I started this on audiobook in the car, but after a disc and a half I just wasn't getting on with it. i now see it is the third in a series, which may explain the sensation of having missed a whole pile of information somewhere. I didn't like the use of Italian phrases with no explanation when I don't speak sufficient Italian to know what they meant. OK, so it was set in Italy & based on a mafia case, but don't assume I know enough to understand the strange titles of those in the various groups, sub groups and goodness only knows what that this got into. I was very lost. And the narrator didn't sound convincing. The magistrate was supposedly in his 60s, but was being spoken as a doddery old man sounding decades older. Not for me, so abandoned. ( )

After reading and enjoying its predecessor, The Fatal Touch, I had high hopes for The Namesake. Unfortunately this book did not deliver on my expectations. Yes, the characters are fascinating and well written. Yes, there are moments of unexpected humor. Yes, the writer describes certain scenes (the rat in the camper van; the cave prison) in such vivid detail that I squirm in my seat.

But the plot of this book is tedious and uninteresting. It concerns organized crime, specifically the Calabrian 'ndrangheta, which unfortunately is as boring as the Mafia. I have no interest in gangs that rely on immature tactics of bullying and meaningless ritual (a description that includes organized religion).

Favorite lines:
"'I simply believe that you should never tell a friend anything you would conceal from an enemy,' said Blume."

"'But loneliness is never a real friend, Alec. Beware of when it creeps up on you disguised as solitude, peace, independence or self-sufficiency. Do not invite it into your life because it will never leave. It will even pretend to be its exact opposite, a companion.'"

[Advising a man about the benefits of not being in a relationship:] "'That can be good. It gives you time to concentrate on your work,' said Blume. He did not believe this for a moment. All the extra hours made available by not being in a relationship were filled with obsessing on what was so wrong with you that women could not bear to be near you. Then as soon as you found someone, you began to long for the solitude you thought you hated."

"'Yes, because people with serious problems in their relationships, if they are intelligent, travel away from their home and stay away. When they are abroad, they always have a pretext for acting alienated and their incapacity to relate to normal society becomes part of their foreignness. People will often justify their strange and sometimes unpleasant behaviour on the grounds of cultural differences and homesickness,' said Konrad. 'America was built by people like these...'" ( )

This is the first Comissario Alec Blume story that I have read and I don't think I would read another. I did not like Alec Blume, his character was a little bland and uninteresting. I did however enjoy the storyline. I love stories about the Mafia and the locale was great. Although it was not my favorite I would definitely recommend this to all my mystery loving friends to decide for themselves.

Thanks to Net Galley and Bloomsbury. ( )

Perhaps I should just start this off by saying Mafia storylines are possibly my least favourite scenarios. Maybe (and probably unfairly) it seems like an easy target, the other possibility is that there's rarely anything new or illustrative about their activities. Either way, I'm acutely aware that this is a personal prejudice which is undoubtedly irrational and unreasonable.

Adding to the complication was THE NAMESAKE being the third Commissario Alex Blume novel, and my not having read either of the earlier ones. This meant that Blume, an interesting, enigmatic and flawed character, was not always quite fully fleshed out in my mind. Whilst not having read the earlier books didn't seem to matter in terms of picking up the plot of this part thriller / part police procedural, somehow I couldn't help wondering if the slightly disconnected feeling I was getting could be partially because it would have been better to have read this series in order. Whilst there were some aspects of Blume's backstory built into THE NAMESAKE, somehow he always seemed slightly distant, fuzzy around the edges. Perhaps other reviewers, who have read the full series, will be able to be much clearer on this requirement.

Given that involvement of the Ndreangheta in the plot, it wasn't all that surprising to find some predictable elements being explored - corruption, loyalty, power plays, so called "honour", vengeance and vendetta. The main plot pits Blume directly against one of the main underworld figures, whilst the sub-plot, the death of a poor unfortunate man who just happens to have the same name as a well-known Magistrate, is left to Blume's colleague (and romantic partner) Caterina and the rest of the team. The pace of the investigation is rapid, although the storyline doesn't always serve that well with the action frequently getting bogged down in a lot of extraneous meanderings into complicated family setups, past and present activities and what seemed like a lot of dead-end alleyways.

The best part of the book was undoubtedly Blume, who is one of those classic strongly principled, but deeply flawed men. Struggling with commitment issues in his personal life, he's professionally decisive especially when it means he can avoid being quite so proactive personally. Although this did lead to a couple of scenes which, seemed somewhat disconnected from the main action, did provide some quite funny moments (I'm never going to park anywhere near a rubbish dump ever again in my life!),

The book also has a strong sense of place and culture. It felt quintessentially Italian in style and tone. Whilst it could very well be that people with more interest in things Mafia would find THE NAMESAKE works as a standalone, to be honest, I wish I'd read the earlier books first, but I'm definitely going to do just that.

http://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/namesake-conor-fitzgerald ( )

While this is the third book featuring Commissario Alec Blume, The Namesake is the first I have read from this British author. Part police procedural/part crime thriller, this series is set in Italy and pits Blume, more often than not, against the organised crime families of Italy. In The Namesake, the body of a man who bears the same name as a Magistrate, is dumped outside of a courthouse in Rome, a threat that Blume attributes to the Ndreangheta. Seizing an opportunity that might force Ndreangheta's second in command, Curmaci, to return from Germany, Blume leaves the investigation of the dead body to his girlfriend and colleague, Caterina and reluctantly working with the DSCA, Blume makes a bold move against Curmaci, that has the potential to backfire spectacularly.

Corruption, vengeance, loyalty and honour are the main themes explored amidst both the justice and organised crime systems of Italy. The main plot involves Blume's desire to bring down Curmaci which is supported by several subplots including the investigation of the namesake killing, the abduction of a young girl, a 'family' tussle for power, the relationship between the sons of Curmaci and his rival Tony, and a man out for vengeance. While the events in the novel take place over only a week, and there is a fair bit of action, The Namesake can be dense with detail at times which slows the pace considerably. The detail is interesting in and of itself, but does not always contribute directly to the story so I found my attention wavering occasionally.

Blume is an enigmatic character, while deeply flawed he is also a man with strong principles. I never really got a handle on his motivation for his determination to bring down Curmaci, though there is a vague mention of a previous incident between them and I think it must be something I missed, not having read the first two books.
Of the supportive characters, it was the teenage Ruggerio that caught my attention. The son of Curmaci, he is not sure of his position in the Ndreangheta family but eventually he makes decisions that sets his path.

The Namesake is a literary crime novel, atmospheric with interesting characters. I would have liked to have read the previous titles in the series, The Dogs Of Rome and The Fatal Touch first but The Namesake does still work as a stand alone. ( )