Alright, folks, gather 'round for a murder mystery tale that'll have you on the edge of your seat! Detective Inspectors Michael Rossi and Luigi Carrera are on the case of a lifetime as they hunt down a twisted serial killer terrorizing the streets of Rome. This guy's got a thing for brutal murders and creepy notes - talk about a DIY enthusiast!

They call him The Carpenter, and let me tell you, this killer knows how to leave the entire city trembling in fear. The stakes are high, and the pressure is on as Rossi and Carrera race against the clock to catch this psycho before he strikes again. But here's the twist - the killer becomes fixated on Detective Rossi himself. Talk about a fanboy gone wrong!

Now, let me tell you, I'm all about discovering a new series and a fresh author. "A Known Evil" is the first book in the Detective Michael Rossi series, and it's Aidan Conway's debut novel - quite the entrance, I must say!

Rome makes for a fantastic setting, and trust me, I've never read a murder suspense/thriller story in the heart of the Eternal City before - totally loved it!

The dynamic duo of Rossi and Carrera are a blast to follow. They're ready to bend some rules to crack the case, and you can't help but root for their quirky camaraderie. The killer is wickedly cunning and keeps you guessing till the end. The suspense builds at just the right pace, and the plot had me hooked from start to finish.

So, while this was a solid read with intriguing characters and a killer plot (literally), I felt like something was missing, you know? Maybe it's the Rome vibes that got me wanting more, but still, it's a decent three-star ride that keeps you turning those pages till the final reveal. Happy reading, my fellow crime sleuths!

Firstly, thank you to Net Galley, The publishers and the author for an ARC copy for an honest review..

Oh dear !!

The first thing I have to say is sorry !!

I understand we all like different styles of books, different writing styles, different genre of books, for me this lacked any strength in the story any smoothness of the characters.

Personally I just did not like the writing style, too heavy and slow, no strength to the characters, I felt I never got to know them.

Rome is cold with the threat of snow when a serial killer, soon nicknamed The Carpenter, starts killing women with a hammer and nailing cryptic notes to their chests. He has already killed his third victim when the novel opens. The stakes are raised when attacks Rossi's girlfriend, Yana, leaving her in a coma.

The story concentrates on how the corruption in all aspects of Italian life has facilitated the serial killer, Michael Rossi is the senior investigating officer; he is well-educated, a philosopher , he sees his police officer role as a vocation. An individual who looks at the bigger picture, which helps him to be an excellent detective. His success allows him a certain latitude with his bosses, but they still frustrate his progress.

Problems with the style of writing, too many names, too heavy in the plotting, the politics behind it all was confusing as well and I struggled at first to get into the whole election and understand who was being corrupted and where the corruption was happening, I literally lost the plot !!

My apologies but the weakest book read this year, sadly.

Only two stars from me for this debut author.

After a woman is found brutally murdered with a note hammered into her chest with a nail, Detective Inspectors Michael Rossi and Luigi Carrera are noticing a pattern in recent deaths. There is a serial killer stalking the streets of Rome. Soon the killer is nicknamed The Carpenter, and the entire city is afraid. Rossi and Carrera race to find clues to discover the identity of the killer before more deaths and greater panic envelops the public. Soon the case will touch much closer to home for Detective Rossi as the killer becomes obsessed with the man hunting him. As the bodies pile up, the case becomes more and more dangerous until the detectives are willing to risk all to catch The Carpenter.

I love it when I discover a series -- and a new author -- at the very beginning. A Known Evil is the first book in the Detective Michael Rossi series....and also the debut novel for Aidan Conway. I liked the setting too. I don't think I've ever read a murder suspense/thriller story set in Rome before -- loved it!

I like the two detectives...they work well together and are willing to bend the rules to solve the case. The killer is diabolical and quite crafty. The pace of the story builds the suspense to the final reveal. The plot definitely kept my attention from beginning to end. A promising start to a new series! Book two, A Cold Flame, is coming out in July!

**I voluntarily read an advance readers copy of this book from HarperImpulse via NetGalley. All opinions are entirely my own.**

Many thanks go to Harper Collins, Aidan Conway, and Netgalley for the free copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review. So going back to review my notes to write my review I realized I didn't take many. I started, but then I just gave up. I felt like Conway started writing one book and finished having written another. Like he was having brainstorms and twisted the plot to keep adding them in. It was a good book; it just wasn't my favorite. I just didn't feel like Conway was ever really certain who he wanted to be the murderer.

I read the synopsis for ‘A Known Evil’ and I was immediately intrigued. For starters the book seemed to be just my sort of read and for seconds I like ‘visiting’ new countries via the books I read. I have never read any books set in Italy before but I certainly have now. It was certainly an interesting and addictive read. I really enjoyed it but more about that in a bit.
I must admit to liking both Detective Inspectors Rossi and Carrara. I think that it’s probably because they are maverick detectives and I like a bit of a rebel. Rossi is certainly rather rare in the police world in that prior to joining the force, he studied to join the priesthood. Rossi is a quiet man, who is interested in the world of philosophy and poetry and uses them as a coping mechanism to help him deal with the horrors that he has to face on a daily basis. When Rossi is assigned to a case, he investigates to the best of his ability. Rossi is also very intelligent and makes connections that other people might have missed. I would love to have his sort of mind. Rossi is moved from investigating ‘The Carpenter’ case but because he is so determined to get to the absolute heart of what is happening and why, him and Carrera investigate the matter secretly. The case becomes personal for Rossi when his girlfriend is attacked and left in a coma. This strengthens Rossi’s determination to solve the case, even though numerous obstacles are put in his way. Will Rossi solve the case? Will the murderer be apprehended before he or she claims any further victims? Will Rossi’s girlfriend survive? Well for the answers to that and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
‘A Known Evil’ is really well researched and written. The attention to detail is first rate. I didn’t realise the intricacies of the Italian legal system or the way things work over in Italy but after reading this book, I now have a fair idea. I loved the fact that some of the Italian language made an appearance in the book. Although I have never studied Italian (this book geek studied French & Spanish), even I was able to get the gist of it. The descriptions of Italy were so vivid that if I closed my eyes, I really could imagine that I was in Italy with all the relevant sights, sounds and smells. Rome was so well described that I feel as though I could find my way round even though I have never been before. The author’s writing style is such that I was gripped by the book by the time I had reached the bottom of the page and I was interested to see where the story went next. As I was so eager to find out who was the murderer, I just had to keep reading on and on and on. There were occasions where I smugly, and as it turned out wrongly, thought that I had fathomed out who was doing what and why, only to be proved wrong and sent down another path entirely. There were definitely several twists, turns and the odd moment where you just want to shut your eyes as you fear what is going to happen next.
In short, I really did enjoy reading ‘A Known Evil’ and I would certainly recommend it to other readers. I can’t wait to read what comes next from Aidan Conway and I know that there isn’t too much longer to wait because the second book in the series ‘A Cold Flame’ is due for release on 20th July 2018. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a well deserved 4* out of 5*.

A Known Evil by Aidan Conway is the first book in his Detective Michael Rossi series of books. Having never heard of Aidan Conway before and being intrigued by the line at the top of the novel "A seriel killer stalks the streets of Rome..." this was something I had to give a read.



This novel is about Detective Michael Rossi who after being put onto the case of a seriel killer who is killing their victims by using a hammer, however when the case gets too close to home he gets taken off of the case however this doesn't stop hi from working on it and coming closer to understanding the killer.



The first part of this book is when you find out about Michael Rossi as well as that the killer is killing woman who have children! This making the story interesting right away as this seems to be the only thing that the victims of the "Carpenter" have in common. Also as the case gets closer to home with his girlfriend being a victim of the "Carpenter" Rossi gets taken off of the case, but this does not stop him from actively working on the case.



The second part of A Known Evil Rossi finds out that his ex-girlfriend had recently died and goes to investigate and make sure that although he ended it that she had a good life away from him after over a decade of time passing. While doing this Rossi finds some more clues about the "Carpenter" however nothing he thinks could be of any relevance to the cases taking place in Rome. Also a reporter who is one of the minor characters goes to Sicily to investigate what is happening down there especially in terms of the mafia and the Vatican. While trying to return home there is an assassination attempt on the reporters life after finding out some very valuable information.



The third and final part of the novel Detective Rossi and his partner put into plan catching the "Carpenter" and come to find out who the killer is and the motives behind the killings as well as why the pattern seemed to change after the first couple of murders had taken place. Also at the end of the book in the Epilogue you do get to find out what happened to all of the minor characters that you are introduced to throughout the novel.



I found this book although it had a gripping story and one I wanted to know more of, I found this book really difficult to read due to the writing style and changing who the story was following a lot of times while adding too many minor characters. As well as this at times there was Italian spoken which I did not understand so left me a little confused about what was being said. This did make me not enjoy the book as much as I wish I did.



I would recommend this book who would like a new crime series to read as well as those who like a mystery book. Personally this wasn't a book in which I particularly enjoyed however I do think with some tweaks to the writing style this is a book I would have loved.

Going into this I thought that it was going to be the usual crime book with the serial killer however it turned out to be something completely different. This does follow a serial killer loose in Rome however it also follows all the political scandal and corruption which is going on in Rome as well as some immigration issues and not really knowing who you could trust. It was an interesting read, but it was definitely not what I was expecting, and I think that this partly was why I struggled to get through this.
It’s clear that this was a well researched book which was good to see; from looking at the Author, Aidan Conway, it says that he moved to Italy in 2001 from Birmingham. It was great to see so much detail not just about Rome but the other parts of Italy that are visited in this book and it did help build the setting properly.
In this book we follow Michael Rossi and his partner Carrara as they work together to find a serial killer who appears to be killing women. If only it were as straight forward as that though as they also have to navigate the current election which is going on and also wade through the political and police corruption which is rife in Rome. This leaves them questioning who they can trust and how much of what they get told or figure out is actually the truth. I did enjoy the
This story is told from multiple POV’s; we mainly get Rossi’s as he is the lead detective on the case but we also get to see some from a journalist Ianelli’s perspective, an immigrant into Rome and a few others which if I’m being 100% honest I can’t remember. I found that one of the problems I had with this book was that there was just simply too much going on at once. I lost track of names and who was supposed to be who if I’m honest, I could rely on Rossi obviously being the main detective and Carrara being his partner, but others just started to blur into a sea of names and I found it confusing and a lot to take in. The politics behind it all was confusing as well and I struggled at first to get into the whole election and understand who was being corrupted and where the corruption was happening.
I wouldn’t exactly call this a crime thriller as it does deal with a lot more than just the crime and trying to find the serial killer and not just as secondary plot points, the politics plays a very large part in this book and is definitely something to take into account. I did find it took me a lot longer to read that the usual book, but I think this is also down to the writing and introduction of a lot of plot and setting into the book which didn’t need to happen.
This is definitely something different and will be down to personal taste. I haven’t read anything that is remotely like this that I could compare it against to help with the recommendation. I did give this a 3-star rating which isn’t bad, I just didn’t find it great and I won’t be continuing with the rest of the Michael Rossi Series.

I do love reading a book that is set somewhere I have visited as it brings the story to life even more special for me, so when I saw that this new book was based on a serial killer stalking the streets of Rome I was immediately intrigued - I love Rome and I will admit that I am also quite fond of the odd serial killer in my books too!

The serial killer in this one is called The Carpenter and Maverick Detective Inspectors Rossi and Carrara are given the job to track The Carpenter down. I enjoyed the plot and I thought that characters of Rossi and Carrara worked well together. The writing style is quite traditional and that worked well for me with the storyline.

I did smile that the books is dealing with an unusual cold spell and the threat of snow in Rome... exactly what they have there at the moment!! Four stars for this one from me, a really good debut and looking forward to reading more from this author!

'A Known Evil', is an informative, well- researched international thriller. It details a serial killer's exploits in a well-paced plot, set against a background of Italian politics and bureaucratic corruption, involving the church, police, judiciary and state.
If you are expecting graphic, serial killing detail, and knife-edge suspense, you may be disappointed. This story concentrates on how the corruption in all aspects of Italian life has facilitated the serial killer. Hampering the police investigation and furthering his and the corrupt officials' sinister agenda.
Michael Rossi is the senior investigating officer; he is well-educated, a philosopher and a theologer, he sees his police officer role as a vocation. An enlighted individual who looks at the bigger picture, which helps him to be an excellent detective. His success allows him a certain latitude with his bosses, but they still frustrate his progress if he threatens their much-prized status quo. There are shades of 'Morse' and 'Hathaway' in this character with the Italian influence of 'Zen', and he is both likeable and interesting, worthy of more than one book.
I read this story in a day, intricately constructed with multiple settings and subplots that demand concentration to see how they relate to the overall story. The short chapters allow action and detail to be delivered in manageable bites, keeping the story's momentum and suspense levels high.
There are plot twists and misinformation that keep you guessing. The reader glimpses aspects of the main characters' past lives, perhaps the springboard for further stories in the series? The atmospheric, edgy ending answers all the questions posed throughout.
'A Known Evil, ' explores in vivid detail the political intrigue, sinister organised crime and apparently random assassinations in a chaotic city drowning in corruption.
I received a copy of this book from Harper Collins UK - Killer Reads in return for an honest review.

“A serial killer stalks the streets of Rome…
A gripping debut crime novel and the first in a groundbreaking series, from a new star in British crime fiction.”

The Carpenter bludgeons a woman to death and Detective Inspectors Rossi and Carrara are given the job to track him down. More murders are committed and Rossi’s partner Yana is also seriously injured.
There is quite a lot of political dealings in the book and I did find myself switching off a bit during some of these parts.
On the whole this is a good thriller and I liked the relationship between Rossi and Carrara.
Thanks to Killer Reads and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

I confess that I didn’t like the writing style here. I found it rather stilted and the use of old-fashioned clichés was maddening. In fact, I first checked to see if it was a translation. It wasn’t. I then checked to see if the author was merely very old. He doesn’t seem to be.

But, while I didn’t love the style, I did like the story. Part of this is personal. I’ve studied Italian in both Sicily and Rome. The author clearly knows both places – it’s authentic and the author shows both the glory and the not so far under the surface seediness in both places. Conway takes you away from tourist haunts into the Italian underworld. It’s dark, compelling, and fascinating.

I did like our characters, though two supporting characters were my favorites: our main character’s partner and a certain reporter.

Finally, the author gives us a look at the immigration issues that plague Italy – it’s a sympathetic view, but an honest one.

I’m not yet sure if I’m on board for the next book in the series. Even at the end of the book, I never warmed to the author’s style. I guess we’ll see.

I thought it was a interesting mystery novel that had everything from Vatican Curruption to serial murder .

This was a somewhat enjoyable thriller. I liked the characters, but the story tended to be super slow. It was hard for me to finish the book. But I did, and it did have a few twists in it.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved the setting of this book it was interesting and captivating. The book was fast paced and kept me engaged all the way through, it was one of those books where you say just one more chapter and then end up reading way into the night. Everything was first class about this book, the characters, the setting. the writing style, I just loved it and highly recommend it. A cracking read so early on in 2018.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Harper Impulse and Killer Reads for an advance copy of A Known Evil, the first in a projected series of novels to feature Detective Inspectors Rossi and Carrara of the Rome police.

Rome is cold with the threat of snow when a serial killer, soon nicknamed The Carpenter, starts killing women with a hammer and nailing cryptic notes to their chests. He has already killed his third victim when the novel opens. The stakes are raised when attacks Rossi's girlfriend, Yana, leaving her in a coma.

A Known Evil is deeper and more wide ranging than the average serial killer novel with a subplot about journalist, Dario Iannelli, and his investigation of the refugee crisis and its attendant graft. I can't say that I enjoyed it and I struggled to keep reading as it didn't hold my attention for several reasons.

Firstly the focus of the novel is not my preferred reading. I believed from the blurb that the novel would be the hunt for a serial killer and while that features in the novel the main focus is on the insidious corruption and its influence which permeates the entire state if Mr Conway is to be believed with Rossi, Carrara and journalist Iannelli the only honest men in Italy. In terms of the novel this means that they can't run a proper investigation and have to scrabble around in the shadows to get a result. We're in serious conspiracy territory with this. I found it deeply unsatisfying and overdone as a read.

Secondly there are a good few scenes and characters which have no bearing on the main plotline and are obviously inserted to underline the graft theme.

Thirdly the writing style seems detached somehow so it is hard to identify with the characters and live the investigation with them. I found it difficult to follow the reasoning in some instances, the letters being a case in point (they are overly convoluted and the solution hard to believe).

I found the atmosphere and emphasis of the novel unpleasant but it is possibly more literary than my taste runs to as it has something to say, rather than being pure entertainment.

When I read the blurb for this book, I was immediately drawn to the story line & location. However, whether or not it’s being marketed with an accurate tag line is open for debate.

From the description, my impression was I’d be reading a taught thriller full of twists, action, suspense…the usual package. Instead, I found this to be more of a literary character study with a wealth of narrative exposition on the state of Italian society & the pervasive corruption that riddles every level of politics, the church, the police force & media.

It’s a dense, well researched book that introduces Detective Inspector Michael Rossi & his partner DI Carrara. Initially they are assigned to “the Carpenter” investigation but prove too intent on getting at the truth & are soon sidelined. After Rossi’s girlfriend is attacked, they continue to secretly pick away in an effort to learn the killer’s real motive & who is pulling the strings. Along the way they cross paths with bent politicians, corrupt cops, possible mafia ties, underworld figures & less than honourable members of the church. There are also story lines involving Yana’s history, Rossi’s past, a Vatican official & the immigrant crisis on Lampedusa.

As a young man, Rossi studied for the priesthood before becoming disillusioned with it all & joining the police service. He’s an intelligent, driven man who uses his knowledge of philosophy & poetry to help him make sense of the world around him. We spend a lot of time in his head as he stalks the streets of Rome, pondering its geopolitical & criminal history. And while this makes for interesting reading, it does little to build any feeling of suspense. The murders themselves occur mostly off page & with a stalled investigation, I must confess I felt like I was reading a book about Rossi instead of the hunt for a serial killer.

At about the 50% mark, the pace picked up a bit & the focus started to narrow to the main story line. Initially I found the wealth of subplots & huge cast made it a challenge to truly engage but as some of theses fell away, it became a more engrossing read as we follow Rossi & Carrara in real time.

I have to admire the author’s ambition. The scope of topics & story lines is massive & it’s all delivered in a conversational style of prose that’s very readable. And therein lies my issue with the tag line. Would I call this a thriller? No, not in any traditional sense. But it’s a well written, thought provoking book that deserves to find its audience & in my case, a simple mismatch between reader & book.

As always, it depends on personal preference & I’d encourage those looking for a different take on Italian crime & politics to give this a read.

This is a decent Police procedural, serial killer thriller set in Rome. But while I did enjoy the story, particularly the setting, it felt a bit flat to me.. However, I have read quite a lot of this type of story before so it is probably a case of 'it's not you, it's me', and most people will probably really enjoy it.

4 stars

This is a debut novel set in the city of Rome. Rome has been beset with a cold spell that is very unusual. They even are getting snow.

Detective Inspector Michael “Mick” Rossi and his partner Detective Inspector Luigi “Gigi” Carrara of the Questura respond to the call of a woman bludgeoned to death in the street. It is the second such killing recently. Nailed to her sternum is a cryptic note.

Having little to go on, Rossi and Carrara are flummoxed. Do they have to wait for the next murder?

The killer, of course, does murder again. One of his victims is Rossi’s girlfriend, Yana. Fortunately, or not in her case, she is left in a coma. Yana is a Russian immigrant who is trying hard to fit into the anti-immigrant Italian society. The “outsiders” are blamed for everything, from shoplifting to murder. The citizens of Rome feel that it must be one of these people who is doing the killings.

Following the scant clues, the police made some headway. They have a suspect in mind and set out to trap him. With the aid of another police officer, Maria Marini, they hope to bring their suspected killer to justice.

In a surprising standoff, Rossi learns what is behind the madman’s killing spree. In an even bigger surprise twist, all is revealed. It is an exciting conclusion to the story.

In this book, Aidan Conway gives a criticism of the Italian police bureaucracy. The layers and layers of officials who know little of what the police actually do and seem to be in place to satisfy some unknown others. There are bribes and outright extortion going on at all levels of government, especially in the mayor’s office – at the mayor’s behest. The infrastructure of the city is a cesspit.

This is an interestingly written thriller. It is well plotted, however. The sentences are short and not altogether grammatical. No worries, they work for this author. The book is written linearly, that is to say, it reads in a straight line. Following the police investigation, the reader gets to know Inspectors Rossi, and to a lesser degree, Carrara. The reader also gets to know the city of Rome very well. From the narrow cobblestone streets to the old historic buildings, this book is a tour of the grand old place. The intricate politics of Rome and Italy are also touched upon. This is a very good debut novel by Aidan Conway. I do believe I’ll read more of his work as they are published.

I want to thank NetGalley and Harper Impulse & Killer Reads/Killer Reads for forwarding to me a copy of this good book to read and enjoy.

Aidan Conway's A Known Evil is a well-researched international thriller focusing on the unique crimes of a serial killer on the streets of Rome. Inspectors Rossi and Carrara are put in charge of the investigation to track down the hammer-wielding killer who leaves cryptic notes at the murder scenes.
Rossi suspects all the major power brokers in Italy of having their hand in the conspiracy: the Church, the establishment, the opposition, the Mafia, and the media. The tension really starts to pick up as the investigators themselves are watched, targeted, and chased around the city. The plot line is thin at times as the detectives force some circumstantial evidence to stick, but the final trap to catch the killer is worth the wait.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good thiller and police procedural.
Thank you to NetGalley, Killer Reads, and Mr. Conway for an advanced copy for review.

This was an okay book.

It is set in Rome where there is a serial killer that is loose and roaming the streets.

It's down to Inspector Rossi and Carrara to solve the murders and catch the killer.

At the crime scenes the killer is leaving cryptic notes, can they solve what they mean before it's too late?

At times in places it felt like there was something missing from the plot which for me let the book down a bit.