The Hit by Nadia Dalbuono

The Hit
By Nadia Dalbuono
Published by Scribe (9 February 2017)

Publisher's description 

Detective Leone Scamarcio, the son of a former leading mafioso, has turned his back on the family business, and has joined the Rome police force. He may be one of the last honest men in Italy. 

But when Scamarcio is handed a file of extremely compromising photographs of a high-profile Italian politician, and told to ‘deal with it’, he knows he’s in for trouble. And when a young man is found stabbed to death in Rome, and a young American girl disappears on a beach in Elba, Scamarcio’s job gets a whole lot more complicated. 

Worst of all, every lead seems to implicate the prime minister ― a multi-media baron, and the most powerful man in Italy. As the case spins out of control, and his own past catches up with him, Scamarcio must navigate the darkest currents of Italian society ― only to find that nothing is as it seems, and that the price of truth may be higher than he can pay. 

My verdict
The Hit is the third in the Leona Scamarcio detective series, which is set in Rome. This is a new series for me, and what better place to read the book than in stunning Rome itself. I took The Hit away with me on my six-day summer break last month.

I enjoy reading police procedurals, but even more so when they're set in another country, as you learn so much about the culture there through the eyes of the locals. This twisty police procedural contains enough description to give the reader a great sense of place, but not too much to slow down the plot. This was an enjoyable gripping read, filled with tension and humour and a lead detective with murky family roots.

The book can easily be read as a standalone, although I'm now intrigued enough to buy the first two books to catch up on Scamarcio's family background. I also loved the insight into Italian culture, organised crime and police corruption.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher.