Title: Kill The Father
Author: Sandrone Dazieri
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK

[Synopsis]

In this fascinatingly complex thriller, two people, each shattered by their past, team to solve a series of killings and abductions…
When a woman is beheaded in a park outside Rome and her six-year-old son goes missing, the police unit assigned to the case sees an easy solution: they arrest the woman’s husband and await his confession. But the Chief of Rome’s  Major Crimes unit doubts things are so simple. Secretly, he lures to the case two of Italy’s top analytical minds: Deputy Captain Colomba Caselli, a fierce, warrior-like detective still reeling from having survived a bloody catastrophe, and Dante Torre, a man who spent his childhood trapped inside a concrete silo. Fed through the gloved hand of a masked kidnapper who called himself “The Father,” Dante emerged from his ordeal with crippling claustrophobia but, also, with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and hyper-observant capacities.
All evidence suggests that the Father is back and active after being dormant for decades. Indeed, he has left tell-tale signs that signal he’s looking forward to a reunion with Dante. But when Columba and Dante begin following the ever-more-bizarre trail of clues, they grasp that what’s really going on is darker than they ever imagined.

[My Review]

This is a complex and well written thriller with a really intricate plot, and one I really enjoyed reading. Plus I discovered a new-t0-me author, too!
The story really packs a punch with excellent characterisation – Caselli and Torre both as great ‘Detective’-style characters (I know Torre isn’t actually a Detective, but he does his research very well and pieces things together with real skill!). They’re characters which both have their own interesting personalities, with flaws and strengths that make them both great to  read about.
The story itself takes some concentration; as mentioned before, it’s a complex plot and it covers various murky topics. It’s not an easy read, and there were several points in which I had to stop and think to myself, who is who? What exactly are they talking about? But I soon caught myself up!
There are plenty of twists throughout Kill The Father, which I loved, and from what I can tell (not being able to read Italian, which the novel was originally written in) it is brilliantly translated by Antony Shugaar. The writing is brilliant and very rich in detail, without being too ‘flowery’ or falling into gratuitous descriptions. I certainly couldn’t guess where the novel was going or what would happen, and it definitely kept me in suspense. There was no cheesiness and a distinct lack of annoying, overdone stereotypes.
I do however feel that it is perhaps a bit long and could be cut down by about 100 pages. I know authors probably hate people who say this, but for me the middle part started to drag a bit – I have to admit I started to lose interest slightly. However, towards the final part of the book it really picks up, with these pages packed full of exciting developments. This finishes off the novel beautifully, and I was left feeling pleased that I’d found a great quality and well-written thriller!

[Rating: 4/5]

Many thanks to LoveReading who provided a copy of this novel for review. Kill The Father will be published in the UK on 9 February.