A Darkness Descending
It was a new political party and it seemed to have caught the public's imagination, particularly the young and even some older people, embarrassed by the antics of their prime minister. Then the leader, Niccolo Rosselli collapsed at a rally - but there was worse to come. His partner, Flavia, disappeared leaving behind a devastated Niccolo - and a baby who was only a matter of weeks old.
She was found in a down-at-heel hotel, where she'd ended her life in the bathroom. But why would she do it? Why did she not leave a note? Sandro Cellini was called in to investigate - but quite what was he investigating? The themes here are bang up to date, with perils which would never have been encountered little more than a decade or so ago. It's about the dark places into which it's possible to sink, even when you're in an apparently stable relationship, with a partner, a child or parents. And then there are the people who are prepared to bring this about, for their own personal gain and no thought for the damage done to others.
There's a dark force in this book - and it's a character in its own right, long before you can put a name or a face to it. Florence is a strong presence in the book too and it's not just the city the tourists know but the rather less glamorous parts known only to the residents. There's the same sort of feeling for the political sensitivities which played such a major part in the Aurelio Zen books by the late and much lamented Michael Dibdin.
You might not understand why some things are tolerated indeed, even elected in Italy - but you'll realise why it's possible. Christobel Kent has her finger on the pulse. In the middle of a speech, Rosselli collapses, shocking his followers. The politician is treated and released from the hospital, but soon after, Cellini, the former cop turned private eye, learns that Rosselli's long-term partner, Flavia, has disappeared, leaving behind their infant son without explanation or clue as to her whereabouts.
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Sarto, a particularly memorable character, has overcome great struggles to be in a position to help Cellini as the investigation builds to its tragic end. Kent does a fine job setting a mournful tone for this sad book and in conveying the average person's frustrations in the face of endemic government corruption. Nathaniel Jacks, Inkwell Management. Her hero, Sandro Cellini, formerly a cop but now a private investigator the noir CV , has a bleak professional and home life. Too much noir can verge on the ridiculous, and it often does here. A young woman disappears—she is the mother of a six-week-old baby and the wife of a charismatic leader of a political movement that protests mainstream politics.
Her body is discovered in the bathtub of a suitably depressing seaside town. Both Cellini and his wife, whose loss of a child years earlier still haunts the couple, need to find out what happened to this promising woman. The tone is overdone, but the plotline is engrossing. This book from Christobel Kent is a part of a series of books that feature Sandro Cellini, a former cop turned private detective. My first thoughts while delving into the book was that I probably should have read the preceding books first.
I had a hard time grasping who all of the characters were but I'm not sure if this was because the book simply moved too slow to get to the action or if reading the earlier books in the series would have sped that up for me. There are a bunch of characters all This book from Christobel Kent is a part of a series of books that feature Sandro Cellini, a former cop turned private detective. There are a bunch of characters all introduced in the early chapters one on top of the other and I had a hard time connecting them to each other.
We do get a prologue that introduces Silvano Niccolo and his partner, Flavia. It's a fairly simply prologue. Flavia is obviously putting down their newborn infant to bed. And embedded in the chapter upon chapter of character introductions that follow, Silvano Niccolo is at a political rally or meeting of some sort and he collapses on the stage. Then Flavia disappears and we find out she's committed suicide. It's a weird plot of sorts and it is in some ways, a thriller.
Cellini is pulled into the case by Giuli, who as far as I can gather, is some type of foster daughter to Cellini. This was a tougher mystery for me to read when I typically have no trouble getting drawn in quickly to mysteries in general.
A Darkness Descending (Sandro Cellini, #4) by Christobel Kent
I would not call the entire book flat but there really wasn't what I would call a "climax" here either. It all kind of goes at one pace, and stays at one level. I also didn't feel like I was in Italy either. This could have taken place in the underground halls and alleyways of anywhere. Except for the names of the characters and places which are in Italian, I didn't get any feel for any of the Italian political culture.
Overall, I would still recommend the book. But, I would tell potential readers to start with the first book in the series as I think I would have had a better experience if I had done the same. I gave it 4 stars because I thought it was "very good" with 3 stars being "good" and 5 stars being "excellent. I couldn't subtract stars for other things because it felt not fair since I hadn't read the other books that came before this one. I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review of this book.
Sep 21, Lynda Birch rated it really liked it. There is a new political movement in Florence Italy, the Frazione Verde. The party's young members are mostly intellectuals, die-hard greens, communists and war protesters. At the party's helm is Niccolo Rosselli, a humble, unassuming individual, who once he is on the podium becomes a charismatic speaker with the innate ability to ignite a crowd and create a following.
One evening while addressing his followers he mysteriously collapses.
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Following this, it becomes known that his wife, Flavia, ha There is a new political movement in Florence Italy, the Frazione Verde. Following this, it becomes known that his wife, Flavia, has disappeared, deserting Niccolo and their newborn son. Then the attacks on the party start. Soon it is discovered that Flavia has committed suicide at a small beachside resort. Sandro Cellini, a private investigator, becomes involved in the case and he can't believe that someone with so much to live for could commit suicide. And so the investigation begins.
The investigation examines some of the ideals that are the basis of the Frazione Verde as well as basic human emotions and desire. Power, control, manipulation and the many facets of love, including altruistic love, are examined through the lives of Niccollo, Flavia, Sandro, Luisa Sandro's wife , Giuli Sandro's assistant and Enzo Giuli's boyfriend and a number of other secondary characters. This story is not a breathtaking race to find out whodunit.
This is a mystery about human nature that requires observation, compassion, intellect and common sense to solve. Christobel Kent very skillfully unveils the story by peeling through the layers of human emotions to get at the vulnerable core of the human psyche. The darkness that descends is one that can easily be imagined in today's world and I think that makes it all the more tragic. I received my copy of this book from NetGalley and did not realize that this is the fourth book featuring the character Sandro Cellini.
It seems like it stands alone, but I think if I had been familiar with the characters, the first few chapters would have gone by faster.
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Once I got to know the characters, however, I liked them, especially Sandro and his wife Luisa. This is a well-written story by an author who pays attention to the small details that make a person an individual. There are just enough details in the telling to create interesting and believable characters without being a cumbersome read. Jun 24, Karen rated it liked it Shelves: As this is the first from the series I've tried, I'm guessing that you may have to start from the beginning to get a handle on the who and hows of these characters. Of course it doesn't help that there's a bit of an expectation nowadays that Italian Crime Fiction is going to include fabulous food, a grumpy central detective, an immersion-like sense of place or some combination thereof, but for some reason I struggled with this book.
In the early stages of the story there are a lot of characters introduced. Most seem to have important back-stories but because they are piled on top of each other, the attempts to fill in some of the details are there, but easy to get confused. Cellini, his wife, his assistant and her boyfriend, in particular, obviously have a close and strong relationship much of which is informed by their shared past. What, in the early stages, seems a bit heavy handed and confused, however, does lighten up and consequently become more informing once the plot claws it's way out into the light, and the action starts to proceed.
The plot itself is an unusual one, which will be confronting for some readers. It is rather chilling, and uncomfortably believable for one that relies on the absolute manipulation of other people. Harking back to the Italian expectation, I also couldn't quite shake the feeling of observation of the local culture, as opposed to immersion in it.
I'd like to see how the series started out. Nov 18, Paula rated it liked it.
At the beginning of the book, I felt I was tracking a jackrabbit on speed, hopping from one viewpoint to another, sometimes mid-paragraph, switching from back story to main story. I almost quit, but the mystery and characters were just interesting enough to keep me with it.
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Yes, that is a page-turning technique, but this was heavy-handed. I felt I was being strung along by a bully. And there was one coincidence too many, wherein an event early on turns out in the end to have touched the main characters. But, all that complaining aside, the book kept me interested. Good people give me hope for the future, and this story had intriguing good people facing off the baddies. Feb 23, Ron rated it really liked it. Another very enjoyable read from Christobel Kent featuring ex-police officer turned private eye Sandro Cellini.
As usual well-plotted and good characterization. Makes one long to return to Florence! The secret world of a murder victim leads detective Sandro Cellini to uncover the hidden life of a woman consumed by a deadly obsession. When the driven, charismatic leader of a Florentine political movement collapses at a rally, his young party immediately comes under threat.
And when it Another very enjoyable read from Christobel Kent featuring ex-police officer turned private eye Sandro Cellini. But Cellini isn't satisfied—why would one so young and with so much to live for walk away from all she loves? As he digs into Flavia's secret world, however, Sandro uncovers the hidden life of a woman consumed with private passions and a dark, deadly obsession—a stark reminder that life in modern Italy has a perilous edge, fueled as much by rage as desire.
May 16, MartyAnne rated it really liked it. A woman leaves her devoted partner and her newborn son in the early hours of the day, and is not heard from again. Her partner is a leader in a grass-roots political movement. He passes out at the podium. The offices of the party are invaded. Police are called in and remove a computer. What has happened to the new mother? Has post-partum depression driven her away?
As one character asks, now that we know this much and it isn't up to us anymore, why does it feel like it still is? There is an aura A woman leaves her devoted partner and her newborn son in the early hours of the day, and is not heard from again. There is an aura of danger that remains, and don't stop reading until you know why! There is so much more to this book than I expected. I was a little slowed by all the Italian in the text, giving it the true ring of Florence.
In the end this Italian language is not the important part of the storytelling and clues. I had stopped reading twice near the beginning. Once I settled in, I enjoyed this book very much. Finally, I found out this book is for in the series featuring private detective Sandro Cellini. I am glad to know it, so I can read the others now! Dec 18, Monica rated it really liked it Shelves: Guili and her boyfriend are involved in a reformist political party whose charismatic leader's wife disappears, leaving behind their infant son.
Before Sandro can really investigate, she is found, an apparent suicide, and the bereaved widower asks him to find out why. The party offices are raided into and there are accusations of pornographic materials found. Is this all politics, or something more personal. Sandro would like to consult his best friend and ex-partner Pietro, but he is preoccupied with a new, secret case and with the fact that his daughter is moving in with a mysterious boyfriend whose identity she will not reveal to her parents.
The miasma of Berlusconi politics permeates the story lines, but there is another, more sinister and predatory force at work as well. Oct 22, P. This story is set in Italy, and it starts out with a mother killing herself. Two private detectives get together to work the case trying to figure out why a new mother would do such a thing.
There are many underlining stories with this one. The father of the child is a politician, the mother in law never liked her daughter in law.
Not good enough for her son. The wife of one of the detectives was dealing with the after affects from cancer.