Luca D'Andrea

D'Andrea's Beneath the Mountain may not be for every reader of suspense, but I thought it was absolutely breathtaking.

Full of atmosphere and mystery, as well as believable characters who pull the story along just as much as the plot, this is a masterfully crafted novel of literary suspense. It's not the typical suspense novel, it's true--much of the tension comes and goes, and it's undeniably tied to the struggling protagonist, but D'Andrea does such a gorgeous job of building the novel's show more peaks and allowing the characters to breathe their own lives, I found the book impossible to put down.

For readers who want character-driven suspense and mystery, that characters as much about subtleties of character as it does high-octane drama (though it's got that to spare also), I'd absolutely recommend this book. It kept me guessing, and it's made me a fan of the author for life.

Absolutely recommended. show less

Holy ****. That was a wild ride. I read Beneath the Mountain before reading this, as I thought this was a sequel, but it's not. The plots are very different, but both share superb writing that leaves you breathless. Marlena flees her mafia husband, taking with her sapphires and a secret - she's pregnant. The criminal organization for which her husband works, sends an assassin after her. It all seems pretty straight forward, right? Oh no. This is a crazy, twisty tale of deceit, madness, show more survival, love, despair, and hope, and it is intense. Katherine Gregor is a fantastic translator, but there is no doubt that she had phenomenal text to work with. If you enjoy suspense novels/thrillers, pick this up. You won't be sorry.

Thank you to the publisher and LibraryThing for the finished copy in exchange for my review. Also, please note that I did buy the audiobook, and the narrator is fantastic, as well. show less

Much of Luca D’Andrea’s thriller, BENEATH THE MOUNTAIN, does not ring true. The main flaws seem to be characters whose motivations are not very believable and an outcome that seems to arise from out of nowhere. Translated novels can be problematic, but these issues seem intrinsic. Jeremiah Salinger, a documentary film whiz, escapes a multiple fatality accident caused by an avalanche, but strangely concludes that the deaths were entirely his fault. The unusual way he choses to cope with show more his case of PTSD is to avoid taking prescribed medications and instead becoming obsessed with solving a cold case where three locals were brutally hacked to death while mountain hiking during a storm. Salinger is the only character who is well developed in the novel. The first person narrative style depicts him as excessively self-involved, rather erratic and moderately unlikable. His wife, Annalise, decides inexplicably that the perfect solution to his problem would be a marital separation. Clara, his young daughter, seems to be his only solace. However, D’Andrea depicts her as almost too cute to be real. Her game of counting the letters in words and making her father guess the words is overused and quickly becomes annoying. Most of Salinger’s investigation involves off-the-record conversations with members of the Siebenhoch community. Most of these seem forced, unrealistic, and inconclusive. D’Andrea overuses this device making for a slow and uneven plot narrative. One cannot reveal much about the plot’s outcome without spoiling the reading experience. Yet suffice it to say, the reveal has little buildup and occurs in a scene that seems both contrived and surreal.

Despite the lack of a motive, Salinger uncovers plenty of potential suspects during his investigation. The principal one is a deranged paleontologist with some strange notions about ancient creatures still existing in the nearby caves. A wealthy developer who wants to build a visitors center on unstable land also seems suspicious. It is needless to point out, that just about everyone in Siebenhoch knows everyone else and a lot of dirt is dished out to the outsider during all of those clandestine conversations. Even the men who attempted to rescue the three victims during a hellacious storm are fair game. Two have died (one a suicide and the other an alcoholic), another is the local forest ranger, and the forth is Werner, Salinger’s doting father-in-law. D’Andrea also amps up the terror by suggesting that an actual monster may indeed exist in the caves and could have been responsible for the brutal mutilation murders.

The novel’s strength is its setting and the dark mood that evokes. D’Andrea gives the reader a good sense of an unfamiliar region that is quite beautiful and interesting but isolated. He sets the action in the small Italian village of Siebenhoch in the Alto Adige region of the Dolomites. The inhabitants would like to see more tourism but seem to really want to keep their secrets. The nearby Bletterbach gorge actually exists and is known to attract tourists interested in geological history and fossils. Foul weather, dark canyons, and mysterious caves abound in the novel. D’Andrea exploits all of this with skill and obvious familiarity. show less

BENEATH THE MOUNTAIN by Luca D'Andrea is a magnificent piece of suspense writing. Set in the Dolomites, that portion of the Alps that stretch through northern Italy, not only does this book offer an exotic location that I can't remember reading about before, but a high quality thriller wrapped around a mystery.
Jeremiah Salinger is the writer half of the hottest documentary film team currently in the public's eye. With their show about the life of rock band roadies, he and his partner Mike show more have made enough money to allow Salinger to leave New York and settle in the small town in the Dolomites where his wife, Annelise, is from. There, along with their daughter, the precocious 5 year old Clara, he hopes to have a quiet life. But when Mike calls telling Salinger their contract calls for more documentaries, he has an idea. Why not profile the Mountain Rescue Team his father in law, Werner, started thirty years before. Great idea they agree, but due to complications, Salinger has to fill in for Mike who normally is behind the camera. During the filming a horrible accident occurs, destroying the rescue team, leaving Salinger the only survivor.
And we haven't even gotten to the mystery yet.
There was a triple murder on the mountain years before, a killing that has haunted the four members of the rescue team that found the mutilated bodies. It is an event that shades everything that has happened in the region since. And it is something that Salinger feels compelled to solve because finding the truth may help him destroy the mountain demons that plague his sleep and haunts his days.
This is a rich psychological novel, deep in the horrors that linger from failed rescue attempts, but written in such a manner that the darkness slowly envelopes you, forcing you onward in the convoluted rationals and the ultimate truth. Fast paced and alluring from the first page, you may be stunned to find the first hints of the real story hidden almost a third of the way into the book. Up to then you will learn about the history and nature of a seldom viewed corner of the world that is both beautiful and deadly all by itself.
This is a powerhouse first novel and I hope it id just the start of a long series of thrillers from this gifted writer. show less