Il giallo in colonia: Italian post-imperial crime novels

Abstract

This article analyzes several crime stories set during Italian imperial history, in particular Andrea Camilleri's La presa di Macallè (2003) and Il nipote del Negus (2010); Carlo Lucarelli's L'ottava vibrazione (2008) and Albergo Italia (2014); and Giorgio Ballario's Morire è un attimo (2008) and Una donna di troppo (2009). It focuses on the representation of Italian and local characters, placing particular attention on the portrayal of the detective and his sidekick, as well as female characters. It also analyzes how the relationship between Italy and its colonies is generally portrayed in these crime novels. It shows how crime fiction can be an effective instrument with which to explore a ..