My Mother-in-Law Drinks (The Vincenzo Malinconico Novels Book 2)

Vincenzo Malinconico is an underemployed Neapolitan lawyer whose wife has left him, whose teenage children cause him constant worry, and whose profession is largely fictional. He is both a kind of halfwit and a genius, flippant and profound, chaotic yet possessed of a Zen-like calm. His conversation is labyrinthine but capable of moments of blinding lucidity. Though easily distracted, he tends to pursue every thought until he has it by the throat. You can't help but love him. In this sequel to I Hadn't Understood, a Neapolitan mafia boss has been kidnapped by a mild-mannered computer engineer who holds the camorrista responsible for the accidental death of his son. The engineer plans to conduct an impromptu trial on live television, listing the accused's crimes and executing him before a captivated national audience. The standoff between law enforcement and the kidnapper becomes a tragi-comic reality show. Vincenzo Malinconico, a poster-child for mid-life crisis and inveterate flâneur, is called upon to play a decisive role in resolving this drama—hopefully with no loss of life, his own included. He hardly has a reputation for decisiveness.