he can check better some street names。。。。 （the only revenge this book will allow me。。。。） 。。。more

H ，

Very good。

Ginette Doyle ，

I quite enjoyed this， but I probably won't read another in the series。 I think it was the setting of Bologna that put me off and the political commentary within the book。 I got a little confused with some of the characters， and although things became clearer towards the end， the confusion impeded my enjoyment。 Having said that I liked the character Daniel and felt the book was well written。 I quite enjoyed this， but I probably won't read another in the series。 I think it was the setting of Bologna that put me off and the political commentary within the book。 I got a little confused with some of the characters， and although things became clearer towards the end， the confusion impeded my enjoyment。 Having said that I liked the character Daniel and felt the book was well written。 。。。more

Tim Ewins ，

Daniel Leicester is the perfect character for me。 Both an outsider （a Brit and his daughter living in Italy， with his Italian wife now deceased） and an insider （his wife’s father was part of the police department， and now he and Daniel form a private investigator agency）。 He knows about Bologna， it’s politics， a corrupt past and the shady characters who live there， he clearly has a love of the city， but is still treated like an outsider throughout the book。 It’s complex and expertly carried off。 Daniel Leicester is the perfect character for me。 Both an outsider （a Brit and his daughter living in Italy， with his Italian wife now deceased） and an insider （his wife’s father was part of the police department， and now he and Daniel form a private investigator agency）。 He knows about Bologna， it’s politics， a corrupt past and the shady characters who live there， he clearly has a love of the city， but is still treated like an outsider throughout the book。 It’s complex and expertly carried off。The plot is full of suspense and questions that keep you reading far too late into the night for your boss to be happy with you， but beyond the plot， there is an in depth knowledge of the local people， the politics and the history of Bologna， which for me makes this book stand out far beyond other crimes I’ve read。 The description of Bologna is vivid and beautiful， and the characters are incredibly well formed， flawed but very likeable， and instantly recognisable。I was gutted to finish this book， and I can’t wait for the next one！ 。。。more

Heather ，

A bit too superficial in terms of characters and plot。

Louise Fein ，

A very assured debut which reminds me of some of the excellent crime novels of the past。 Daniel Leicester is a well drawn， likeable character who will garner many fans I'm sure。 Full of political intrigue and corruption， it is a uniquely an Italian tale。 The author also brings in the history， geography and culture of Bologna which adds a richness to the book。 One to curl up and loose yourself in。 A very assured debut which reminds me of some of the excellent crime novels of the past。 Daniel Leicester is a well drawn， likeable character who will garner many fans I'm sure。 Full of political intrigue and corruption， it is a uniquely an Italian tale。 The author also brings in the history， geography and culture of Bologna which adds a richness to the book。 One to curl up and loose yourself in。 。。。more

Alison ，

Certainly as someone living here in Bologna， I enjoyed the references to so many places I'm familiar with and could easily picture。 Overall， I enjoyed the story， although a few characters could have been built up earlier， as I got confused as to who these seemingly random people were at times。 The story was a bit convoluted at times， too， but it managed to make sense in the end， so it was satisfying。 It's a slow burn of a book， more than an edge-of-your-seat thriller。 Decently done。 Certainly as someone living here in Bologna， I enjoyed the references to so many places I'm familiar with and could easily picture。 Overall， I enjoyed the story， although a few characters could have been built up earlier， as I got confused as to who these seemingly random people were at times。 The story was a bit convoluted at times， too， but it managed to make sense in the end， so it was satisfying。 It's a slow burn of a book， more than an edge-of-your-seat thriller。 Decently done。 。。。more

Steve Streeter ，

A new writer joining the line of Italian location authors。。。 it’s never easy judging on the first book but overall a promising start - no spoilers but the character of the Comandante felt too forced and felt like a buffer to enable certain plot twists。。。。

Caroline Venables ，

I loved this book， I adore Italy and the crime genre so it was a win win for me。The author really does well in portraying Bologna and Italian culture。 When a body is found in a canal， PI Daniel Leicester is persuaded to have a look at the case。Authorities are not keen on the case being investigated but Leicester， is undeterred and soon finds himself following several leads that will go back decades。 Can actions in the past have lead to the man’s death？A beautiful book that is very well written I loved this book， I adore Italy and the crime genre so it was a win win for me。The author really does well in portraying Bologna and Italian culture。 When a body is found in a canal， PI Daniel Leicester is persuaded to have a look at the case。Authorities are not keen on the case being investigated but Leicester， is undeterred and soon finds himself following several leads that will go back decades。 Can actions in the past have lead to the man’s death？A beautiful book that is very well written and makes me want to go to Italy immediately。 。。。more

Sarah ，

Set in the slightly lesser known Italian city of Bologna， this detail rich， debut novel， follows an investigation into the death of a political protester。  With the police 'unwilling' to investigate and possibly even involved， it's left to out main character， Englishman and private investigator Daniel Leicester to find out the truth。  And boy does it take him on a winding and involved story of Italian politics， corrupt government， and political protesters。  If you like your crime fiction to real Set in the slightly lesser known Italian city of Bologna， this detail rich， debut novel， follows an investigation into the death of a political protester。  With the police 'unwilling' to investigate and possibly even involved， it's left to out main character， Englishman and private investigator Daniel Leicester to find out the truth。  And boy does it take him on a winding and involved story of Italian politics， corrupt government， and political protesters。  If you like your crime fiction to really have a sense of time and place this is a book for you。A slow moving and multi layered novel which does a marvellous job at describing and evoking a city lesser known to the tourists which flood into Italy year after year。  The feel of the city with it's history and it's wonderful food and architecture are wonderfully described as well as the complicated and age old political and government situations， which are used to their fullest within the story line and plot。I found Daniel a wonderful character， and felt I had already meet him before yet this is the first book in a new series。  A recent widower， having lost his Italian wife 3 years previously， he lives with his daughter Rose， father-in-law and two other family members。 The adults also work together in the family owed business and this connection adds a lovely touch to the story， giving it a lighter thread to follow and grow。There are a number of characters within the book whom all add their own authenticity  and backdrop to the story， and make this a well written， enjoyable， believable and evocative read。Thanks to Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources for my spot on the tour and to the publishers Constable Books for my digital copy which has a wonderfully interesting glossary at the end of the book， along with the first 2 chapters of the next book in this series， The Hunting Season！ 。。。more

Cathy ，

Although a debut novel， A Quiet Death in Italy has the feel of a book part way through a series。 I mean that in a good way as its location – the Italian city of Bologna – and its main characters seem so very well realised。 In particular， the author has given private detective， Daniel Leicester， a back story that makes him both a sympathetic character and leaves open plenty of possibilities for future story lines。 There’s a great cast of secondary characters as well – Rose， Jacopo， Alba and Dolor Although a debut novel， A Quiet Death in Italy has the feel of a book part way through a series。 I mean that in a good way as its location – the Italian city of Bologna – and its main characters seem so very well realised。 In particular， the author has given private detective， Daniel Leicester， a back story that makes him both a sympathetic character and leaves open plenty of possibilities for future story lines。 There’s a great cast of secondary characters as well – Rose， Jacopo， Alba and Dolores。 Not forgetting Daniel’s boss and father-in-law， the formidable Comandante for whom the phrase “We are family” is more than mere words， it’s a credo to live – and act – by。But perhaps the key character is Bologna itself; a city in which ancient and modern exist cheek by jowl。 So fashionable bars and restaurants are housed in former Renaissance palaces with trompe l’oeil ceilings and behind the high walls of family homes are hidden gardens and courtyards。The satisfyingly intricate plot skilfully encompasses both past and present Italian political history involving a complex web of relationships， recrimination and revenge， and encompassing all levels of society。 There are exciting action scenes and dramatic moments that make the most of city locations。 And there is delicious sounding food – tortellini in brodo， tagliatelle al ragu， zuppe inglese to name but a few。 （The book has a useful glossary in which， among other things， you can learn about ‘the Italian Banksy’ and the dish you should never ask for in a restaurant in Bologna。）I really enjoyed A Quiet Death in Italy。 An assured debut， it promises to be the start of a terrific new crime series。 It won’t do the tourist industry of Bologna any harm either。 My review copy came with a bonus – an excerpt from the next book in the series， The Hunting Season。 I， for one， shall be eagerly awaiting its publication in November。 。。。more

Jane Hunt ，

Private Investigator Daniel's intuition and experience make him an insightful and tenacious detective。 He explores Bolgona's radical past in this politicised murder mystery， searching for past connections with the present murder。 The investigation is complex and intriguing as authentic characters come to life in a vibrant setting rife with inefficient bureaucracy， corruption and evil。 I received a copy of this book from the Little Brown Book Group and the author in return for an honest review。 Private Investigator Daniel's intuition and experience make him an insightful and tenacious detective。 He explores Bolgona's radical past in this politicised murder mystery， searching for past connections with the present murder。 The investigation is complex and intriguing as authentic characters come to life in a vibrant setting rife with inefficient bureaucracy， corruption and evil。 I received a copy of this book from the Little Brown Book Group and the author in return for an honest review。 。。。more

Tiziana Langone ，

There is more than sees the eye… Private investigator Daniel Leicester lives with his daughter in Bologna。
One day he receives a call to investigate the death of a leading anarchist。 Everybody assumes the police is involved， but the dead man’s lover thinks there is more going on。 Not often Bologna is a setting for a book。 But for this book， the location was perfect。 
Bologna is a city with a long history。 Good history but also a bad one。 This of course is for Italy in totally… good things happen There is more than sees the eye… Private investigator Daniel Leicester lives with his daughter in Bologna。
One day he receives a call to investigate the death of a leading anarchist。 Everybody assumes the police is involved， but the dead man’s lover thinks there is more going on。 Not often Bologna is a setting for a book。 But for this book， the location was perfect。 
Bologna is a city with a long history。 Good history but also a bad one。 This of course is for Italy in totally… good things happened， but also nasty ones。 Daniel is a private investigator trying to figure out what truly happened to the victim。 Was it truly the police？
As the story evolves， it’s clear that the dark past of the anarchist and his accomplices are part of this murder。
It’s fascinating how Daniel and those around him are finding conspiracies all around。 
During the reading， I had no idea who was being truly honest or who was the bad guy。 What I liked was how the author took Italy’s history and took that as inspiration for this story。 That history was an ugly one， but through the whole story， you have no judgement from the author himself。 The real facts are stated， and the story and characters are very dark and even if it’s fiction， you see the consequences of being part of an ugly history。 The story is about a murder， yet it was clear that in the end， nobody can be trusted to be 100% honest。 And that corruption is something that can be found everywhere， anytime。
Yet the star of this book was Bologna itself… the way the city is described made me love the city even more， despite the past。A good thriller in a beautiful setting！ 。。。more

Rekha Rao ，

An interesting and engrossing mystery albeit a little slow。 The mysterious death of a radical protestor takes Daniel， a PI， to a case dating back to the 1970s。 Red Herrings are aplenty and the mystery is well-written。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=A Quiet Death in Italy

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=A Quiet Death in Italy&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,A Quiet Death in Italy&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0