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A review by criminolly
May the Wolf Die by Elizabeth Heider
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
'May the Wolf Die' is an extremely accomplished debut thriller, which combines a great setting, a kickass heroine and a breakneck pace.
Set in Naples, it follows Nikki Serafino, who acts as a liaison between the Neopolitan police and the US Navy. It's a neat setup, which allows the plot to cover both local crime/law enforcement and more geopolitical tensions.
Nikki is an engaging central character, easy to root for an as physical and driven as a good detective should be. The book has a great sense of place too, rich descriptions mean the city and its communities really pop on the page, but they ever get in the way of the story.
It's the plot and pacing that are the real star though, There is a relentlessness to events that make the book almost unberably tense and gripping. I don't think a chapter goes by without something dramatic or momentous happening. There is just so much going on in the book, the main investigation, secondary ones and multiple sub-plots involving the cental characters and their families. There's enough content here for a 600 page book, so the fact it clocks in at a relatively svelte 350 pages is impressive. What's also laudable is that it never feels overwhelming. Despite the multiple characters and narratives, I never felt like I didn't have a clear grasp of what was going on.
This might be the crime debut of the year, I can't wait to see what Heider does next.
Set in Naples, it follows Nikki Serafino, who acts as a liaison between the Neopolitan police and the US Navy. It's a neat setup, which allows the plot to cover both local crime/law enforcement and more geopolitical tensions.
Nikki is an engaging central character, easy to root for an as physical and driven as a good detective should be. The book has a great sense of place too, rich descriptions mean the city and its communities really pop on the page, but they ever get in the way of the story.
It's the plot and pacing that are the real star though, There is a relentlessness to events that make the book almost unberably tense and gripping. I don't think a chapter goes by without something dramatic or momentous happening. There is just so much going on in the book, the main investigation, secondary ones and multiple sub-plots involving the cental characters and their families. There's enough content here for a 600 page book, so the fact it clocks in at a relatively svelte 350 pages is impressive. What's also laudable is that it never feels overwhelming. Despite the multiple characters and narratives, I never felt like I didn't have a clear grasp of what was going on.
This might be the crime debut of the year, I can't wait to see what Heider does next.