The Killing Room: A Sandro Cellini Mystery by Christobel Kent
| The Killing Room: A Sandro Cellini Mystery by Christobel Kent | |
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| Category: Crime | |
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Reviewer: Sue Magee
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| Summary: The 5th book in the Sandro Cellini series maintains the standard of the earlier books and is particularly good at evoking the city of Florence. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 400 | Date: July 2014 |
| Publisher: Atlantic | |
| ISBN: 978-0857893307 | |
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Work had been a bit thin on the ground for private investigator Sandro Cellini and it was the only reason that he agreed to become head of security for a luxurious private residence which overlooked Florence. The previous occupant of the job had been 'let go'. It wasn't long before Sandro realised that his predecessor had also been murdered. It was this that worried his wife, Luisa - but Sandro was more concerned with establishing who was responsible for a series of dirty tricks which had occurred at the Palazzo San Giorgio. And on top of this he has to sort out the problems without antagonising the wealthy residents.
And what a collection of residents they are. Some are titled, all are wealthy - or have to give the impression of being monied - and they're foreign. There are connections between the couples that are not immediately obvious along with a wide selection of virtues and vices. There's a further complication too: Giancarlo Vito, the former (and now deceased) holder of the job was employed by Gastone Bottai, who is in charge of the residence, but he was sacked by Alessandra Cornell, the manager. Sandro Cellini has been employed by Cornell - and Bottai really doesn't want him there at all.
Each time I read a Sandro Cellini book I come away with vivid memories of the women in the story. Luisa Cellini steals every plot. She's survived breast cancer and the reconstruction which followed and she's very much her own woman, with a not entirely charitable view of the men in her life. Sandro's assistant, Giuli is a splendid creation - ex-druggy and ex-hooker, she's learning about her own value and deciding what she wants in her life. It's not easy, but she does it with a level of honesty and self knowledge which would be alien to many of the richer characters. The men at the Palazzo San Giorgio tended to blur at the edges, but their wives flew off the pages.
The city of Florence shines through every story too. Christobel Kent is comfortable with the city and obviously knows it well She captures the streets and the architecture beautifully but is possibly a little too kind in not mentioning that the city is perhaps a little down at heel these days and that there's quite a lot of clear water between the personal wealth of some residents and the straightened finances of the city itself.
I enjoyed the plot - it's almost a closed-room mystery as there are a limited number of people who could be responsible for what happened and I certainly didn't work out who to blame until the very last minute. I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.
In Italian crime we're currently enjoying the latest Montalbano mystery or if Paris appeals then have a look at The Lying-Down Room (Commandant Serge Morel) by Anna Jaquiery.
Christobel Kent's Sandro Cellini Mysteries in Chronological Order
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You can read more book reviews or buy The Killing Room: A Sandro Cellini Mystery by Christobel Kent at Amazon.com.
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