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Runaway Horses
A murder mystery, a hilarious portrait of a fading marriage, and a lyrical evocation of Siena and its Palio, all rolled up into one brilliant novel.
Siena, one of Italy’s most beautiful cities, visited by all discerning travellers to Tuscany, is feverishly preparing for the Palio, a horse race dating back to the Middle Ages held every summer in the centre of the town, famously described by Rick Steves as "The World's Most Insane Horse Race". Milanese lawyer Enzo Maggione and his wife Valeria are unwittingly caught up in the maelstrom of plots, counterplots and bribes surrounding the race. They are even witnesses to the violent death of Puddu, the Palio’s most celebrated jockey, found dead the day before the race.
What begins as a listless excursion to a medieval equestrian competition turns into a hallucinatory nightmare for Maggione and his wife, awakening their dormant libido, for each other but, more dangerously, for others in their entourage. The death of the jockey is only one of the mysterious goings-on to be solved. It soon becomes clear that there are no bystanders in the Palio.
Siena, one of Italy’s most beautiful cities, visited by all discerning travellers to Tuscany, is feverishly preparing for the Palio, a horse race dating back to the Middle Ages held every summer in the centre of the town, famously described by Rick Steves as "The World's Most Insane Horse Race". Milanese lawyer Enzo Maggione and his wife Valeria are unwittingly caught up in the maelstrom of plots, counterplots and bribes surrounding the race. They are even witnesses to the violent death of Puddu, the Palio’s most celebrated jockey, found dead the day before the race.
What begins as a listless excursion to a medieval equestrian competition turns into a hallucinatory nightmare for Maggione and his wife, awakening their dormant libido, for each other but, more dangerously, for others in their entourage. The death of the jockey is only one of the mysterious goings-on to be solved. It soon becomes clear that there are no bystanders in the Palio.
180 pages, Paperback
Published February 25, 2025
4 people are currently reading
90 people want to read
About the author
Carlo Fruttero
171 books36 followersThe editorial team of Carlo Fruttero and Franco Lucentini, particularly notable for their (controversial) curation of the Urania series of fantascienza (science-fiction) compilations from 1964 to 1985.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 13, 2025
Better known for setting their novels in Turin, the writing duo of Fruttero and Lucentini turn their focus on Siena. The protagonists, Avocado Enzo Maggioni and his wife, Valeria, are in Siena by accident. They had been on their way from Milan to visit Valeria's brother's farm, but are delayed by a storm, and end up at the door of a villa where they were then taken in and then invited to spend the night. They accept, and find themselves caught up in events.
An attraction of the story is that it takes place around the ‘Palio’, horse race around the city streets.
The action takes place over the three days leading up to the Palio. Also in the villa is the diminutive Puddu, ‘king of the jockeys’, and something of a celebrity but a strange man, who behaves inappropriately frequently, and at one stage bites Valeria’s rear-end. Then there is a death..
There’s certainly an element of mystery to the story, but that isn’t really the focus, which is firmly on the Palio itself and the protagonist, Enzo Maggioni, trying to cope far outside his comfort zone.
It’s an appealing piece of master fiction, chiefly due to its curious nature.
An attraction of the story is that it takes place around the ‘Palio’, horse race around the city streets.
The action takes place over the three days leading up to the Palio. Also in the villa is the diminutive Puddu, ‘king of the jockeys’, and something of a celebrity but a strange man, who behaves inappropriately frequently, and at one stage bites Valeria’s rear-end. Then there is a death..
There’s certainly an element of mystery to the story, but that isn’t really the focus, which is firmly on the Palio itself and the protagonist, Enzo Maggioni, trying to cope far outside his comfort zone.
It’s an appealing piece of master fiction, chiefly due to its curious nature.
March 9, 2025
Now... this was an interesting read. It felt almost like a dream, when you know that what's happening isn't real, but you can't wake up. So why I did felt a bit lost reading this book, but ending explained it all. "Zap" (now you have to read it to find out what it means 😊). To be honest last few chapters were my absolute favourite. Beautiful prose, engaging story, murder mystery...
It was a compelling and satisfying read.
It was a compelling and satisfying read.
July 3, 2025
Where do I even start with a review of this book?? This website has the book marked as a "mystery" but there is nothing mysterious about it. Nor does it have any of the common things most mysteries have. To say it simply, it's just a bunch of people staying at a huge fancy house for a few days talking. And they happen to watch this famous Italian horse race called the Palio (which happens in Siena twice a year: August 16 and July 2).. Yeah by some sheer chance I actually read this book on July 2!
Did I enjoy this book? No. It's darn right dull and some sections were confusing too... I don't understand how this can be classified as a mystery. None of the characters do any snooping. Even the authorities don't really do any snooping either... The book just doesn't seem to care about the dead person. At all.
And apparently later on the dead guy was riding a horse in the race!! What?? I thought he was dead!
And that is why I say it's confusing. Because I don't get it at all...
The main characters were kind of bizarre too. I didn't like the lead character, lawyer Enzo Maggione. He came off as grumpy and he just rubbed me the wrong way.
The whole plot situation in here was so weird. Enzo and his wife were supposed to drive to a house owned by some friends but they end up at the wrong house, yet they are invited in to stay for multiple days. Can I say that is weird?? Who does that? Why would wealthy people who have servants take in two strangers off the street? And nothing really happens (except for the dead guy).
I think the whole plot of this story is not actually about a murder / death. It's really about these people watching the horse race... But you are better off watching the actual race on YouTube. The August 2024 race was exciting! And I actually understood it way better by watching it. But the book does explain the whole pageantry that surrounds the race, the different neighborhoods and how they compete.
But those jockeys are brave. They don't use saddles or stirrups. And they apparently eat before the race??
As a regular mystery this book flops. Best thing about it is the lovely cover! But a pretty cover can't save a poor plot.
Did I enjoy this book? No. It's darn right dull and some sections were confusing too... I don't understand how this can be classified as a mystery. None of the characters do any snooping. Even the authorities don't really do any snooping either... The book just doesn't seem to care about the dead person. At all.
And apparently later on the dead guy was riding a horse in the race!! What?? I thought he was dead!
And that is why I say it's confusing. Because I don't get it at all...
The main characters were kind of bizarre too. I didn't like the lead character, lawyer Enzo Maggione. He came off as grumpy and he just rubbed me the wrong way.
The whole plot situation in here was so weird. Enzo and his wife were supposed to drive to a house owned by some friends but they end up at the wrong house, yet they are invited in to stay for multiple days. Can I say that is weird?? Who does that? Why would wealthy people who have servants take in two strangers off the street? And nothing really happens (except for the dead guy).
I think the whole plot of this story is not actually about a murder / death. It's really about these people watching the horse race... But you are better off watching the actual race on YouTube. The August 2024 race was exciting! And I actually understood it way better by watching it. But the book does explain the whole pageantry that surrounds the race, the different neighborhoods and how they compete.
But those jockeys are brave. They don't use saddles or stirrups. And they apparently eat before the race??
As a regular mystery this book flops. Best thing about it is the lovely cover! But a pretty cover can't save a poor plot.
May 12, 2025
Disappointing. I don’t know whether to attribute it the author, editor or translator, but there are way to many parentheticals in this book. It went from being a distraction to downright annoying. The vocabulary is stilted and pretentious, and the characters are unlikable.
On the positive side, I enjoyed learning about the Palio. But by it wasn’t enough to offset the above mentioned drawbacks.
On the positive side, I enjoyed learning about the Palio. But by it wasn’t enough to offset the above mentioned drawbacks.
April 12, 2025
this book took me ages to finish and it was so mediocre that i question if missed something big
Zum ehrlich si findis so so lame wenni es buech liese und eif merke es wird kein banger si.
Zum ehrlich si findis so so lame wenni es buech liese und eif merke es wird kein banger si.
March 16, 2025
Since my daughter moved to Italy, I've been drawn to more and more novels that bring a kind of connection and learning for me to relate to.
Having also read The Lover Of No Fixed Abode, by this pair of authors, this time last year, I just knew I needed to dive straight into this one too.
Once again the setting is stunning and the writing completely transports us to the glorious town of Siena.
I haven't yet visited Italy, but oh how I get a sense of the culture and landscape from the descriptive writing - and it's such a beautiful and vivid image.
Our characters travel to Siena to watch the Palio - a horse race that the town has run since the middle ages.
As the town prepares, we really grasp a sense of culture and the importance of all that the race brings.
However, when a jockey dies, lawyer Enzo and his wife Valeria are dragged into the mystery and all that follows.
This was such a great story and a murder mystery that kept me guessing.
Despite the translation, this worked to keep me intrigued and racing to the end as it flowed nicely throughout.
Another great read and I'm on a mission now to learn enough Italian that I can read a book by these authors in it's original form!....watch this space...
Having also read The Lover Of No Fixed Abode, by this pair of authors, this time last year, I just knew I needed to dive straight into this one too.
Once again the setting is stunning and the writing completely transports us to the glorious town of Siena.
I haven't yet visited Italy, but oh how I get a sense of the culture and landscape from the descriptive writing - and it's such a beautiful and vivid image.
Our characters travel to Siena to watch the Palio - a horse race that the town has run since the middle ages.
As the town prepares, we really grasp a sense of culture and the importance of all that the race brings.
However, when a jockey dies, lawyer Enzo and his wife Valeria are dragged into the mystery and all that follows.
This was such a great story and a murder mystery that kept me guessing.
Despite the translation, this worked to keep me intrigued and racing to the end as it flowed nicely throughout.
Another great read and I'm on a mission now to learn enough Italian that I can read a book by these authors in it's original form!....watch this space...
August 17, 2025
I know I might often say that I don't know how to start a review but, honestly, with Runaway Horses, I really am unsure about how I feel. This is, to some degree, a mystery novel, or perhaps maybe suspense? Certainly a crime novel as, eventually, a crime does occur, probably. At least a death occurs under what appear to be suspicious circumstances. The victim is a notorious jockey from the Siena Palio, a horse race with its roots in medieval times, a fact which perhaps added to the reasons I am not sure quite what it is that I read.
This is the story of Milanes lawyer, Enzo Maggione, and his wife, Valeria, who are travelling to stay with a friend when they find themselves caught up in the midst of a terrible storm. The weather conditions, and a desperation to be out of them, lead them to taking a wrong turn and finding themselves outside a grand, if somewhat neglected mansion in which they meet a strange and eclectic bunch of characters, a family whose approach to life veers far from the more traditional life Maggione is used to leading. It is a kind of hedonistic existence. Decadent but, at the same time, not, almost as though the people living it have the status, but not the funds, to lead the extravagant life the house may have once deserved. A kind of 'peel back the veneer to see the rot underneath' feeling that feeds through the whole novel.
The story is told over the course of three days, with the action moving between the mansion and the scene of the Palio, a traditional horse race that happens in Siena twice a year. The descriptions of the Palio, the pomp and ceremony and traditions are well described, enough to make the whole thing somewhat intriguing, but perhaps not quite clearly enough that I felt I fully understood the whole set up, Certainly the atmosphere was captured, the intensity, the spirit of the palio, and the way in which the characters got swept up in the whole festival felt authentic. These are the scenes in which the pace of the novel felt frantic almost, like it was a sensation of a different novel, set fully apart from the moments we spend with Maggione and Valeria in the mansion.
And those scenes held their own kind of confusion. It was almost as if Maggione, whose perspective counts for the majority of the storytelling, was sleepwalking through the whole experience. We experience his infatuation with a younger female member of the group, whilst Valeria, whose perspective makes up the balance of the story, find her own passions awakened when it comes to one of the male members of the household, Count Guidobaldo. It appears that neither husband not wife has it in them to be faithful, and the more we learn of them, the more we hear their voices, the more you wonder just how solid the foundation of their marriage is and whether this whole situation was inevitable and only sped up by their instriduction to this strange group whose fortunes are heavily linked to the madness of the and tradition of the Palio.
And the ending ... well. That is where the book took an even stranger turn. I am not entirely sure what happened, or how the story ended, and if you read or have read the book I think you will understand. If has a kind of air of other books I have read, such as The Bird Tribunal by Agnes Ravatn, but whilst the story their captivated me, and the ethereal nature of the narrative and the conclusion left an indelible print on my memory, this just, well, confused. Was this real or imagined, Did any of what we think happened, happen or not? Honestly, I don't know if I know.
The writing is very beautiful, with that literary fiction air, but it may not be for everyone. This is not a traditional mystery or crime thriller, in that nothing crime like happens until half way through, and the investigation of said potential crime never reaches a definite conclusion. I will admit that I did struggle at times with the fact that there were still Italian phrases and words use in the book. Maybe this is because they best express the passion of the situation, and there is no suitable English alternative to match the sentiment or intensity that was needed, but whilst I did stop short of going and making sure my translation was correct, it did kind of push me out of the story and interrupt the flow which may be why the whole thing didn't quite gel for me.
The book was fascinating in terms of the history and tradition explored, and I've not read a lot of Italian literature so a pretty new experience for me. It has made me more curious about the Palio as I love those kind of traditional events, so worth reading if only for that. I think lovers of literary fiction will find plenty to enjoy in this book. It certainly works as a book that is still making me think, so it's made an impression, even if I can't yet decide if I want to know what did happen to Maggione.
This is the story of Milanes lawyer, Enzo Maggione, and his wife, Valeria, who are travelling to stay with a friend when they find themselves caught up in the midst of a terrible storm. The weather conditions, and a desperation to be out of them, lead them to taking a wrong turn and finding themselves outside a grand, if somewhat neglected mansion in which they meet a strange and eclectic bunch of characters, a family whose approach to life veers far from the more traditional life Maggione is used to leading. It is a kind of hedonistic existence. Decadent but, at the same time, not, almost as though the people living it have the status, but not the funds, to lead the extravagant life the house may have once deserved. A kind of 'peel back the veneer to see the rot underneath' feeling that feeds through the whole novel.
The story is told over the course of three days, with the action moving between the mansion and the scene of the Palio, a traditional horse race that happens in Siena twice a year. The descriptions of the Palio, the pomp and ceremony and traditions are well described, enough to make the whole thing somewhat intriguing, but perhaps not quite clearly enough that I felt I fully understood the whole set up, Certainly the atmosphere was captured, the intensity, the spirit of the palio, and the way in which the characters got swept up in the whole festival felt authentic. These are the scenes in which the pace of the novel felt frantic almost, like it was a sensation of a different novel, set fully apart from the moments we spend with Maggione and Valeria in the mansion.
And those scenes held their own kind of confusion. It was almost as if Maggione, whose perspective counts for the majority of the storytelling, was sleepwalking through the whole experience. We experience his infatuation with a younger female member of the group, whilst Valeria, whose perspective makes up the balance of the story, find her own passions awakened when it comes to one of the male members of the household, Count Guidobaldo. It appears that neither husband not wife has it in them to be faithful, and the more we learn of them, the more we hear their voices, the more you wonder just how solid the foundation of their marriage is and whether this whole situation was inevitable and only sped up by their instriduction to this strange group whose fortunes are heavily linked to the madness of the and tradition of the Palio.
And the ending ... well. That is where the book took an even stranger turn. I am not entirely sure what happened, or how the story ended, and if you read or have read the book I think you will understand. If has a kind of air of other books I have read, such as The Bird Tribunal by Agnes Ravatn, but whilst the story their captivated me, and the ethereal nature of the narrative and the conclusion left an indelible print on my memory, this just, well, confused. Was this real or imagined, Did any of what we think happened, happen or not? Honestly, I don't know if I know.
The writing is very beautiful, with that literary fiction air, but it may not be for everyone. This is not a traditional mystery or crime thriller, in that nothing crime like happens until half way through, and the investigation of said potential crime never reaches a definite conclusion. I will admit that I did struggle at times with the fact that there were still Italian phrases and words use in the book. Maybe this is because they best express the passion of the situation, and there is no suitable English alternative to match the sentiment or intensity that was needed, but whilst I did stop short of going and making sure my translation was correct, it did kind of push me out of the story and interrupt the flow which may be why the whole thing didn't quite gel for me.
The book was fascinating in terms of the history and tradition explored, and I've not read a lot of Italian literature so a pretty new experience for me. It has made me more curious about the Palio as I love those kind of traditional events, so worth reading if only for that. I think lovers of literary fiction will find plenty to enjoy in this book. It certainly works as a book that is still making me think, so it's made an impression, even if I can't yet decide if I want to know what did happen to Maggione.
March 11, 2025
The Palio horserace provides both the background setting and the set piece for the events of three days. Some elegant almost poetic prose describes the sights and sounds, thanks to some great translation work by Gregory Dowling. At other times though, I found myself rereading passages to fully comprehend events, this is a book to read carefully and savour rather than racing through. There is some puzzling imagery to contend with, which eventually makes sense and a timeline moves back and forth a great deal. However, the tradition, artistry, pageantry and heritage of the event are vividly brought to the page, giving the reader the sense they could almost be there. There is much detail about the history of the race, the rules and how there are seventeen contrade and only ten are selected. These contrade are wards of the city and even after centuries provoke fierce rivalry, such that even the six defunct contrade that were absorbed into larger districts in the seventeenth century, still project intense rivalries. To the people of Siena this all matters, as the reader will discover.
The principal characters are Avvocato Maggioni and his wife Valeria, who are journeying to stay with friends before watching the Palio. The weather is foul and the Avvocato wants to stop, but his wife is insistent that they press on, she knows the way and its not far. They arrive at the wrong villa but are invited to stay, originally to shelter from the storm, but the situation changes rapidly and the events of the next three days unanticipated.
Here on it becomes something of a comedy of manners. After many years their marriage had become stale, though they would not acknowledge it and here they are presented with the possibility of new opportunities and horizons. In just three days they drift apart, in a dignified fashion for sake of appearances. As a counterpoint to all this dignified and well-mannered stuff there is the most vulgar jockey, who is also a guest. He is the champion jockey of the Palio though and all the contrade are desperate for him to ride their horse.
The principal characters are Avvocato Maggioni and his wife Valeria, who are journeying to stay with friends before watching the Palio. The weather is foul and the Avvocato wants to stop, but his wife is insistent that they press on, she knows the way and its not far. They arrive at the wrong villa but are invited to stay, originally to shelter from the storm, but the situation changes rapidly and the events of the next three days unanticipated.
Here on it becomes something of a comedy of manners. After many years their marriage had become stale, though they would not acknowledge it and here they are presented with the possibility of new opportunities and horizons. In just three days they drift apart, in a dignified fashion for sake of appearances. As a counterpoint to all this dignified and well-mannered stuff there is the most vulgar jockey, who is also a guest. He is the champion jockey of the Palio though and all the contrade are desperate for him to ride their horse.
June 20, 2025
I have been attracted to Italian murder mysteries over the past several years, I appreciate their grittiness, their respect of culture, their slice-of-life simplicity. I have also visited Sienna, one of the most beautiful cities in Italy, one of my favorites. And I would love to see the Palio, the horserace in the middle of the town square which has been held for hundreds of years. So, all of the elements were aligned for me to absolutely love this this book, yet it was a huge disappointment. To call this a murder mystery is absurd, it is more of a fevered dream character study of two people in the wrong place, wrong time, both in real life and in their relationship with each other.
The timeline of the book alternates between the day of the Palio and the events over the three days leading to the race. Milanese lawyer Enzo Maggione and his wife Valeria are heading to visit her family on a farm outside of Sienna when they are swept up by a severe hailstorm and end up at a different villa. From the very start strange going-ons are taking place, as if their hosts want to keep them trapped there. Valeria is enchanted by the handsome host, and Enzo is too distracted by a young blonde woman to really get too upset. In addition, there's a diminutive jockey, rude and crude, who is being wooed to ride their contrade's horse in the race. When the jockey is murdered in the middle of the night, a lackadaisical murder investigation starts to take place, with no real hurry or interest in following procedures. Enzo is tied up in all of this, trying desperately to put together the puzzle pieces before the end of the Palio and the scattering of the suspects. What he figures out takes this book out of the realm of murder mysteries and into something else.
Slow, languid, disturbing, somewhat without purpose. And then a big twist. Not for me.
The timeline of the book alternates between the day of the Palio and the events over the three days leading to the race. Milanese lawyer Enzo Maggione and his wife Valeria are heading to visit her family on a farm outside of Sienna when they are swept up by a severe hailstorm and end up at a different villa. From the very start strange going-ons are taking place, as if their hosts want to keep them trapped there. Valeria is enchanted by the handsome host, and Enzo is too distracted by a young blonde woman to really get too upset. In addition, there's a diminutive jockey, rude and crude, who is being wooed to ride their contrade's horse in the race. When the jockey is murdered in the middle of the night, a lackadaisical murder investigation starts to take place, with no real hurry or interest in following procedures. Enzo is tied up in all of this, trying desperately to put together the puzzle pieces before the end of the Palio and the scattering of the suspects. What he figures out takes this book out of the realm of murder mysteries and into something else.
Slow, languid, disturbing, somewhat without purpose. And then a big twist. Not for me.
February 28, 2025
The second Italian Mysteries book but don’t expect a straightforward crime drama if you pick this one up. It is a murder mystery, but it’s also a detailed explanation of the Palio, a horse race dating to the Middle Ages held every summer in Siena and an exploration of the marriage of lawyer Enzo Maggione and his wife Valeria. This is a translation of a book written over 40 years ago and deserving of a literary fiction tag.
Briefly, travelling to see Valeria’s brother near Siena Enzo and Valeria take a wrong turning and end up at a magnificent villa. Invited to stay by the owners they wake the next morning to find that fellow guest, the Palio’s most famous jockey, has been murdered.
Told in two timelines, just three days apart, by an unknown and often ascerbic voice, and largely as if watching Enzo but also Valeria. Unusual but it worked for me. I know quite a lot about the Palio now - I found it interesting although a bit worried about the horses! The story is quite dark, although there are some oddly humorous moments, and the state of the Maggione’s marriage leaves much to be desired. A short, unusual and strangely compelling story. I enjoyed it.
Briefly, travelling to see Valeria’s brother near Siena Enzo and Valeria take a wrong turning and end up at a magnificent villa. Invited to stay by the owners they wake the next morning to find that fellow guest, the Palio’s most famous jockey, has been murdered.
Told in two timelines, just three days apart, by an unknown and often ascerbic voice, and largely as if watching Enzo but also Valeria. Unusual but it worked for me. I know quite a lot about the Palio now - I found it interesting although a bit worried about the horses! The story is quite dark, although there are some oddly humorous moments, and the state of the Maggione’s marriage leaves much to be desired. A short, unusual and strangely compelling story. I enjoyed it.
July 21, 2025
What even was that?
A couple decide to go to the countryside to stay with some friends who have left the city for a simpler life. Though Maggione has some opinions on their wanting the simple life but not the lack of money.
Regardless, they end up at the wrong house because of a storm and stay through the Palio, a race steeped in history.
The rest is confusing and devolves into the weirdest plot twist? He realizes he is a tv character? What? I kept thinking he was going to wake up in the hospital after a car crash, having listened to tv programming while being in a coma. Would mine have been better? Ehhhh, no. Would it have made more sense? Infinitely.
A couple decide to go to the countryside to stay with some friends who have left the city for a simpler life. Though Maggione has some opinions on their wanting the simple life but not the lack of money.
Regardless, they end up at the wrong house because of a storm and stay through the Palio, a race steeped in history.
The rest is confusing and devolves into the weirdest plot twist? He realizes he is a tv character? What? I kept thinking he was going to wake up in the hospital after a car crash, having listened to tv programming while being in a coma. Would mine have been better? Ehhhh, no. Would it have made more sense? Infinitely.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 29, 2025
2.5 stars. Meandering and told by unreliable narrators with no satisfying resolution or point.I enjoyed the descriptive writing (to a point) but it needed to be balanced with an actual plot.
Even the goodreads description touches on how it wants to be all the things but is ultimately about nothing.
Even the goodreads description touches on how it wants to be all the things but is ultimately about nothing.
January 7, 2026
"when someone's got a face like a picio, a dickhead, take it from me, he's a dickhead"
really enjoyed the in depth descriptions of Siena and the palio, just didn't have the book really resonate with me. Quite fun to read but left feeling like I want more
really enjoyed the in depth descriptions of Siena and the palio, just didn't have the book really resonate with me. Quite fun to read but left feeling like I want more
May 11, 2025
Print (library): randomly picked this up at the library as I love all things Italian…except this; I did not love this. I would like to go back to Siena though.
July 16, 2025
disjointed, sad, confusing. But I am now interested to learn more about the Palio horse race.
July 24, 2025
This book was weird for me. I couldn’t figure out the point of the story other than the horse race in Siena. And the mystery? Reminded me of some TV programs where people spend a strange weekend.
August 17, 2025
Short but languid.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews