Muere una noble en la casa y comienza un carrousel de sospechas. Una mujer de clase baja que se caso con el noble, un hijo próximo al fascismo, todo se mezcla y las tramas secundarias se encaminan. La vecina que se va decidiendo a tomar la iniciativa, maione que por suerte recapacita ( )

Bellissimo e imperdibile. ( )

Corren los días más bochornosos del verano de 1931. La brisa marina no llega hasta las callejuelas de los bajos fondos de Nápoles, pero el mal de amores y el hambre siguen haciendo estragos, así que el comisario Ricciardi, junto al inseparable Maione, no descansa.
En esta ocasión tendrá que descubrir el culpable de la muerte de la duquesa de Camparino, una mujer hermosa que alimenta los cotilleos de nobles y burgueses y no pasa desapercibida en ninguna fiesta. Una buena mañana la gran dama aparece asesinada en uno de los salones de su mansión, y la investigación empieza. Como siempre, Ricciardi puede oír las últimas palabras pronunciadas por la mujer antes de su muerte, y empieza a estirar de un hilo que se va haciendo cada vez más complejo.
Mientras el comisario investiga, Enrica, la joven que él ama en secreto y no se atreve a abordar, tendrá que vérselas con un pretendiente impuesto por la familia, un joven que tiene todas las cualidades para ser un buen marido, pero la chica no olvida los ojos verdes de Ricciardi, su mirada tímida y a veces extraviada de hombre marcado por un destino que le obliga a la soledad.

Bel romanzo, forse però ancora un po' troppo artigianle. Personaggi appena delineati, a parte Ricciardi (e neanche poi tanto). Finale un po' incasinato, forse 15 pagine in meno potevano essere più utili.
Ma un bel romanzo, niente da dire, scritto bene e senza troppi barocchismi. ( )

Set in Naples, Italy just before World War II, as fascism is beginning to take hold, Commissario Ricciardi and his faithful subordinate Brigadier Maione, are instructed to investigate the murder of beautiful Adriana, Duchess di Camparino. The Duchess was the elderly duke’s nurse before his first wife died. When they married, the general assumption was that the duchess was a gold digger. There are plenty of suspects, especially Ettore, the bedridden and dying duke's son, who cannot hide his hatred of Adriana.

Meanwhile, the blinding summer heat puts both our investigators in a bad mood. Overweight Brigadier Maione, has put himself on a severe diet. His wife has been flirting with a local fruit vendor and Maione has the idea that the thinner man might be trying to take her away. Commissario Ricciardi, a compulsively private man, is haunted by his the ability to see and hear the dead repeating their final moments. The only joy he has has in his life has been looking out his bedroom window to the sitting room of Enrica Colombo, a young woman who spends each evening working on her embroidery. Even though they met only once, they both are attracted to one another. At the same time Enrica’s mother sets up a surprise dinner with a suitable young man, Enrica sees Ricciardi with the beautiful elegant Livia, the widow of opera singer Arnaldo Vezzi, who was murdered in an earlier book. They both become heartbroken and this misunderstanding is a major part of the story.

I absolutely love this series but admit it definitely is not for everyone. Ricciardi is an especially sensitive character, who could have become a caricature, but instead shows us a wistful humanity. This is a beautifully written crime story with a cast of memorable characters. This is the third book in the series and the author continues to bring together a a rich and compelling mix of class struggle, love and loneliness. I can't wait to read book four, The Day of the Dead: The Autumn of Commissario Ricciardi. ( )