Almost Blue

Carlo Lucarelli

In Carlo Lucarelli's thriller there's a serial killer on the loose in Bologna. He preys on students and his habit, following each killing, of assuming the identity of the victim has led the police to nickname him the iguana. As one of the plods points out, Bologna is unlike other Italian cities. With its large student body, it has a transient population; it's easy for a cunning and reptilian killer to strike and then fade back into the shadows.

Assigned to the case is ispettore Grazia Negri, junior member of a national police unit specialising in tracking serial killers. As is traditional for police forces around the world, but especially in Italy, the local cops are less than thrilled about the outside help that has been parachuted in. Nor has it escaped their notice that she's a woman.

Then there's Simone, a blind teenager and a loner, who's been tracking the killer via his illegal scanner; breaking into police audio traffic, hacking mobile phone calls and monitoring computer chatrooms. Simone's neurological condition - a form of synesthesia - means he associates colours with voices. It's possible he is the only person in Bologna who can pick out the killer by his voice - coloured green in Simone's sightless world - alone.

The switches in narration also give Lucarelli freedom to play some thrillingly unpleasant tricks on the reader. It cannot just be my slow and uncertain Italian which allowed the developments in the plot to sneak up on me so nastily. More than once.

Lucarelli's work is starting to appear in English and Radio 4 aired Almost Blue last year as a radio play. He may never get the English languages sales of an Andrea Camilleri but I'm predicting a cult following this side of the channel.