See Naples and Die

For John, BLUF:  We learn:  "Vedi Napoli e poi muori ("See Naples and then die") was a common expression, echoed most famously on his grand tour by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, to identify Naples as the most naturally and artistically beautiful city in the world; so beautiful that one needn't look upon anything else after seeing it.".  Nothing to see here; just move along.

---

May the Wolf Die
Author:  Elizabeth Heider
Kindle Version:  368 Pages
Publisher:  Penguin Books
Language:  English
ASIN:  B0CKBD4PZT
Publication Date:  July 2, 2024

This is a murder mystery, with a number of plot twists to keep the reader engaged to the end.  Also keeping the reader engaged is the ongoing life of the heroine, Investigator Nikki Serafino, of Pheonix Seven, an Italian liaison organizaation embedded within the US Military stationed in Naples, Italy.

The locale for the murder mystery is the City of Naples (Napoli), and for those of us who have lived there the geography and the monuments are familiar.  I could almost think that the author saw her target audience as the thousands of US military and civil servants who have been assigned in Naples or who were there on Port Calls.

Murder, mayhem, criminal gangs and emotional stress are a part of Naples, and a part of this novel.  On the other hand, Naples is seen as a City it is safe to visit.

As the story begins our Heroine, Nikki, is out on a sailboat, of which she is part owner.  After some acquatic adventure they are headed back to port when they realize they have snagged a body floating in the bay.  While not involved in the ensuing murder investigation, Nikki finds herself drawn further and further into the case.  Her powers of observation and her reasoning skills allow her to help the official investigators, Italian and American, as the murder victum is a US Naval Officer.  I drop-shipped a copy of the book to a friend, a former Commander of the US Naval Support Activity in Naples.  Having quickly checked the back cover, he called me and asked "When do I die?"  It turns out the murder victim, although of the same rank, occupied a different slot in the organization.

Nikki, not a favorite of her boss, is outside the investigstion, and embroiled in problems of her own, but the investigation continues to intrude on her life, and she, in turn, continues to think about it and draw conclusions of value.

As a thread through the book is Nikki's own story, as she tries to establish herself as an independent and self-suffient woman, not to be pushed around by others or owned by any single man.  This problem is its own battle, and apparently not concluded by the end of the book, leaving space for a sequel.

Typo:  In Chapter Thirteen A NCIS Agent explains to the Italian Police Inspector, Sonia, that the murder victim was not, as he had told his wife, on TAD.  This acronym is defined as "Temporary Active Duty".  Per the DoD Dictionary, the meaning is "temporary additional duty".  Aside from that slip, the novel seems very faithful in reflecting the US Military in Naples.

For me, a good read.

Regards  —  Cliff