I Will Have Vengeance

By Maurizio de Giovanni

Naples, March 1931: a bitter wind stalks the city streets, and murder lies at its chilled heart. As one of the world s greatest tenors, Maestro Vezzi, is found brutally murdered in his dressing room at Naples famous San Carlo Theatre, the enigmatic and aloof Commissario Ricciardi is called in to investigate. Arrogant and bad-tempered, Vezzi was hated by many, but with the livelihoods of the opera at stake, who would have committed this callous act? Ricciardi, along with his loyal colleague, Maione, is determined to discover the truth. But Ricciardi carries his own secret: will it help him solve this murder?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin Group
• Release date: Dec 31, 2012
• ISBN: 9781609451059

Maurizio de Giovanni

Maurizio de Giovanni's Commissario Ricciardi books are bestsellers across Europe, having sold well over one million copies. De Giovanni is also the author of the contemporary Neapolitan thriller, The Crocodile (Europa, 2013), and the new contemporary Neapolitan series The Bastards of Pizzofalcone."" He lives in Naples with his family.""

Reviews for I Will Have Vengeance

[smik_3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the first in a series featuring an enigmatic Naples detective, Commissario Ricciardi, and set during the Fascist 1930s. Ricciardi inherited an interesting trait from his mother - the dead talk to him, appealing for justice. Sometime after their death, the images fade and they haunt him no longer. But just after they have died they pose puzzles about their death. You would think this might be advantageous for a homicide detective like Ricciardi but in fact the murder victim rarely tells him straight out who committed the deed. In the case of the murdered tenor Vezzi, Ricciardi picks up hints rather than proof.So Ricciardi insists that he enter a murder scene alone for a few minutes at first, to see what the dead person has to "say". In the case of Vezzi there are things that just don't make sense. As always those higher up the order are pressing for a quick apprehension of the murderer. Vezzi is a house-hold word with even Il Duce's office taking an interest. When a young man confesses to the murder the Vice-Questore pressures Ricciardi to charge him quickly but he still feels that there are things that don't add up. Ricciardi's superiors find him prickly, rather uncompromising, and at times downright uncooperative. It is not secret that only his assistant Brigadier Maione will work with him.While the series is set in Naples at the beginning of the 1930s I don't feel that the historical details are particularly influential. They really provide setting only. You are not going to learn much Italian history from reading this book. There is an interesting section at the end of the e-book where the translator explains some of the historical references. But after all de Giovanni's primary audience is Italian readers who know a lot about their own history, not non-Italians who know little. So the Italian reader will mentally fill in a lot of supplementary detail from a simple reference to, for example, the hairnet that Ricciardi wears to bed.Overall though, a good read, and I will look forward to another.

[ebyrne41_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

'I Will have Vengence' is my first encounter with Maurizio de Giovanni, and on the basis of it I look forward to starting 'The Crocodile', which lies close to hand awaiting my attention. Commissario Ricciardi is an effective investigator, if a solitary-type figure, based in Naples in the fascist 1930s, and together with his loyal assistant Maione he investigates the murder of a famous if much disliked Italian opera singer, found dead in his dressing room during a public performance. The victim was apparently a favourite of Il Duce, so the pressure in on Ricciardi from his superiors for a speedy resolution. This of course poses a problem for Ricciardi in resolving the matter to his own satisfaction, for he is far from convinced by the solution that initially presents itself. Ricciardi is resolute in his attempts to see justice prevail, but as the complexity of events begins to unfold, you begin to wonder how that might happen. A twist in the tale is called for you feel, but is there one?Ricciardi is an enigmatic but likable character, the nature of which will add considerably to your interest level in this book. He is a wealthy aristocrat who leads a rather solitary existence, he sees the ghosts of those who have died violently, he has an admiration that borders on an infatuation for a neighbour who he has never met but who he likes to observe each evening as she sits embroidering by her window, and he wears a hairnet to bed. Furthermore, he has no time for the pretentiousness of some of those he encounters during his investigations, something that marks him out as an anti-establishment type figure, which in 1930s fascist Italy one might think could be to his disadvantage.I would have welcomed a little more of a sense of fascist Italy and Naples in the 1930s, but that is my only quibble, my being greedy. This is a relatively short, slow-paced book, but one I think you will enjoy. I know I did.

[cathyskye · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Ricciardi is a man who has let his rather gruesome ability separate him from the rest of the world. He's rich. He lives alone, or almost alone-- his old nanny lives in and takes care of him. His only moments of pleasure seem to be when he sits in his darkened room and watches a young woman sitting by her window embroidering in the lamplight.There didn't seem to be much historical flavor to I Will Have Vengeance other than mentioning Mussolini once in a while, but it was interesting to see how Ricciardi solved the crime. Yes, he does see the final seconds of Vezzi the tenor's life, so he does know who killed him, but that's not going to stand up in a court of law. He has to very carefully backtrack and interview countless people before he can declare the crime solved.The mystery is an excellent one that I did enjoy following, but the characters all left me cold. Perhaps this reaction is due to the translation? I'm not sure. But one thing that I am sure of is that I doubt I'll be reading further in the series.

[ameise1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the first volume of the Commissario Ricciardi series. Since I have already read the third volume, some of the characters were known to me.A famous tenor is found murdered in his wardrobe. Ricciardi has the talent to see the last moments of a dead, so it is important that he is always first at the scene alone. This gift not only gives him advantages, since he also sees the dead and their thoughts in everyday life at every corner and place. It seems that they never want to let go. Ricciardi meticulously solves this case together with his Brigadier Maione. He can not be disturbed by anything, even if Questore Garzo is constantly on his neck.I like the figure of Commissario Ricciardi very much. He is a self-broker who likes to be alone and never give up. He has no friends but is terribly in love with Enrica, who lives vis à vis him. But he is too shy to reveal his feelings towards her.I will definitvely read the remaining books of this series.

[olivermagnus · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Set in Naples in 1931, this novel takes place during the early rule of Benito Mussolini. We meet 31 year old Commissario Luigi Alfredo Ricciardi, a brilliant, unmarried, almost friendless, policeman. Though he is independently wealthy enough not to have to work, he has a different motivation: he sees, and hears, dead people. The ghosts of those who have died sorrowfully haunt him and his only relief seems to be the brief period following a successful investigation, when the voices leave Ricciardi alone for a time. The dead don’t comfort Ricciardi – they don’t even see him. They’re entirely wrapped up in their last thoughts.

After an odd introduction containing some supernatural elements, the book settles down into a fairly standard procedural in which Ricciardi and his faithful subordinate, Brigadier Maione, investigate the murder of Arnaldo Vezzi, one of Italy’s greatest opera singers, who has been stabbed in his dressing room on the opening night of a new season. There are plenty of suspects because almost everyone despised the singer. Ricciardi must piece together the evidence through careful listening and observation of everyone involved. Maurizio de Giovanni does a spectacular job of weaving this remarkable man and his remarkable ability into a setting that is filled with authentic details of Naples, its opera theater, and the historical backdrop. Ricciardi's visions are a blessing and a curse. His solace comes in the evening when he sits in his room, watching his neighbor across the courtyard doing embroidery.

I read my first Maurizio de Giovanni novel last week (The Crocodile) and immediately rushed out and got the first book in the Commissario Ricciardi series even though I usually am not a fan of reading books that incorporate the supernatural. They are two of my favorite books of the year and I can't wait to read more from this author.

[pw0327 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of my favorite things to do to relax is to read a good mystery. I'm particular about how I read my mysteries. I look for books that are usually not too gruesome and not two violent. I usually pick up mysteries from other countries and in another time because I’m looking for the back story which would allow me to experience the thrill of delving into a different culture or getting to know a different country. I already follow murder mystery series that are set in Scotland, England, Italy, Spain, France ETC. I do a lot of homework in selecting a series and I try to find a mystery series that has a long list of books that I can follow. I read them in chronological order, as the author wrote them. I came upon this book by Mauricio Giovanni in Carmichael books in Louisville Ky. It is part of the World Noir Series from Europa Editions. They became famous for publishing the Elena Ferrante series. Came up on two or three of the Commisario Ricciardi series in Carmichaels, and I became intrigued by the premise of the series as well as the very different set of circumstances. I picked up two or three of the first books and I jumped right in. This first one sets the tone I think for the rest of the series. We are introduced to Commissario Ricciardi, his sidekick Brigadier Maionne, and his doting Tata Rosa. As with all good literature, the author takes a long time to introduce us to the main characters. Characters that will be continuously accompany us on their adventures throughout series. De Giovanni does a very good job of introducing us to them and he does so at a very leisurely pace. He is not really in a hurry to get this important but somewhat tedious task done quickly. He lets us get a feel for the characters. Of course there is a very distinguishing characteristic of the main protagonist, a distinguishing characteristic that makes him of interest and makes us dig deeper into the character and the murder mystery. This particular characteristic for this series is especially unnerving. The ability that Commissario Ricciardi has is phantasmagorical which makes takes this story into unchartered realms, especially for me. I'm not going to give it away here, because it's a big part of the pleasure of reading the book. De Giovanni does an excellent job of setting up the mystery. He sets the scenes he built things up nicely and he leads the reader along on an unusual ride. It is hard going at first, the initial reading of the early part of the book is awkward and somewhat uncomfortable for the reader. I think that was intentional because it forces us to face our own discomfort with respect to what the plot line is about, but as the story goes on it becomes more interesting, it eventually sucks us in as the story moves towards the middle. The slow and excruciating setup is part of the charm of the book, it makes the reader pay attention to everything that the author presents and makes us consider all of the possibilities.The story centers around the death of a famous tenor in the opera house in Naples during the Italian fascist period, Il Duce is mentioned casually throughout the book. It was a particularly gruesome death and the suspects are many. The usual premise of a murder mystery. The difference is how Commissario Ricciardi solves the mystery. He is meticulous and rational in how he attacks the problems, but he also employs his “gift” to help him. All along his journey to solving the crime, he is beset by his superior’s inability as well as his own emotional upheavals hidden under his placid demeanor. The story is a study in contrast of reason and irrationality. The ending was satisfactory, but the enjoyment of the book lies in the chase that De Giovanni takes us on. I already started second book.