Denied Crimes by Daniela Alibrandi

Denied Crimes by Daniela Alibrandi
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Suspense / Thriller
Rated:
Review by Rose

In Rome, in the middle of a cold winter in the Eighties, preparations for Christmas are in full swing. Near the Vatican City, in a workshop of sacred objects and clothes, old Rinaldo’s day begins, as always, among the tourists crowding the streets and the smell of freshly baked pizza. At the same time, Commissioner Rosco says goodbye to the agents of his team, before the imminent transfer to the Rieti police station: the punishment for a mistake made during his last case. A forced confinement that will become the opportunity to show off his intuition and investigate a crime committed thirty years earlier. The two apparently unrelated situations will intertwine in a crescendo of incredible events, after the strange death of old Rinaldo, while a creepy voice follows the entire unfolding of the narration. With her original and clear style, here imbued with faith and sacredness, Daniela Alibrandi offers the reader a multidimensional thriller full of twists, centered on the eternal struggle between Good and Evil.

I love a good police procedural and this one, set primarily in Rome, ranks near the top.  We jump right into the action as Rosco, the main character, is in disgrace and being transferred to a small station to wait out the result of the investigation into his transgression in his last case.  He is immediately drawn into a cold case that gives him a different look at justice.

Returned to his post in Rome, he finds himself in a new relationship with his team.. and a brand new murder to solve = as well as a shift in his personal life.

The author balances the different parts of Rosco’s life well, without getting too caught up in either the personal or the crime to the detriment of the other. We also get several points of view which add to the richness of the narrative – including an anonymous voice that you just know is going to be the killer’s and which gives clues both to the identity and the motivation behind the crimes.

One of the strongest points in the book is the relationship with Rosco and his team… and is probably my favorite part of the book. I would love to see more of them.  The book does not end on a cliffhanger or anything unresolved, but I do hope Ms. Alibrandi considers bringing this team back to work on other crimes.  4 stars.