Knife-edged thriller with a Blume-ing great artistic touch
WHAT characterises this thriller, aside from its Rome setting, is that, as well as a compelling plot line, this is strongly character-driven.
The protagonist, Alec Blume, an American who has grown up in Rome is now a police commissioner. An outsider and a loner, he is nevertheless respected by his colleagues and subordinates because he understands the Italian system and handles delicate situations with a canny instinct. Unlike most of the other members of the police force, who are unashamedly chauvinist, he recognises talent when he sees it, and gives Inspector Catarina Mattiola her first murder case.