The Dogs of Rome by Conor Fitzgerald
The Dogs of Rome is the first in the Commissario Alec Blume series by Conor Fitzgerald, and if you’re looking for a new detective series set in Italy, you’re in the right place. Dogs introduces Commissario Blume, an American-born police commissioner in Rome, who is faced with solving the murder of an animal rights activist who also happens to be the husband of a politician.
Although Blume quickly has a suspect in his sights, his efforts to conclude the investigation are thwarted at every turn by several individuals who have various, intertwined interests in the case. Throw in a bit of organized crime, illegal dog fighting, extramarital affairs, and a potential new love interest for Blume, and Fitzgerald has created a rich and complex but eminently readable police procedural.
The only thing that took some time for me to get past was the main character’s dislike of dogs — I applied some serious suspension of disbelief there, as who on Earth could dislike dogs?!
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book from the story itself to Fitzgerald’s clever turns of phrase to his main character’s impressions of Rome, Italy, and Italians. Rome and Roman landmarks don’t play as huge of a role in the book as some Italophiles might like, but there are plenty underlying details that place this tale firmly in the Eternal City. 
I recommend The Dogs of Rome to anyone who enjoys mysteries, police/detective stories, or whodunits in general, and I look forward to reading the next installments in the series.
** NOTE: The link in the post above is an affiliate link, which means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission.
Recipes
