Book Review: The Marshal and the Madwoman

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

The Marshal and the Madwoman     Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Magdalen Nabb
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Police Procedural
Series: Marshal Guarnaccia
Soho, 2003, $12.00, 223 pp.

Marshal Guarnacci of the Pitti Palace Carabinieri Station was with his wife when he first met the crazy woman, Clementina, while she brawled with some guy apparently over feeding pigeons. Everyone in the working class neighborhood knows the former mental patient and many take turns feeding her.

Not long after meeting Clementina, the Marshal receives a call from bar owner Gianfranco Cini informing him that he and others broke into the room of the Crazy Woman to find Clementina dead in what looked like an amateur killer poorly trying to make it seem like suicide. Upon seeing the crime scene the Marshal knows a homicide occurred, but Clementina had nothing to offer anyone as she depended on others to survive. Guarnacci makes inquiries but seems to be going nowhere as he is constantly reminded by the Prosecutor. Still in his methodical manner, the Marshal begins finding connections to and from the victim not as visible at first glance while working a myriad of sidebars for the locals.

The Marshal Guarnacci tales are strong Italian police procedurals that focus on the secondary characters much more than the investigation. Through the actions and reactions of the support cast, the audience obtains a deep understanding of the Marshal. This case is a powerhouse as the audience observes the intriguing social relationships of this working class neighborhood that enables the reader to appreciate the lead protagonist. Though a bit different as the action takes a secondary role to the players, Magdalen Nabb provides sub-genre fans with an engrossing novel.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner