Conor Fitzgerald

On a hot summer morning, Arturo Clemente is murdered in his Roman apartment by a mysterious slasher. Though the murder appears amateurish, even random, Clemente is no ordinary victim. An animal rights activist campaigning against dogfighting, he is married to a prominent politician and sleeping with Manuela Fusco, the daughter of a dangerous crime boss. Police inspector Alec Blume has a favorite suspect, but the investigation is already being manipulated by both the Senate and the Fusco crime ring. Blume soon realizes he is being watched from on high and that solving this crime may be the least of his worries. Angry, sleep-deprived, and unsure who to trust, Blume is losing control of his investigation. As the mob tightens its grip on the city, and with the killer still at large, Blume's struggle for justice may cost more innocent lives.

A Commissario Alec Blume Novel

The Dogs of Rome

'An inspired creation', 'An engaging hero', 'The most popular detective of the coming decade' - Alec Blume is back.

The Namesake

On a freezing November night Commissario Alec Blume is called to the scene of a shooting. The victim is Sofia Fontana, the sole witness to a previous killing. Blume's inquiries lead from a professor with a passion for the art of memory to a hospitalised ex-terrorist whose injuries have left her mind innocently blank; from present day Rome's criminal underclass, to a murderous train station bombing in central Italy several decades ago. Against the advice of his bosses and his own better judgement, Blume is drawn ever deeper into the case, which looks set to derail his troubled relationship with Caterina...

The Memory Key

On a freezing November night Commissioner Alec Blume is called to the scene of a shooting. The victim is Sofia Fontana, the sole witness to a previous killing. Blume's enquiries lead from a professor with a passion for the art of memory to a hospitalised ex-terrorist whose injuries have left her mind innocently blank; from present day Rome's criminal underclass, to a murderous train station bombing in central Italy several decades ago. Against the advice of his bosses and his own better judgement, Blume is drawn ever deeper into the case, which looks set to derail his troubled relationship with Caterina...

An Alec Blume Novel

An engrossing novel of murder, organized crime, and politics in contemporary Italy-the first in a series of Italian crime novels by a promising new writer.

In the early hours of a Saturday morning, a body is discovered in Piazza de' Renzi. If it was just a simple fall that killed him, why is a senior Carabiniere officer so interested? Commissioner Alec Blume is immediately curious and the discovery of the dead man's notebooks reveals that there is a great deal more at stake than the unfortunate death of a down-and-out... What secrets did he know that might have made him a target? What is the significance of the Galleria Orpiment? And why are the authorities so intent on blocking Blume's investigations?

The Fatal Touch

On a hot summer morning, Arturo Clemente is sloppily murdered in his Roman apartment by a mysterious slasher. When his wife, an eminent politician, finds his body, she swiftly springs into action--by calling the Ministry of the Interior. By the time police inspector Alec Blume arrives at the scene, evidence has been collected, command taken, and, in short--his investigation has been compromised. As the details of the case continue to trickle out, Blume soon realizes he is being watched from on high--and that solving this crime may be the least of his worries. Losing sleep and unsure who to trust, Blume feels the case spinning out of control: does anyone involved even want justice? At what price will it come? And who runs this town--the police, the politicians, or organized criminals? In this riveting novel, we are introduced to Blume, an American expatriate and seasoned police veteran. Intelligent yet sometimes petulant, instinctive yet flawed, Blume is a likeable and trustworthy protagonist for this, the first installment of a gritty and promising series.

Michael Harvey

Parker Bilal

Thomas Mogford

Anne Zouroudi

From Obsession and Payback to Secrets and Lies, Deception and Bad Judgement, these thrilling tales will shock and surprise you with their cunning. Short Sentence was launched in 2012 by Bloomsbury Publishing, in association with the Writers' and Artists' Yearbook. Following a short story written by one of Bloomsbury's brilliant crime authors, competitors were challenged to take up the same theme and write of a dastardly deed using 1000 words or less. This is Bloomsbury Australia's collection of the winning entries in parallel with the five brilliant authors, Parker Bilal, Conor Fitzgerald, Anne Zouroudi, Thomas Mogford and Michael Harvey.

10 stories of dastardly deeds (Australian edition)

Short Sentence

An novel of murder, organised crime and politics set in the heart of Rome - the second in the acclaimed Alec Blume series of Italian crime novels.

'An inspired creation', 'An engaging hero', 'The most popular detective of the coming decade' - Alec Blume is back

Conor Fitzgerald

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