Children of the Savage City - by Elizabeth Heider Paperback

About the Book

"Criminal networks rule Naples, but detective Nikki Serafino is doing everything she can to set things right. But can her work ever extinguish the long shadow of her family's past? Nikki Serafino leads a disciplined life: She works as a liaison between Italian police and the U.S. military, she takes care of her aging family, and she runs a women's self-defense clinic. The moments when Nikki has allowed her life to deviate from this structure-usually for love-have always led to chaos. So she's determined to keep her head in the game. But when she is thrust into the investigation of a murdered au pair, her family's ties to organized crime in Naples threaten to upend the high ground Nikki has clawed her way to. Along with her partner Valerio, Nikki sets out to solve the case. But can she and Valerio stay clean in a world the seems to always leave soot on your hands?"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

Some cities feed on secrets. Naples is ravenous.

A peaceful evening mass at the historic Chiesa del Gesù Nuovo is shattered when a young au pair is killed in one of the cathedral's quiet chapels. The daughter of the US Ambassador sees it happen--but she'll speak only to one person: Nikki Serafino.

Shaken by betrayal in her last high-profile case, Nikki has retreated from the relentless vigilance that once defined her work as liaison between Italian police and the US military. Withdrawn and mistrustful, she works her shifts, cares for her aging family, teaches self-defense classes, and avoids entanglement. But this case threatens her self-imposed invisibility--drawing her into a web of lies and resurfacing old wounds and buried loyalties. The murder investigation leads Nikki and her friend, Naples officer Valerio Alfieri, into a shadow architecture of power: built to protect the guilty and hide their secrets at any cost.

Can she and Valerio--each carrying dangerous debts--resist the undertow of corruption that swallows truth whole?

Set against the chaos of modern Naples--the city of Roberto Saviano's Gomorrah and Elena Ferrante's My Brilliant Friend--where grace and corruption share the same narrow streets, Nikki and Valerio navigate a landscape where even the most principled must confront the cost of survival.

Review Quotes

"This story is dark, smart, and emotionally honest. It asks what power does to people and what people will do to protect whatever is left when power strips everything else away. It is atmospheric. It is character-driven. It is crime fiction at its finest."
--Teresa Brock, Best Books Thriller Books (*five-star review*)

"Children of the Savage City is the best kind of mystery: a classic whodunit that's modern, alive, and kicking. With precision and effortless prose, Heider brings to life a devastating crime, memorable characters, and the beautifully sinister city of Naples. You can feel the city's grit, smell the motorbike exhaust, taste the cornettos. I plunged into this book and didn't want to surface."
--I. S. Berry, author of The Peacock and the Sparrow

"Intricate plotting and a sprawling cast make for a slow burn at first, but the book's back half is a high-stakes, blood-soaked sprint that demands a sequel. Fans of gritty procedurals and international thrillers alike will be gratified."
--Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Elizabeth Heider is the author of May the Wolf Die, named a New York Times Best Crime Novel, a Washington Post Best Mystery, and one of Publishers Weekly's best books of the year. Her short fiction has been recognized by the Santa Fe Writers Project and New Century Writer Awards.

She holds a PhD in physics and most recently worked as a program manager for Microsoft's AI4Science and as a scientist in the European Space Agency's human spaceflight program. She's authored original scientific research, a patent, analytical reports for the US government and military, and coauthored a journal article with astronaut Thomas Pesquet. She lived and worked in Naples, Italy, as a civilian analyst embedded with the US Navy's mission in Africa, where she deployed aboard US and European naval ships. Originally from Utah, she now lives in The Hague, where she's working on the next Nikki Serafino novel.