International secret police operations, drug trafficking, prostitution, and identity theft set the stage for the eternal struggle between Good and Evil.
Acclaimed as one of today's best contemporary noir writers, Massimo Carlotto reaches new heights in the most complex "Alligator" novel to date. Rich with biting humor, humanity, and psychological insight, this is an exemplary noir novel from a crime writer at the top of his game.
Marco Buratti, a.k.a. the Alligator, and his partners Max the Memory and Beniamino Rossini have fallen into a trap laid by their worst enemy, Giorgio Pellegrini, a wanted man who has no intention of living as a fugitive for the rest of his life and turns state evidence, but something goes wrong. Blackmailed by a high government official, the Alligator and his partners are forced to investigate. But they've been framed: even if they discover who's behind the crime, they'll rot in prison. To survive, some rules will have to be bent, and others broken.
Translation of: Blues per cuori fuorilegge e vecchie puttane.
Praise for Blues for Outlaw Hearts and Broken Whores
"Carlotto's novels are perfectly balanced, everything moves in the right, often unexpected direction. Sudden turns of events are interspersed with dialogue that reminds of postwar American noir films. [ . . . ] Somewhere up there Raymond Chandler is surely clapping."
-La Stampa
"This is Carlotto's toughest novel yet. Its investigation of human feelings and women's suffering reminds of Georges Simenon."
-Corriere della Sera
"Carlotto is able to dig all the way into the rotten depths of society, and highlight the scars that disfigure our democracies."
-Milano Nera
Praise for Massimo Carlotto's Alligator Mysteries
"Packs plenty of plot into a slim volume, with space set aside for elaborate Northeast Italian meals, musings on women, and plenty of Calvados drinking."
-The Daily Beast
"Carlotto's taut, broody Mediterranean noir is filled with blind corners and savage set pieces."
-The New Yorker
"Top-notch Mediterranean noir."
-Kirkus Reviews
"Full of noir swagger."
-The Complete Review
"A lean, taut crime novel."
-Publishers Weekly
