Gianrico Carofiglio Involuntary Witness

Involuntary Witness

Gianrico Carofiglio

Bitter Lemon, Oct 2005, $13.95

ISBN: 1904738079

Criminal lawyer Guido Guerrieri hates his life starting with his work to defend criminals and ending in his personal life in which his wife has left him. He cannot sleep and eats poorly and forget about a social life as that is non existent. The unrelenting self imposed pressure takes it toll when the insomniac attorney suffers panic attacks and depression.

When a nine year old boy is found raped, murdered and dumped at the bottom of a well in southern Italy, the police arrest a Senegalese nomadic peddler. Guido decides to serve as the defense counsel in what looks like a locked and shut case. As Guido works the system, he realizes he is battling more than just a murder rap. He finds almost everyone involved on the other side is not color blind as anti-immigration fervor has led to racism against the growing Africa expatriate population in the area. As his own paranoia and phobias grow, Guido still works on providing a reasonable defense for his client all odds even though he would bet on the opposition.

Though the action is limited and sleuthing almost non existent, this incredible Italian legal thriller packs quite a wallop as Gianrico Carofiglio makes the case that racism by its nature destroys justice. The story line is character driven especially by the battle fatigued Guido. He is so mentally frail he is the last person one would expect to stand up for what is right especially on a murder case, which in turn takes its toll on the defense team meaning the beleaguered lawyer. INVOLUNTARY WITNESS is a terrific tale leading to fans wanting more translations from this awesome author.

Harriet Klausner