A Few Drops of Blood

Weiss’s terrific second mystery featuring Capt. Natalia Monte of the Naples Carabinieri (after 2011’s These Dark Things) opens with a bizarre double murder—the bodies of senior museum curator Vincente Lattaruzzo and gossip columnist Carlo Bagnatti are found naked in a homoerotic pose in the garden of Countess Antonella Cavazza. As Natalia digs into the associations of the victims, she uncovers a welter of relationships that illustrate the ties between the Camorra and the populace and bring into question her friendships with people like Suzanna Ruttollo, who was once married to a violent Camorra boss. The attempt to discover the truth behind the killings may compromise Natalia’s integrity and force her to accept an offer from the Camorra. Memorable characters boost this atmospheric mystery redolent of the city’s art, architecture, and the détente that permits the Carabinieri and the Camorra to both operate in a state of tense and fragile peace. Agent: Yishai Seidman, Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Literary Agency. (Apr.)