The Salati Case
Author: Tobias Jones
Publisher: Faber
Price: $29.99 (paperback)
Losing the plot
If the object of a murder mystery is to keep you turning every page wondering what is going to happen next and have you guessing until the end, is it deemed a failure if it does neither of these things? Absolutely, and unfortunately this is where The Salati Case from author Tobias Jones tends to come unstuck.
Castagnetti
(Casta) is a private detective with an unusual commission. When Signora
Salati dies, he is asked to provide evidence that her younger son who
went missing years before is a dead so that her elder son may inherit.
Presumed dead isn’t dead enough for inheritance purposes. Before
long Castagnetti is reopening wounds from years ago and exposing family
secrets. As the case progresses, more people die, more questions surface
and Casta realises he is now at the centre of something sordid and possibly
a little evil.
This summary of the plot indicates that The Salati Case does contain all of the ingredients of a successful and compelling crime novel but it gets bogged down in the detail overcomplicating things and possibly trying to cover too much territory. There are a lot of characters and family ties for a book that spans only 200 pages and the continual backtracking in an attempt to remember who belongs to whom becomes tiresome. About half way through the interest in finding out who did it or why has waned or possibly vanished altogether. That said the plot does push you to read on with a hope that perhaps there is a twist of Machiavellian proportions contained in the final pages - unfortunately not.
The author does not develop the characters enough rather skimming the surface of the human condition without delving too deeply. If the general feeling toward the characters is one of ambivalence it begs the question as to whether the story is really worth telling.
The writing is strong though and the sentences carefully crafted and executed. The descriptions of Italy are vivid and beautiful. The shock factor is developed in a very deliberate and effective way in a number of the more graphic and gory murder scenes. So if you are prepared to push through a foggy plot and a lot of Italians, The Salati Case could be the read for you but as you turn the final page be prepared to feel a little disappointed with the results of all of your hard work.
Lisa O'Donnell