Novembers by Norman Cristofoli : A Review
Norman Cristofoli’s well-crafted and compelling crime thriller Novembers smoothly sucks readers into a nightmarish vision of Toronto the-no-longer-good. At the get-go, readers are gripped by the book’s opening - a five-page, disturbing visceral depiction of a horrific murder. The author shows his imaginative skills in the exacting, relentless blow-by-bloodyportrayal of the crime. He believably opens a chilling portal into the mind of a soulless killer.
Months go by, leads are checked and double-checked, yet the case stalls. Chapter by carefully constructed chapter, the dance between the psychopathic murderer and the exacting, dedicated sleuth charged with catching him plays out. It takes more than a year to solve the “November” murders – named for the month the killer scores his brutal kills.
Throughout the book’s 384 pages, readers are kept guessing as to the killer’s motives. Could such rampaging violence be a professional hit or a random act of madness? Or was the victim bludgeoned out of existence due to his shady business dealings and abusive, violent past?
Author Cristofoli unabashedly references his love of Raymond Chandler in his acknowledgements and within the book’s pages. From his protagonists’ introduction at the start of Chapter two, Detective Aristotle Boyle intrigues as a brainy member of the Metro police who quotes Greek mythology. Boyle comes across as a high brow analytical variation on Philip Marlowe who, instead of cracking wise or chasing dames, doubles down on procedural work.
The character has contradictions. He despises the police force’s politics yet tries to be a team player. In his fifties, he hopes to change years of “deplorable eating and drinking habits” - habits that evolved as coping mechanisms for the job’s violence and the stress. However, he finds change hard. When he’s tasked with solving the sadistic and methodical baseball-bat murder of real-estate agent Ivan Malinkov, scratches and cracks appear in his thin veneer of stability.
The book has many solid characters. Boyle’s boss and foil, Dylan Stanforth, presses him to wrap up the case, worrying about budget restraints and how the stalled investigation plays out in the press. Pathologist Surat Singh, an immigrant from India who brings air fresheners to crime scenes, expertly uncovers forensic clues.
Boyle’s ballsy, emotional underling and love interest Detective Gina Baldoni is refreshing if a bit stereotypical. At times the author’s methodical approach slows the plot’s pace and readers may wish that Cristofoli focused more on action and conflict and less on detail and procedure.
Even the book’s kinky BDSM sex scenes seem more matter-of-fact than titillating. But in this debut novel Cristofori – long known as a successful Canadian poet –pens imagery that paints authentic, believable realities and creates solid, authentic dialogue. His skill as a wordsmith carries the book, holding readers interest when plot points sag. Though Novembers may be a tad too cerebral for some mystery lovers, the author’s detailed research and intriguing protagonist make for a great read.
Overall, Novembers is compelling and artfully penned, despite any of its flaws.
Book Review of Novembers by Norman Cristofoli – Austin Macauley Publishers – 384 pages - $32.95