Translated from the original Italian (beautifully, by the way, there was no hint of awkwardness or non-fluid English grammar) Blood In The Snow lost none of the lyrical quality which transports the reader to the small Italian skiing village high in the Alps where the story is set.
Marzio Santoni was born in the mountains and after a stint as a top city detective, has returned to the quiet life. His calm, relaxed world is suddenly upended completely when four young female tourists - one of whom he’d been having an affair with - are found dead in their hotel apartment.
This is where the definite difference between country Italian policing and the crime thrillers from the UK and USA are thrown into stark relief, because such a close relationship would immediately see Marzio disqualified from having anything to do with the case under the laws on those countries. In Italy, however, things seem rather more relaxed and nobody even seems to think to question Marzio whether he has an alibi or not! Instead, he’s put under pressure to declare the case a joint suicide and close it quickly so life in Valdulice can return to its normal, sleepy pace.
Marzio, also known as White Wolf, isn’t about to bow to official pressure. A methodical man who likes to take his time and investigate every tiny lead which presents, although his emotions are engaged in the case he refuses to be hurried, and eventually finds his way to the answer.
I enjoyed this read, but I don’t think it’s the action-packed adventure with a shocking twist which the blurb seems to imply. And because unfortunately the blurb does need to be an accurate representation of the book, I have to knock this one down to four stars.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for review through NetGalley.