This narrative embodies the essence of true crime at its zenith—a haunting and meticulously detailed chronicle of an exceptionally violent and unfathomable murder set against the backdrop of a deteriorating Rome. In 2016, within the confines of their own apartment and seemingly devoid of any discernible motive, two young men hailing from middle-class families, Manuel Foffo and Marco Prato, perpetrated the gruesome killing of 23-year-old Luca Varani.

The acclaimed journalist and adept novelist, Nicola Lagioia, becomes consumed by the case, driven not only by professional curiosity but also by personal motivations. He delves into the intricacies of the crime, striving to comprehend the motives and circumstances that culminated in such a savage act.

This is true crime at its best: a chilling and detailed account of an extremely violent and incomprehensible murder against the background of a decaying Rome. In 2016, two young men from middle class families, Manuel Foffo and Marco Prato, killed a third man, 23-year-old Luca Varani – in their own apartment and apparently without motive.

Journalist and fine novelist Nicola Lagioia becomes obsessed with the case, also for personal reasons, and tries to understand the reasons and the circumstances that led to the brutal crime. Because of personal correspondence with the suspects, the book is often dubbed an Italian ´In Cold Blood´, but with his active role in the narrative perhaps Emmanuel Carrere´s outstanding ´The Adversary´ is an even better comparison.

One minor point of criticism is that I would have liked more assessment of the role of drugs, alcohol and sleep deprivation as contributing to the crime.

4,5 (rounding it up for personal reasons having done my studies in Rome it was something of a trip down memory lane)

On 4 March 2016 23-year-old Luca Varani was brutally murdered in an apartment on the outskirts of Rome by Marco Prato and Manuel Foffo. One of Italy's most renowned novelists, Nicola Lagioia, explores the factors that led to the murder that shocked Rome and the rest of Italy. What motivated two young men, apparently from good families, to violently torture and kill another young man?

The City of the Living is the result of an in-depth study of the circumstances surrounding the murder and the profiles and, backgrounds of the two perpetrators and the victim. As Lagioia pieces together the specifics of this real-life crime, an unsettling picture of Rome's current socioeconomic situation also emerges.

Full review: https://westwordsreviews.wordpress.com/2023/08/16/the-city-of-the-living-nicola-lagioia/

The City of the Living is true crime at its finest : gritty, honest and pulling no punches. Though at times I felt it was a little repetitive and sometimes hard to follow as it does switch between various different witness acocunts, on the whole it works really well. Lagioia has left no stone unturned and the result it a fascinating look at the accumulation of circumstances and traumas that can lead a seemingly normal person to committing acts of horrifying violence.

I'm extremely glad I read this, and will be recommending to true crime lovers as well as anyone interested in the psychology of criminals. This was a real page turner, thank you for the opportunity to read and review!

This true crime book is probably destined to become a classic of the genre, as it has already been compared to ‘In Cold Blood,’ and has a similar sense of place and involves the personal reactions of the author. It involves a crime which took place in March 2016, when two men, Manuel Foffo and Marco Prato, lured 23-year-old Luca Varani to Manuel’s apartment, where they drugged, tortured and killed him.

The way the book opens is extremely chilling, as lawyers around the city of Rome begin to get calls from the family members of those involved and the story begins to break. Lagioia then goes back and unfolds how the crime was discovered, before turning to how – and why – it occurred. This is a dark and often upsetting read, but Lagioia is always honest, and he turns the questions of many true crime books around. He states that people always, naturally, worry they will be victims of a crime, when often it is likely that they could commit a crime or have narrowly avoided doing so. Indeed, he is open about some of his youthful mistakes, where people around him just missed being injured, or worse. Obviously, what happened in this book was terrible and tragic, but absolutely avoidable and I think that is often the point the author makes, as he becomes obsessed with what happened.

Would this terrible event had happened if Manuel Foffo and Marco Prato had not met? Did many other young men avoid the fate which Luca Varani unfortunately walked into, through chance or luck or by being more risk averse and aware of the danger that awaited them? Also, this book makes Rome, that most beautiful city, into a character. I love Rome, but it does, indeed have a sense of danger. Everyone drives too fast, road rage abounds, it is beautiful but – even as a Londoner, surrounded by history – it is not only old, but ancient. Lagioia writes of rats and seagulls ready to feast on the rubbish, of tourists, some of whom want to see the Coliseum, but others whose interests are more undercover, of dark and dangerous streets that pull those who leave back to its decaying and tragic splendour.

I cannot say I loved every word – it is too sad for that. Luca left behind those who grieved for him, but the author tells the story of his short life with respect and without judgement. However, it is certainly a book I am glad I read, and it was both immersive and sensitively told. I received a copy of this book from the publishers, via NetGalley, for review.

A modern 'In Cold Blood' for our times, this is the chilling and exhaustive account of a brutal murder that took place in Rome in 2016.

Lagioia writes with a kind of dark beauty of horrific things set against the background of a Rome riven with corruption and with the rats taking over the city. This doesn't make excuses, doesn't write off the participants as 'monsters', making them all too frighteningly complicated and human.