The "razor-sharp political thriller set during the dying days of Berlusconi's regime" that inspired the Netflix original series (New Statesman).

This "fast-moving crime thriller" takes a deep dive into a politically and financially corrupt contemporary Italy, where crime families, corrupt politicians, and new rabid criminal elements battle each other for control of a glittering prize-a multibillion-dollar development twenty miles from the Italian capital (Publishers Weekly).
During the final days of Silvio Berlusconi's reign, a massive development proposal that will turn the depressed coastal settlement of Ostia into a gambling paradise, a Las Vegas on the Mediterranean, is winding its way through the Italian legislature thanks to the sponsorship of politicians in the pay of crime syndicates. It's business as usual in the Italian capital. Or so it seems. A vicious gang of local thugs loyal to nobody but themselves is insisting on a bigger cut than agreed upon. The Mafia and their political puppets aren't going to back down without a fight. And one policeman, pushed to the sidelines, may not be able to stop an all-out war . . .With a plot that "thrills from the get-go," Suburra is a compelling work of international crime fiction and the inspiration for the popular Netflix series of the same name (New Statesman).

"A novel of Rome, meaning that the city itself, in all its history, glory, and despair, is skillfully sewn into the fiber of the tale. . . . Evokes Mario Puzo's famous trilogy and other classics of the genre."-Kirkus Reviews

Fast-paced crime thriller set in Rome: Gomorrah meets House of Cards

Criminals on the rise and senior members of the Italian mafia clash in and around Rome over the backing of an urban development bill that promises to turn the seaside town of Ostia into a gambling paradise. The problems plaguing the political system of contemporary Italy are played out against this florid, cinematic background.
Before the end of Berlusconi's days, a massive real estate development bill that will bury the city's outskirts under tons of cement remains on the floor in the Italian parliament. Ostia, a small dot of a town on the coast, could become Italy's equivalent of Las Vegas with the passing of this renewal project. With Italian MPs either in their pockets or forced to vote because of blackmail or the kidnapping of a loved one, the mafia is set to cash-in on the future of this seaside retreat. The local bosses of Ostia however, tired of staying in their place, feel entitled to a larger cut. When the son of a feared Ostia gangster is brutally stabbed and left lifeless on the streets, the safeties come off and all-out war is sparked. Each vote for the bill, will either be caused by blood or bought by way of bribery.

Praise for Suburra

“Rome itself, in all its history, glory, and despair, is skillfully sewn into the fiber of Suburra . . . Evokes Mario Puzo’s famous trilogy and other classics of the genre.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“[A] fast-moving crime thriller . . . an unflinching look at real-life widespread corruption in Italy.”
—Publishers Weekly

"The basis of an award-winning 2015 Italian film, this contemporary noir will appeal to readers intrigued by gangland crime, big-city corruption, and how Italy actually 'works.'"
—Library Journal (Starred Review)

“[C]austic and blunt [...] Suburra is a reminder that crime fiction can say as much about a society as other genres.”
—The Guardian

“The plot of Suburra, fast-paced and brutal, thrills from the get-go. [A] blistering, grimly absorbing satire of Rome’s kickback and bribery culture.”
—The New Statesman

“An enthralling noir novel that draws inspiration from the real-life scandals
that have plagued Italy in recent years.”
—Paris Match
 
“With a bit of added splatter à la Tarantino, Suburra captures a great city
that has been tragically handed over to political, economic, and criminal corruption.”
—La Repubblica
 
“No code of honor, magnificent godfathers, or other such nonsense here, just cynicism, rapacity, money as the only value that matters. Made in the image of the world as it is. Chilling.”
—Télérama
 
“Suburra may deal in traditional gangster movie tropes, but it uses them to tell a story that’s modern and universal.”
—Vice (on film adaptation of the novel)
 
“Bonini and de Cataldo find the courage to recount the unadulterated truth of a city that seems to have forgotten it is part of the civilized world.”
—Paolo Sorrentino, Oscar Award-winning director of The Great Beauty