Twenty years ago Corso Bramard had it all. He was a cop in Turin with a beautiful wife & much loved daughter. Then the serial killer he’d been hunting entered the Bramard household & took it all away.
Now he’s a teacher who spends days off tempting fate with risky climbs in the local mountains. His quiet insular life is shaken up when he receives a new piece of evidence that could finally identify the killer after all these years.

Those looking for a fast paced police procedural with car chases & things that go boom should walk away. This is a work of literary fiction where Corso’s hunt for the killer merely provides the frame upon which hangs the story of this character & his nemesis. In alternate chapters, we follow the killer & gradually learn why he is ready to reveal himself. It’s like watching a chess game between 2 well matched players as we wait for each to carefully make their next move.

The prose is descriptive & at times poetic. We spend a lot of time in Corso’s head as he ponders everything from his past decisions to the mundane details of daily life. He’s a man who was gutted by loss & searches for a reason to go on. Since his wife died he’s been sitting on the sidelines, observing everything in an effort to feel something. As his friend Cesare observes, “he’s not made for other people”.
The author provides contrast by surrounding the taciturn Corso with a colourful cast that includes a former colleague, a brassy young cop & barkeep Cesare. Dialogue is kept to a minimum & the characters seem to instinctively understand the importance of what’s left unsaid.

By the end Corso comes to understand what happened 20 years ago. A big final twist rocks his world & provides a glimmer of hope that he may choose to begin living again. ( )

The sparest, most minimalist and impressionist book I've ever read, and a mystery to boot.

Years after his young daughter disappeared and his wife was murdered by a serial killer he'd been chasing, retired police commissioner Bramard is still receiving an annual message from the killer, but this year is different: included in the envelope is a strand of hair. This opens up a whole new line of investigation, and Bramard is allowed to reopen the case unofficially but with the help of a young detective who specializes in searches, computer and otherwise.

The mystery itself is pretty interesting, but the extreme dearth of detail makes this a difficult read, for all its brevity. Insight into any of the characters, even Bramard, is doled out sparingly, and for the most part, readers are left to fill in the details for themselves. Even the denouement is left largely undescribed, with what could have been several interesting emotional decisions not only not described but not revealed at all. The translation seems to be fine, so this seems to be how the author wanted it. Unsatisfying for any reader who can't read the author's mind. ( )