I Kill

Personal tragedies affect almost everyone involved in Faletti's well-constructed serial killer novel set in glitzy Monte Carlo. FBI agent Frank Ottobre is recovering in Monaco from his wife's death by visiting his friend police commissioner Nicolas Hulot when the first deaths occur, of an American race car driver and the celebrated driver's chess champion girlfriend. Ottobre is soon drawn into a baffling case where the killer goads police with untraceable phone calls to Jean-Loup Verdier, the principality's most popular radio host, before each murder. As the victim count mounts, so does the suspense in this fine cat-and-mouse game of skill and subtlety. A smooth translation and several intriguing subplots, one of which features a powerful American general intent on vigilante justice, keep the pace moving briskly, despite the unusual length. First published in Italy in 2002, this winning novel marks Milan-based publisher Baldini Castoldi Dalai's entry into the U.S. market. (June)