A review by shelleyrae
The Namesake by Conor Fitzgerald

4.0

While this is the third book featuring Commissario Alec Blume, The Namesake is the first I have read from this British author. Part police procedural/part crime thriller, this series is set in Italy and pits Blume, more often than not, against the organised crime families of Italy. In The Namesake, the body of a man who bears the same name as a Magistrate, is dumped outside of a courthouse in Rome, a threat that Blume attributes to the Ndreangheta. Seizing an opportunity that might force Ndreangheta's second in command, Curmaci, to return from Germany, Blume leaves the investigation of the dead body to his girlfriend and colleague, Caterina and reluctantly working with the DSCA, Blume makes a bold move against Curmaci, that has the potential to backfire spectacularly.

Corruption, vengeance, loyalty and honour are the main themes explored amidst both the justice and organised crime systems of Italy. The main plot involves Blume's desire to bring down Curmaci which is supported by several subplots including the investigation of the namesake killing, the abduction of a young girl, a 'family' tussle for power, the relationship between the sons of Curmaci and his rival Tony, and a man out for vengeance. While the events in the novel take place over only a week, and there is a fair bit of action, The Namesake can be dense with detail at times which slows the pace considerably. The detail is interesting in and of itself, but does not always contribute directly to the story so I found my attention wavering occasionally.

Blume is an enigmatic character, while deeply flawed he is also a man with strong principles. I never really got a handle on his motivation for his determination to bring down Curmaci, though there is a vague mention of a previous incident between them and I think it must be something I missed, not having read the first two books.
Of the supportive characters, it was the teenage Ruggerio that caught my attention. The son of Curmaci, he is not sure of his position in the Ndreangheta family but eventually he makes decisions that sets his path.

The Namesake is a literary crime novel, atmospheric with interesting characters. I would have liked to have read the previous titles in the series, [b:The Dogs Of Rome|7104368|The Dogs Of Rome (Commissario Alec Blume, #1)|Conor Fitzgerald|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1312066289s/7104368.jpg|8022182] and [b:The Fatal Touch|10915279|The Fatal Touch (Commissario Alec Blume #2)|Conor Fitzgerald|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1312051611s/10915279.jpg|14276236] first but The Namesake does still work as a stand alone.