The second novel in Izzo’s acclaimed Marseilles trilogy is a touching tribute to the author’s beloved city, in all its colour and complexity. Fabio Montale is an unwitting hero in this city of melancholy beauty.

Fabio Montale has left a police force marred by corruption, xenophobia, and greed. But getting out is not going to be so easy. When his cousin’s son goes missing, Montale is dragged back onto the mean streets of a violent, crime-infested Marseilles. To discover the truth about the boy’s disappearance, he infiltrates a dangerous underworld of mobsters, religious fanatics, crooked cops, and ordinary people whom desperation has driven to extremes.

“Just as Raymond Chandler and James Ellroy made Los Angeles their very own, so Mr. Izzo has made Marseilles so much more than just another geographical setting.”—The Economist

“Izzo’s ability to describe Marseilles and to make his readers feel the multiracial reality of that city so directly and authentically is fascinating.”—Andrea Camilleri

“One of the masterpieces of modern noir.”—The Washington Post

“Like the best noir writers—and make no mistake, he is among the best—Izzo not only has a keen eye for detail . . . but also digs deep into what makes men weep.”—Time Out New York

“Izzo provides another guided tour of the underbelly of Marseilles (so extensive that it seems to swallow the whole city) that’s bracing in its wit and velocity.”—Kirkus (Starred review)

Jean-Claude Izzo
Jean-Claude Izzo (Marseilles 1945 – 2000) achieved astounding success with publication of the Marseilles Trilogy: Total Chaos, Chourmo and Solea. His two novels, The Lost Sailors and A Sun for the Dying, and the posthumous collection of essays and shorter pieces Garlic, Mint, & Sweet Basil also enjoy great success with critics and the public.

• Nov 13 2015
  Mediterranean Noir-Nouveau
  — Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine