Kill The Father

When a woman is beheaded outside a Rome park and her six-year-old son goes missing, the police arrest the woman’s husband and wait for him to confess in what appears an open and shut case.

The city’s Chief of Major Crimes has his doubts over the alleged perpetrator held in custody. He unofficially puts two unorthodox investigators onto the case: Deputy Captain Colomba Casselli [still officially on sick leave recovering from her last traumatic case], and Dante Torre [a man who was kidnapped as a child and kept in a concrete silo for eleven years by a man calling himself The Father].

When it becomes evident that The Father is behind the kidnapping of the child, these two psychologically damaged individuals have to work together to discover the true identity of The Father and rescue the latest victim.

Translated from Italian, this is a very tense novel with two protagonists who each have a great deal of issues. It’s a complex plot, and Colomba and Dante are disadvantaged in more than just their own psychological baggage. At the time Dante managed to escape his captor and go for help, the police discovered the owner of the farm on which he had been held captive for so many years had committed suicide; and it was assumed that he was The Father. Dante has never been convinced it was the same man, but no one believed him, and when he is given the opportunity to track down The Father he pursues the case with a dogged determination. Colomba is suffering from the physical and psychological effects of a bomber, who she was pursuing. Apart from physical injuries, Colomba blames herself for her failure to protect the other people caught up in the blast; but in spite of this, she is a strong and determined character, focused on getting to the bottom of this case even though she is told in no uncertain terms no one can know she’s involved [because she is still officially on sick leave].

Dante and Colomba are both characters I couldn’t help but admire, and because they are both working unofficially to capture The Father before he damages any more children; they use unorthodox methods in pursuit of their prey; methods that the official police investigation would undoubtedly disapprove of.

Kill The Father is disturbing in parts, so perhaps not for everyone; but fans of psychological thrillers, serial killer novels and strong female protagonists will find much to admire in this thrilling and suspenseful novel.

Translated into English by Professor Antony Shugaar