Due to a passing in the family a few years ago and my subsequent health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for years after the bereavement. Thank you for the opportunity.

Brilliant to see Costa and the team back together at last. I've loved all the previous books was so glad to be able to get hold of this..

After a break away from these novels by David Hewson, the re-imagining of these old favourites, doing the same thing in a completely different was a great way of re-invigorating a series I didn't think I'd see any more of. Looking forward to more of the same.

I had been enjoying the series and worried that we'd heard the last of Costa and his colleagues, so I was thrilled to hear that another book was coming.

The team that you would be familiar with if you've read the earlier books are in Calabria, in the south of Italy and far away from their comfort zone. They are there to try to arrange the extraction of the elusive head of the ’Ndrangheta, the Calabrian version of the Mafia, who is also offering up the overlord of the Costa Nostra - the most wanted man in Italy. The assignment is cloaked in secrecy, including the reason behind the man's approach to the police and his intention to turn state's witness. The high-stakes and sparse information don't make this a comfortable assignment.

Costa is required to go undercover with the man's family and must prove himself in a number of ways before he will be accepted by those in the ’Ndrangheta. This offers a few thrills and is a test of Costa's metal. Once he has been accepted the story twists and turns as the opportunity comes for the authorities to make their move.

While Costa has the main part of the story there is an interesting aside for Peroni, who strikes up a friendship with a young widow running a small waterfront cafe. It seems that organised crime affects every one in the community and true to character Peroni risks the group's cover to step in.

Background to the history of the location and the ’Ndrangheta is provided by extracts from the fictional 'Calabrian Tales' which weaves its own set of myths and legends alongside the rise of the Bergamotti family, their traditions and their values.

I've always enjoyed reading this series of books and Costa has been an interesting character to follow as he has developed. He takes his role-play a little too seriously and there are some thought-provoking incidents while he is undercover and towards the end of the story.

I really enjoyed the mix of thriller/mystery, the unusual location and the historical aspects to the story, and I thought these worked well using the extracts of text rather than having a character 'telling' lots of information. The place and people offer a glimpse of a way of life that's long gone for most people and the vivid writing easily conjures up this new location. There are even a few meals thrown in for good measure (not quite to the level of Camilleri, but mouth-watering nevertheless).  And it's always good when a book you've been looking forward to delivers.

Thanktou to aNetGalley, Severn House and the author, David Hewson, for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of The Savage Shore in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.
I enjoyed reading this book. The storyline was well thought out and written with characters that were engaging. 3.5 stars.
Worth a read

My thanks to Severn House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of David Hewson’s ‘The Savage Shore’.

I have been an avid fan of David Hewson for some time; enjoying not only the Nic Costa series from its inception but also his adaptations of ‘The Killing’ and various stand-alone titles. As the last Nic Costa book was published in 2011, I had wondered if the series had been retired, so this was indeed a welcome return.

The plot finds Nic on a dangerous undercover assignment in a remote area of southern Italy while members of his team remain nearby monitoring events. Things naturally become complicated for all concerned.

A few times the phrase ‘Christ stopped at Eboli’, an expression made famous by the 1945 memoir by Carlo Levi, is referenced indicating that history (and to a degree Christianity) has passed by the people of this region. This is also reflected in a series of extracts from a fictional guidebook, ‘The Calabrian Tales’, that head each chapter giving details on myths and legends of the local area.

I only have praise for David Hewson’s writing. The rich descriptions of the landscape, its inhabitants and even cuisine were vivid and made me feel very connected to the setting throughout. The story itself had its twists and turns and was very satisfying. I also appreciated the history and culture woven into the narrative as well as the workings and traditions of the Italian crime organisations featured.

I feel this novel will certainly please his existing readers and also serve as an introduction for those new to his works.

On a very minor note, loved that the Montalbano television series was given a passing mention.

Nic Costa, together with Teresa Lupo, Leo Falcone and Gianni Peroni, returns for the first time in seven years in David Hewson’s tenth book in the series. This time the Roman team are well out of their comfort zone having been dispatched to Calabria, in Italy’s toe, in preparation for the defection of a mafia crime boss. While the team pose as holidaymakers in a coastal town, Costa has gone undercover in the ‘Ndrangheta.
It has been quite a while since I first discovered David Hewson’s Italian-set crime series with ‘The Seventh Sacrament’ and I am so glad I got past that novel’s title and cover which, to my mind, were positioned to take advantage of the success of Dan Brown and the like - in truth the series could not be further from that type of thriller. Hewson writes very literate, thought-provoking mysteries with well-drawn, sympathetic characters, and ‘The Savage Shore’ is no exception.
The story is told at a slow, perhaps old-fashioned, pace but that is not a criticism. The prose is beautiful, poetic, and the setting, in one of Italy’s least well-known regions, is brought vividly to life.

“Hands running through dust on the ancient balustrade, they descended and walked out into the empty piazza by the church. The last of the summer sun dappled the snaking, shimmering channel that stood between Calabria and Sicily, a distant necklace of street lights defining the shore. Across the strait stood the mound of Etna, the only clouds around clinging to its side like needy children, the red haze of its volatile summit a dim rim of fire against the darkening sky.”

The book is a mixture of the romanticism and reality of life in an area seemingly forgotten by Italian, and European, politics - on one side, the myths and legends with which each chapter begins and which tell how the Calabrian people came to inhabit this rugged landscape; on the other, the petty crime, the forced servitude of African immigrant sellers of fake luxury items. Despite clear evidence of these realities, Nic Costa is subtly enticed by the ‘idea’ of the ’Ndrangheta, described in the fictional guide as “Criminals ‘full of a strong goodness’”, and it is clear that David Hewson fell for Calabria when researching the novel, but that is forgivable perhaps, given how much I want to see the region after reading about his version of it. I really enjoyed ‘The Savage Shore’ and hope it won’t be another seven years before we revisit the characters.

Roman police detective Nic Costa has been sent undercover to Italy’s beautiful, remote Calabrian coast to bring in the head of the feared mob, the ‘Ndrangheta, who has offered to turn state witness for reasons of his own.
Hoping to reel in the biggest prize the state police have seen in years, the infamous Butcher of Palermo, Costa and his team are aware the stakes are high. But the constant deception is taking its toll. Out of their depth in a lawless part of Italy where they are the outcasts, not the men in the hills, with their shotguns and rough justice, the detectives find themselves pitched as much against one another as the mob.
I’ve read & really enjoyed all of the previous Costa books & started to think there wouldn’t be any more so was thrilled to receive this the tenth in the series from NetGalley. A different setting but still a very enjoyable read. The descriptions are always detailed & make the settings come alive. This book could be read on its own but some of the relationships are better understood if you’ve read previous books. There are twists & turns & just when I thought I’d worked things out another twist is added. I hope there’s more to come in the series & the wait for the next one isn’t so long!
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Nic Costa and his team from Rome are fish out of water when they go to Calabria with plans to bring in Lo Sprettro, an infamous criminal and a leader of Ndrangheta. Calabria is a stew of corruption, murder, and anger, even more than they anticipated. This is notable for the depth of understanding that Hewson brings to the region and the criminal enterprise, as well, I think for Nic's character. I'd not read any of the earlier books in this series so I might not have appreciated some of this, especially the personal interactions, as much as I should. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read in an interesting setting.

Fraught

This is a thriller set largely in Calabria. The writing is overly dramatic and the story is too complicated and quite unbelievable. I didn't like it at all because of the style and could not bring myself to finish.

Sicily may be the strange island to some people!

The police detective from Rome, Nic Costa, was sent to Sicily for an undercover operation to tackle the mafia, whose don offered to become the witness in his own crimes.

The Butcher of Palermo was Costa’s biggest target who evaded the police for many years. He sent his men to collect the insurance from the Nigerian man Emmanuel, at his shebeen for the Italian mobsters. They threatened to kill him if he did not pay the mafia on time. These mobsters had murdered people both inside and outside of Italy.

Costa might be deceived by his own team risking his cover being blown in Calabria where the lawless part of Italy was. Even though many people were outcasts like the criminals.

I enjoy reading this novel as if Costa was like Hercules approaching the monster’s lair!

Columbpoirot

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review

David Hewson brings back Nic Costa in his latest book. Leaving Rome behind, Nic and his team are in Calabria to make contact with the head of the ‘Ndrangheta, the local mafia. Lo Spettro has spent a lifetime in the organization and wouLd like to retire but he is in a position where retirement is not an option. In exchange for assistance in safely hiding his family, he is willing to set up the heads of other mafia families for arrest.

While the remainder of the team pose as a business group celebrating a successful business deal in Cariddi, Nic gos undercover with the Bergamotti family as Masa Leoni, a relative rom Canada. As he waits for the trap to be set, he works with Lo Spettro’s daughter Lucía to familiarize himself with the area and his son Rocco to prove that he is worthy of joining the family. As the time passes he becomes closer to Lucía, but back in Cariddi the waiting takes its’ toll on the team.

Hewson mixes his story with the history of the area and the rise of the mafia. Superstition and tradition are a part of the society and the ‘Ndrangheta plays a large part in everyone’s lives, providing their own version of law and order. The Savage Shore moves at a steady pace leading to the trap, but as it is set in motion deceptions are revealed and the action takes off. It is not only Nic who is living with a false identity. When the trap goes wrong, Nic is determined to find the truth.

It has been several years since the last Nic Costa book and this is a welcome return. He is supported by members of his team who are familiar to Hewson!s fans, but those who are new to the series will quickly become involves with the team members and their relationships.. I would recommend this book not only for the engaging story, but also for the vivid picture that Hewson paints of the coast of Italy. I would like to thank NetGalley and Severn House Publishers for allowing me to provide my honest review of this book.

I like the way David Hewson thinks bringing three brothers from Spain to Italy in the formation of the Cosa Nostra or Mafia or Ndrangheta. Of course we start years after they were started when one of the old men wanted out. What he offered to a team of Rome policemen was one of Sicily's head of the Mofia. The story revolves around this theme of getting this head of the Mofia after years of trying. It goes from slaves of the Ndrangheta to the widow of a Ndrangheta member. To captive policemen involved with the Ndrangheta to following orders to the tee to make them a member I won't give away but just say it ends very noir. David tells small tales thoughtout the story which gives it a quality of actually happening during this episode. I like this history lesson within the story, such as hunting sailfish with spears. It fits right in. I gave it 4 stars out of 5.

I've been wishing and hoping for a new title in the Nic Costa series for quite some time, and was excited to see this listed in NetGalley. This time, Nic and his team are in Calabria, in the poorer, rural south of Italy, attempting to meet with a 'Ndrangheta capo who is willing to help them capture a high ranking member of the Sicilian Mafia. Much of the story involves the waiting, by Nic in the household of the prospective turncoat, and his team in a nearby town, waiting to hear from him. Although I found the story interesting, I was not as engaged as in previous titles, and I had determined before the end that all was not as Nic was being led to believe. Nonetheless, I do recommend The Savage Shore, with the caveat that it will be more meaningful to those who have read the rest of the series and so understand the relationships between the characters.

Many thanks to Creme de la Crime/Severn House and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the advance copy.

Finally, after waiting so long, another episode in the Nic Costa series.
This episode however is not set in Rome but in Calabria in the south of Italy.

Nic goes undercover when the illusive capo of the 'Ndranghetta "Lo Spettro" wants to turn pentito and promises to deliver the notorious capo of the Maffia, il Macelaio (the Butcher) as well.
In the mean time Nic's colleagues and chief are forced to sit on their hands and have a kind of enforced holiday on the Calabrian coast.

The pace in this book is entirely set by the Calabrian family of "Lo Spettro" which has it's effect on the relations between the team members. It also makes the role of Nic Costa in the book bigger compared to the others and earlier books.
At the start of the book I found that it took off rather slow but about one quarter into the story it set of like a rocket.

One thing I didn't understand and found a bit lacking in the book is the way Rosa Prabakaran, Nic's partner, is send home quite suddenly at the beginning of the story, never to be heard of in the whole book, which a found a bit of a loose end.

I loved the descriptions of Calabria and the background about the 'Ndranghetta, which always made me see the region in my mind even though I have never been there.

Hope we don't have to wait another couple of years for the next Nic Costa book.

Many thanks to Netgalley for making available an advance copy for this review.

Nic Costa is one of my favorite detectives. Now he has been sent undercover to the Calabrian coast to pose as a long-lost family member of the 'Ndrangheta, or the Mob. One of the biggest leaders wants to retire. He wants to flip and give them an even bigger fish, The Butcher of Palermo.

While his team impatiently waits Nic jumps in and becomes a mobster. The team is suspicious of the entire operation and each other. Some things just aren't adding up and when the time comes to carry out their plan will they be walking into an ambush?

The descriptions of the country are so detailed and beautiful I wanted to go there myself. And even though you think you know what's going on, in the end you don't.

I can't wait for the next Nic Costa book. So happy to have read this one that kept me captivated. It was like the Mafia meets the Illuminati!

Well Done!

Netgalley/ November 01, 2018 Severn House/Creme de la Creme

Thank you NetGalley and Severn House for the eARC.
The 10th in the Nic Costa series sees Nic, the Roman Police Detective, sent undercover to the Calabrian coast to take in the Butcher of Palermo (the boss of the 'Ndangretha, a fearsome crime syndicate), who supposedly wants turn state's evidence. For Costa and his team this is one of the most important cases of their careers, a real feather in their cap.
This case is so sensitive and important and the area where they're operating so dangerous, the men are under extreme stress and there's dissension in the ranks. The armed men in the hills prove an extreme danger to Costa and his men as well, adding to the feel of being in the lawless Wild West of Italy.
This was my 1st in the series and I could probably have benefited from reading at least some of the previous books, so I would be familiar with the cast of characters. Nonetheless I found this quite a good read and will at some point pick up others, especially as I liked the Italian setting and Costa and would enjoy more of his backstory and older cases.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Severn House Publishers Ltd for an advance copy of The Savage Shore, the tenth novel to feature detective Nic Costa of the Rome police.

Nic and the team are in Calabria to bring in an Ndrangheta leader, Lo Spettro, who wants to turn informer in return for guarantees of protection for him and his family. Nic agrees to go undercover to assist the effort while the others cool their heels waiting for instructions from Lo Spettro.

Wow, it's been a long wait for this latest instalment of the series, one of my all time favourites, but well worth it as I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is a meticulously planned novel, mixing inaction, action, tension and believable reactions with relevant local myth and legend. It had me hooked from start to finish, even during the very tense moments when I could hardly bear to turn the pages, such was my dread of what was coming next. I'm in awe of Mr Hewson's skill as nothing is as it seems, except perhaps, Italian bureaucracy and the civil servants, and even then, the randomness of chance and human nature are added to the mix to produce a gripping, believable read. I like that the police team are dancing to someone else's tune for once so the reader sees a different side to their dynamic, out of their comfort zone and uncertain.

The novel is told in the third person, mostly in a linear time line but with one recap back to where it started, and from various points of view, mostly Nic and his best friend and work partner Gianni Peroni. This works extremely well and I didn't find it distracting in the slightest, as I often do, because it shows two halves of the whole, the danger Nic is facing and the frustration of inactivity for the rest of the team. I also liked the fact that the novel opens with this situation and only later gives the explanation of how it comes about. It underlines the uncertainty of the situation, ratchets up the tension and makes it clear that the police are no more than puppets in someone else's drama. It's addictive from start to finish.

The characterisation is unusual in this novel with only Nic Costa having a full role as the others are relegated to the role of waiting bystanders. Their personalities are still apparent and vital in vignettes throughout the novel but it's strange to see them so inactive. Even Nic Costa who is the only active member of the team is not autonomous and has to do as he's told. It's interesting reading and a fresh take on well established characters.

The Savage Shore is a great read, one of the best so far this year for me, so I have no hesitation in recommending it.