Holy Smoke by
Tonino Benaquista
pbk out January 04
(Bitter Lemon Press)
at £8.99
Translated from the French, by Adriana Hunter, this is one of a growing number of
European crime novels that are being published in the UK. Holy Smoke tells the
story of Tonio, the son of Italian immigrants living in Paris, who reluctantly writes a
love letter for the embarrassing Dario: an Italian crooner and Travolta fan who
represents everything Tonio is trying to escape from. But events start to take a
sinister turn when Dario is shot dead and Tonio inherits a worthless Italian vineyard
from him. Tonio travels to the place, east of Naples, and finds that there was much
more to Dario than he'd ever imagined. With a little creative input there is a great
deal of money to be made out of the vineyard. Soon the Mafiosi and even the Vatican
are muscling in on the act - and everyone wants Tonio dead. Vicious wit, flamboyant
narrative and meditations upon the mystical properties of pasta make for an
entertaining trip that gains in depth and gravity as the story unfolds. Benacquista, a
renowned screenwriter and crime writer who shares the provenance of his hero, is
amusing and eloquent with his observations on second generation immigration and
the cultural differences between Italian and French life. Refreshing to the palate like
a piquant pesto sauce.
Manchester Evening News 24.1.04
(
Cath Staincliffe
author of the popular Sal Kilkenny mysteries set on the mean streets of Manchester)
Holy Smoke by
Tonino Benaquista
