I wish I could make reading these Eliot Conte books last longer 1612193374 I started this series with this book and was very confused about several plot points Don t start with this book 1612193374 Very close to non fiction 1612193374 The Dog Killer of Utica An Eliot Conte Mystery Paperback FrankLentricchia MelvilleHousePublishing The Dog Killer of Utica An Eliot Conte MysteryAn Italian man s man writes another mystery about his hometown With all the bravado and bs that you would expect The plot is screwy and women seem to hate the book But if you want a study of the Italian male stereotype.

This is your baby By a literature prof from Duke Beware excessive love of opera shown in its pages 1612193374 This is a wry sly craftily written work of artfulness political intrigue and sheer mayhem of the emotional as well as of the criminal variety As a fan of Lentricchia I think it s his best and funniest work as well as his most heart wrenching The end will make you crave the concluding volume of the Conte trilogy 1612193374 first off this story contains other previous plot lines which are sorta incorporated with this present story and sort of leave the reader at sea and as mad confused and frightened as everybody else in this book the bad cops the innocent muslim student the forbearing lover why and the seedy cold neighborhood town. here s matt ny seems ferguson mo s cold nightmarish twin 1612193374 Much closer to Scandinavian crime fiction than anything home grown Lentricchia s work has been praised by Gordon Lish and Don DeLillo and it s easy to see why This is exceptional on the sentence level alternately lyrical and brutal plus filled with dark and complex psychological insights disruptive humor and a strong narrative that eschews overly tidy conclusions My only caveat is that I d suggest starting these Eliot Conte books with The Accidental Pallbearer and then make your way here 4. 5 stars 1612193374 I always enjoy reading Frank Lentricchia I no longer read detective novels nor crime nor mystery but a romp in Utica with this Italian intellectual is quite a different story I recommend a visit with the mysterious Eliot Conte just as soon as you can 1612193374