Timothy Holme (1928–1987)

The first book in a series about Achille Peroni, the Rudolph Valentino of the Italian police force. Peroni is a Neopolitan who has spent time working for Scotland Yard. Now back in Italy he is assigned to work in Verona. The case involves a missing general. The two families involved are descended from the Montagus and Capulets of Romeo and Juliet. They have secretly kept the feud alive all this time.
The mystery was okay. It's not one of those mysteries that the reader can solve with the show more clues provided. Peroni was a total stereotype. The only good parts were occasional lovely descriptions of the Italian countryside and food. I won't be reading any more in this series. show less

Inspector Achille Peroni is an Anglophile Neapolitan - well suited to the high life and the low life of Italian crime. Seconded to Venice, however, Peroni is soon bored by petty crime, until a murder galvanises him to enthusiastic activity. Amongst the criminal freemasonry of the gondoliers, and the crumbling palaces of the impoverished aristocracy, Peroni finds a web of intrigue which appears to be linked with the 18th century Venetian playwright, Goldoni. But is it fact or fantasy? And show more where among the canals and lagoons will the murderer strike again? - Futura jacket notes.
Average. The mystery series by Donna Leon set in Venice is much better. show less

An Italian historical murder mystery.
"Bullied by his redoubtable sister into accompanying her on a 'pilgrimage' to Assissi, Commissario Achille Peroni, 'the Rudolf Valentino of the Italian police', finds himself lusting after a fellow pilgrim, the beautiful and mysterious Signora Elisa Guidi. But before he can make his advances, the lady is behind bars on a charge of shooting her lover.
Peroni leaps to the defence. His independent investigation leads him back to a complex thirteenth-century show more mystery and to the letters of a remarkable woman, a confidante of St Francis himself. Perplexing antique evidence casts new light on the crime before Peroni..." - Time Warner jacket notes (1988).
Interesting background, improbable plot, entertaining but silly. show less