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The Devil
When Leone Scamarcio investigates the murder of a boy with demonic possession, who will win: Scamarcio or the Devil?
On a cold and wintry Roman afternoon, a troubled young man, Andrea Borghese, is found dead in his parents’ apartment. The last people to see him alive were five Roman Catholic priests who had left the Vatican to visit Andrea for a very particular purpose. They were performing an exorcism.
Meanwhile, Detective Leone Scamarcio is unravelling. His partner, the beautiful ex-showgirl Fiammetta DiBondi, is expecting their first child, and the baby is due any day. But what kind of world is this in which to raise a child? When his boss, Chief Garramone, calls with the Borghesi case, insisting that Scamarcio is the only man he trusts with the job, Scamarcio accepts the mission as a welcome distraction.
But the case proves far more tangled than Scamarcio had anticipated, and he finds himself in an ever-thickening plot of occult practices, murder, church corruption, government bribery, pharmaceutical dirty dealings, family secrets, and, of course, the mafia. To make things even more complicated, Scamarcio’s old flame, Aurelia, has returned to Rome, and Scamarcio is having trouble thinking straight. As he circles closer to the truth, the danger mounts, and when his new little family comes under threat, Leone Scamarcio has to decide once and for all what he really stands for.
Kindle Edition
Published February 4, 2020
1 person is currently reading
25 people want to read
About the author
Nadia Dalbuono
6 books36 followersNadia Dalbuono spent 15 years working in factual TV in the UK before turning to crime writing. The Few is her first novel, with a sequel scheduled for 2015.
REVIEWS FOR THE FEW:
'Gripping, you won't be able to put down this unsettling tale.'
THE SUN
'A professional and confident foray into the realms of crime fiction . . . Nadia Dalbuono drives her complex plot as though it were [an] Alfa Romeo Spider . . . This detective has many more novels in him than the modest two-volume series planned so far.'
PICK OF THE WEEK, SYDNEY MORNING HERALD AND THE AGE
'Dalbuono has a nose for the topical and the gritty undercurrents of Italian society. And at the end there are enough unanswered questions for another enthralling tale to come.'
Verdict: Compelling, unsettling
COURIER MAIL
'One of Raven Crime's top 5 books of 2014. An astounding debut...It is a delight to encounter a protagonist who I would be keen to meet again, and given such a promising beginning to a potential series, I very much hope this will be the case in subsequent books. The Few is a thoroughly enjoyable and thought-provoking debut.
RAVEN CRIME READS
Powerful, tightly plotted and with chilling echoes of real life events, The Few is an emotive and exhilarating read, and Scamarcio a character who could quickly become another cult detective.
WE LOVE THIS BOOK.COM
Has Donna Leon met her match?
Maxim Jakubowski. LOVEREADING.CO.UK
REVIEWS FOR THE FEW:
'Gripping, you won't be able to put down this unsettling tale.'
THE SUN
'A professional and confident foray into the realms of crime fiction . . . Nadia Dalbuono drives her complex plot as though it were [an] Alfa Romeo Spider . . . This detective has many more novels in him than the modest two-volume series planned so far.'
PICK OF THE WEEK, SYDNEY MORNING HERALD AND THE AGE
'Dalbuono has a nose for the topical and the gritty undercurrents of Italian society. And at the end there are enough unanswered questions for another enthralling tale to come.'
Verdict: Compelling, unsettling
COURIER MAIL
'One of Raven Crime's top 5 books of 2014. An astounding debut...It is a delight to encounter a protagonist who I would be keen to meet again, and given such a promising beginning to a potential series, I very much hope this will be the case in subsequent books. The Few is a thoroughly enjoyable and thought-provoking debut.
RAVEN CRIME READS
Powerful, tightly plotted and with chilling echoes of real life events, The Few is an emotive and exhilarating read, and Scamarcio a character who could quickly become another cult detective.
WE LOVE THIS BOOK.COM
Has Donna Leon met her match?
Maxim Jakubowski. LOVEREADING.CO.UK
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 1, 2020
The fifth book in the Leone Scamarcio series set in Rome sees the lone wolf police detective face off against the devil; metaphorically and literally.
Andrea Borghese was a troubled young man - so much so, that conventional treatments did nothing to alleviate the mood swings and strange behavior. With his parent's at their wits-end, his mother turned to the church for answers. What she got was nothing short of the supernatural; exorcisms, the devil incarnate, and ultimately death and destruction of her domestic situation.
With Andrea's murder, Scamarcio treads down a path he's well used to. One that crosses the thin blue line of the law into dangerous territory; a path that not only brings pain to his professional career, but threatens to destroy his personal life and that of his unborn child.
There's a lot going on in The Devil and it's all interwoven beautifully. I love Scamarico's inner struggle and penchant for self destruction, it's what separates the character from other crime series protagonists and this book, in particular, is all the better for it.
While new reader friendly, The Devil works on more levels by having an understanding as to how Scamarico and co. got here. I highly recommended starting with The Few and reading all the way through to The Devil.
Andrea Borghese was a troubled young man - so much so, that conventional treatments did nothing to alleviate the mood swings and strange behavior. With his parent's at their wits-end, his mother turned to the church for answers. What she got was nothing short of the supernatural; exorcisms, the devil incarnate, and ultimately death and destruction of her domestic situation.
With Andrea's murder, Scamarcio treads down a path he's well used to. One that crosses the thin blue line of the law into dangerous territory; a path that not only brings pain to his professional career, but threatens to destroy his personal life and that of his unborn child.
There's a lot going on in The Devil and it's all interwoven beautifully. I love Scamarico's inner struggle and penchant for self destruction, it's what separates the character from other crime series protagonists and this book, in particular, is all the better for it.
While new reader friendly, The Devil works on more levels by having an understanding as to how Scamarico and co. got here. I highly recommended starting with The Few and reading all the way through to The Devil.
Read
May 5, 2020Lively writing and colourful characters make for an entertaining read. And although the fifth in the series, it’s easy to pick up the background. FOUR STARS
Shelley Orchard, SA Weekend
The Devil y Nadia Dalbuono has everything a good page-turner should possess: murder, conspiracy, secrecy, corruption and the mafia.
Belinda Brady, Aurealis
Shelley Orchard, SA Weekend
The Devil y Nadia Dalbuono has everything a good page-turner should possess: murder, conspiracy, secrecy, corruption and the mafia.
Belinda Brady, Aurealis
January 30, 2021
It seems unbelievable that this Italian thriller series has now reached its fifth instalment with the recently published title, The Devil, and what a terrific series it is. Nadia Dalbuono has once again produced a thoroughly satisfying, illuminating and wonderfully atmospheric thriller set in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, but one where darkness and corruption lies close beneath the surface…
I am always delighted by how firmly Dalbuono roots us in her chosen location of Rome, with her intuitive depiction of the city of Rome and its inhabitants. Her books are incredibly atmospheric, and her vivid use of description of the buildings and streets of this magical city sing off the page, bringing the city alive in the reader’s consciousness, whether you have visited Rome or are more of an armchair traveller. This is particularly relevant to her descriptions of the small enclave of the Vatican City, ferreting below the opulent surface to bring us closer to this largely hidden community, and is a theme she extends into her exploration of the nefarious workings of this globally powerful, and still largely secretive world.
Focussing on the tragic consequences of a young man’s battle with mental illness, resulting in a series of exorcisms to eradicate the devil that his religious mother thinks lies behind his torment, I can safely say that this is not a subject I have seen addressed in crime fiction before. This central storyline is incredibly powerful, examining the line between blind faith, and as the story progresses, the world of science, and more particularly the damaging role of big pharma. I found it absolutely fascinating from start to finish, and was held rapt by this weird shadowy world of exorcism and religious fervour that some hold with absolute reverence as a divine cure all. This aspect of the story was not only tense and compelling, but also arouses a huge sympathy in the reader for this young man and the travails he experiences, until an ultimately tragic outcome. This storyline also raises an emotive story of forbidden love, and how religion can suppress the happiness of individuals in their choices of who they wish to love, if it conflicts with oppressive religious doctrine.
Although ostensibly a police procedural series, Dalbuono always raises the bar, for not only the reasons above, but by her recurring main protagonist, Detective Leone Scamarcio, whose charisma and darker depths of character are the absolute mainstay of my enjoyment of this series. With his criminal heritage as the son of a once powerful ‘Ndrangheta mafia figure subtly balanced with his career as a dedicated detective with a highly moral centre when it comes to the victims of crime he encounters, he is a complicated and intriguing character. As he manages to irritate and annoy the denizens of the Vatican City, forming an at first uncomfortable alliance, with a member of the Vatican’s Gendarmerie Corps, he is not averse to acting wilfully and compulsively. The mantle of maverick cop fits him nicely. I also enjoy the way that Dalbuono balances this tough cop persona with a man so singularly inept in matters of the heart, and with not only the return of a former love, but impending fatherhood around the corner, we see the cracks of insecurity and weak-will in his character too.
Consequently, The Devil only cements further my admiration for these thrillers, with the glorious use of location, a charismatic central character, and always fascinating plots focussing on corruptive forces and dark impulses. and bringing previously unknown things to my attention. I am a huge fan of this extremely adeptly plotted and intelligent crime series, and if you have not yet discovered these stylish and evocative Rome based thrillers I would implore you to seek them out. Highly recommended.
I am always delighted by how firmly Dalbuono roots us in her chosen location of Rome, with her intuitive depiction of the city of Rome and its inhabitants. Her books are incredibly atmospheric, and her vivid use of description of the buildings and streets of this magical city sing off the page, bringing the city alive in the reader’s consciousness, whether you have visited Rome or are more of an armchair traveller. This is particularly relevant to her descriptions of the small enclave of the Vatican City, ferreting below the opulent surface to bring us closer to this largely hidden community, and is a theme she extends into her exploration of the nefarious workings of this globally powerful, and still largely secretive world.
Focussing on the tragic consequences of a young man’s battle with mental illness, resulting in a series of exorcisms to eradicate the devil that his religious mother thinks lies behind his torment, I can safely say that this is not a subject I have seen addressed in crime fiction before. This central storyline is incredibly powerful, examining the line between blind faith, and as the story progresses, the world of science, and more particularly the damaging role of big pharma. I found it absolutely fascinating from start to finish, and was held rapt by this weird shadowy world of exorcism and religious fervour that some hold with absolute reverence as a divine cure all. This aspect of the story was not only tense and compelling, but also arouses a huge sympathy in the reader for this young man and the travails he experiences, until an ultimately tragic outcome. This storyline also raises an emotive story of forbidden love, and how religion can suppress the happiness of individuals in their choices of who they wish to love, if it conflicts with oppressive religious doctrine.
Although ostensibly a police procedural series, Dalbuono always raises the bar, for not only the reasons above, but by her recurring main protagonist, Detective Leone Scamarcio, whose charisma and darker depths of character are the absolute mainstay of my enjoyment of this series. With his criminal heritage as the son of a once powerful ‘Ndrangheta mafia figure subtly balanced with his career as a dedicated detective with a highly moral centre when it comes to the victims of crime he encounters, he is a complicated and intriguing character. As he manages to irritate and annoy the denizens of the Vatican City, forming an at first uncomfortable alliance, with a member of the Vatican’s Gendarmerie Corps, he is not averse to acting wilfully and compulsively. The mantle of maverick cop fits him nicely. I also enjoy the way that Dalbuono balances this tough cop persona with a man so singularly inept in matters of the heart, and with not only the return of a former love, but impending fatherhood around the corner, we see the cracks of insecurity and weak-will in his character too.
Consequently, The Devil only cements further my admiration for these thrillers, with the glorious use of location, a charismatic central character, and always fascinating plots focussing on corruptive forces and dark impulses. and bringing previously unknown things to my attention. I am a huge fan of this extremely adeptly plotted and intelligent crime series, and if you have not yet discovered these stylish and evocative Rome based thrillers I would implore you to seek them out. Highly recommended.
March 25, 2020
I would like to thank Netgalley and Scribe UK for a review copy of The Devil, the fifth novel to feature Rome detective, Leone “Leo” Scamarcio.
When teenager Andrea Borghese is found dead Leo is put on the case because, as his boss says, he’s the man for the complicated ones and this is complicated. Andrea was last seen undergoing an exorcism by The Vatican’s chief exorcist and four assistants. As he investigates the case gets murkier by the minute.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Devil which is a well told tale that held my attention from start to finish. It has a lively tone and plenty of developments which would normally have led me to think 5 stars but the use of the c*** word (and not just once) led me to downgrade it. I can f and b with the best but I find that particular word highly offensive. Ok, rant over, I can now get on with my review.
This is the first novel in the series that I have actually read although it was always my intention to give it a go at some point. Coming in at book 5 is not always good but it works well as a stand-alone and there is enough backstory to give a new reader an oversight of the characters but not enough, I would imagine, to bore a series reader. The plot is well constructed with several avenues of investigation, some leading nowhere, some broadening out to wider complications and one leading to the perpetrator. It all seems logical and natural although perhaps with a particularly Italian bent as it involves corruption and The Church. I particularly liked the seemingly petty offences that unwittingly cast long shadows. They reach out to me although I’m not exactly sure what they say, perhaps that the road to hell is paved with good intentions or more likely that we should think before acting. There are a few homilies in the novel about doing nothing or taking the right path but I can’t say I took them too seriously, not my bag.
Leo Scamarcio is an interesting character and quite well drawn. He’s panicking because the birth of his first child is imminent and he doesn’t feel prepared for the responsibility, not that he’s done anything to get prepared. His answer is to smoke more before he can’t anymore and work the case hard. Somehow, I don’t imagine he’s the first to take that attitude but it is amusing. At work he’s a good detective. He manages to cover all the bases and think logically without appearing to be a know-all or conceited. I enjoyed the descriptions of his thought processes and decision making.
The Devil is a good read that I can recommend.
When teenager Andrea Borghese is found dead Leo is put on the case because, as his boss says, he’s the man for the complicated ones and this is complicated. Andrea was last seen undergoing an exorcism by The Vatican’s chief exorcist and four assistants. As he investigates the case gets murkier by the minute.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Devil which is a well told tale that held my attention from start to finish. It has a lively tone and plenty of developments which would normally have led me to think 5 stars but the use of the c*** word (and not just once) led me to downgrade it. I can f and b with the best but I find that particular word highly offensive. Ok, rant over, I can now get on with my review.
This is the first novel in the series that I have actually read although it was always my intention to give it a go at some point. Coming in at book 5 is not always good but it works well as a stand-alone and there is enough backstory to give a new reader an oversight of the characters but not enough, I would imagine, to bore a series reader. The plot is well constructed with several avenues of investigation, some leading nowhere, some broadening out to wider complications and one leading to the perpetrator. It all seems logical and natural although perhaps with a particularly Italian bent as it involves corruption and The Church. I particularly liked the seemingly petty offences that unwittingly cast long shadows. They reach out to me although I’m not exactly sure what they say, perhaps that the road to hell is paved with good intentions or more likely that we should think before acting. There are a few homilies in the novel about doing nothing or taking the right path but I can’t say I took them too seriously, not my bag.
Leo Scamarcio is an interesting character and quite well drawn. He’s panicking because the birth of his first child is imminent and he doesn’t feel prepared for the responsibility, not that he’s done anything to get prepared. His answer is to smoke more before he can’t anymore and work the case hard. Somehow, I don’t imagine he’s the first to take that attitude but it is amusing. At work he’s a good detective. He manages to cover all the bases and think logically without appearing to be a know-all or conceited. I enjoyed the descriptions of his thought processes and decision making.
The Devil is a good read that I can recommend.
June 16, 2024
It's been a few years since I read the preceding novels in this series, and I'd forgotten just how much I like Leone Scamarcio. I'd forgotten some of the details from the earlier books, but it didn't matter; this book is enjoyable as a standalone novel. Knowing some of the history helps, but isn't essential. The plot is nicely convoluted in that Scamarcio has to follow various threads of potential corruption to uncover the truth, but at no time is it confusing to keep track of the investigation. As always, the writing is superb and the characters realistic. A must read, along with all the others in the series. I hope there will be more.
May 10, 2020
The fifth in the series and for me the best of the lot. Engaging writing and characters set in Rome..got me (..am sure there are those believe in exorcisms, I am not ) but found this to be a good read nonetheless. Added was Andre Bocelli singing in the background.
April 5, 2025
I tried to make a connection between the mention of 'Caligula' in page 68. Every other person in this book except Fiametta,Andrea,Meinero and Graziella fit into the characteristics of Caligula mentioned in the book. Even scamarcio fits in to those characteristics.
February 22, 2021
What more could you want in a mystery story. The Vatican, an exorcist, murder, corruption.
A fabulous read.
A fabulous read.
Read
May 5, 2020Lively writing and colourful characters make for an entertaining read. And although the fifth in the series, it’s easy to pick up the background. FOUR STARS
Shelley Orchard, SA Weekend
The Devil y Nadia Dalbuono has everything a good page-turner should possess: murder, conspiracy, secrecy, corruption and the mafia.
Belinda Brady, Aurealis
Shelley Orchard, SA Weekend
The Devil y Nadia Dalbuono has everything a good page-turner should possess: murder, conspiracy, secrecy, corruption and the mafia.
Belinda Brady, Aurealis
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews