Book two in the Marseilles trilogy
Book two in the Marseilles trilogy
"In Marseilles, you weren't just from one neighborhood, one project. You were chourmo. In the same galley, rowing! Trying to get out. Together."
Fabio Montale has left a police force marred by corruption, racism and greed to follow the placid rhythms of his native town: the sea, fishing, and the local bar. But getting out is not going to be so easy. When his cousin's son goes missing, Montale is dragged back into the mean streets of a violent, crime-infested Marseilles. To discover the truth about the boy's disappearance, he infiltrates a dangerous underworld of mobsters, religious fanatics, crooked cops and ordinary people driven to extremes by desperation.
This second novel in Izzo's acclaimed Marseilles trilogy is a touching tribute to the author's beloved city, in all its color and complexity. Fabio Montale is an unwitting hero in this city of melancholy beauty.
Praise for Jean-Claude Izzo's Marseilles Trilogy
"One of the masterpieces of modern noir."
-Michael Dirda, Washington Post
"Izzo's ability to describe Marseilles and to make his readers feel the multiracial reality of that city so directly and authentically is fascinating."
-Andrea Camilleri, author of the bestselling Inspector Montalbano series
"Izzo's Marseilles is ravishing. Every street, cafe and house has its own character."
-Globe and Mail
"Like the best noir writers-and make no mistake, he is among the best - Izzo not only has a keen eye for detail . . . but also digs deep into what makes men weep."
-Time Out New York
"Just as Raymond Chandler and James Ellroy made Los Angeles their very own, so Mr. Izzo has made Marseilles so much more than just another geographical setting."
-The Economist
"The Marseilles trilogy may be the most lyrical hard-boiled writing yet."
-The Nation
"Reading Izzo's novels, you're bound to cry sooner or later."
-Le Monde
"Izzo provides another guided tour of the underbelly of Marseilles (so extensive that it seems to swallow the whole city) that's bracing in its wit and velocity."
-Kirkus (Starred review)
