Involuntary Witness
By (Author) Gianrico Carofiglio
Bitter Lemon Press
Bitter Lemon Press
8th August 2005
United Kingdom
General
Fiction
285
Width 128mm, Height 198mm
A nine-year-old boy is found murdered at the bottom of a well near a popular beach resort in southern Italy. In what looks like a hopeless case for Guido Guerrieri, counsel for the defence, a Senegalese peddler is accused of the crime. Faced with small-town racism fuelled by the recent immigration from Africa, Guido attempts to exploit the esoteric workings of the Italian courts.
"Raises the standard for crime fiction. Carofiglio's deft touch has given us a story that is both literary and gritty - and one that speeds along like the best legal thrillers. His insights into human nature - good and bad - are breathtaking." Jeffery Deaver A powerful redemptive novel beautifully translated.A" Daily Mail A stunner. Guerrieri is a wonderfully convincing character; morose, but seeing the absurdity of his gloomy life, his vulnerability and cynicism laced with self-deprecating humour. It is the veracity of the setting and the humanity of the lawyer that makes the novel a courtroom drama of such rare quality.A" The Times
Gianrico Carofiglio now a member of the Senate in Italy was an anti-Mafia prosecutor in Bari, a port on the coast of Puglia. He has been involved with trials concerning corruption, organized crime and the traffic in human beings. He is a best-selling author of crime novels, literary fiction and most recently has authored a graphic novel illustrated by his brother. A fourth Guerrieri novel is in the works.