Licosa

by Nick Goulding

"If you're looking for an excellent classic noir spy thriller, you're in luck. Nick Goulding has produced the next sensation with Licosa . I literally couldn't put it down." -Brad Whittington, award-winning author of The Reluctant Saint and others

"A bursting fusion of personal and political intrigue." -The US Review of Books Italy, 1962. It looks like La Dolce Vita . But beneath the surface, it's a war zone.
As journalist Martin Bass tries to find a shipwreck off the Italian coast, innocent locals start dying under suspicious circumstances. As much as he tries, Bass can’t ignore the fact that a killer has come to town and brought with him a ruthless political agenda. Before long, his reporter’s curiosity lands Bass and his crew in the middle of a Cold War conspiracy with global ramifications. Left versus right. Communist versus fascist. The political quickly becomes personal, and as threats converge from all sides, Bass will have to sacrifice the story, the fortune—or everything that matters. Inspired by an actual top-secret operation in Cold War Europe, Licosa combines the intriguing characters of a classic spy novel, the moody atmosphere of a noir mystery, and the riveting action of a great thriller. Pick up Licosa today and follow Martin Bass as he tracks down the dark secrets behind the headlines.

357 pages, Paperback

Published February 3, 2021

About the author

Nick Goulding grew up just outside of Boston. He studied history at New York University and lived for many years in downtown Manhattan, working mostly as a bartender and pub manager. He and his wife lived for a while in a small fishing town in Campania, Italy, which was an inspiration for his first novel, Licosa. They now live in Austin with their two teenage kids.

Nick owns and operates Cafe Malta, a neighborhood restaurant and bar in Austin. His latest novel, also featuring Martin Bass, is Hero of the Good War. He’s currently working on Licosa's follow-up, Shoot the Honest Man, set in the down-at-the-heels cosmopolis of Marseilles, 1962.

In the fall of 2024, he’ll launch his podcast, The Wild Years, focusing on the ex-pat scene of Paris in the 1920’s.

Reviews

[Peter Hladun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulously atmospheric of locations and period. Nice to read a story which doesn't depend on technology, mobile phones, gps, the dark web, etc.

[Carole Sable · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book! So nice to read a book set in the 60’s and not a modern mystery that depends on technology to solve the problem. The main character is a reporter but focuses on a hunt for something other than a story. The book gets more and more interesting as the story progresses. I’ll definitely look for other books by the author.

I won this book on goodreads but the review is mine alone.

[Hannah Lovik · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this in a Goodreads giveaway, so thank you to the author! This was a good read, I enjoyed the writing and it got more exciting halfway through. The character list was helpful and I liked the real historical aspects of it!