The Transaction

This is written in an interesting, but simple style that is designed to feel off kilter. I assume this is why a number of things seemed to happen for no reason or not related to the plot. I tend toward novels with more "realism" in them. So this was OK for me. It has some good twists and was certainly unpredictable. I don't think this will have wide appeal but will be appreciated by a certain segment.

Thanks very much for the ARC for review!!

De Angelis is on his way from Milan to Sicily to conclude a real estate transaction when his train is cancelled, stranding him. After much trouble, he finally arrive at his destination to find that his contact is not there to meet him. He asks around, encountering little co-operation, until he learns that his contact has been shot.

The villagers make it clear that De Angelis is not wanted and that he needs to go away, but he feels obliged to at least try to conclude his transaction, as his boss requires. He strings his boss along, unable to bring himself to give him the bad news.

De Angelis gradually descends from being a respectable businessman to a hounded and despised outsider, all in the context of a baking hot and grim village environment. Oddly, it reminded me of Alice in Wonderland, in that the protagonist finds himself in a strange world where he doesn't understand what people expect of him, doesn't know the rules and finds himself upsetting people constantly.

This is a pretty raw and confronting story. Probably not for everybody, but certainly interesting, and different.

The Transaction
By Guglielmo D’Izzia
This novel makes me want to visit Italy. This novel also makes me NOT want to visit Italy. There are numerous dichotomous images and events in this novel that leave the reader unsettled.
Our protagonist is a man by the name of De Angelis. De Angelis is tasked with visiting a small town in Sicily to broker a real estate deal. Sounds simple? Nope. Whatever could go wrong does. The trip itself is filled with catastrophe with everything from a broken down train where the passengers have to walk in the scorching heat to the nearest town, to being attacked by feral dogs. All of this happens BEFORE De Angelis meets up with the people who have hired him. Not that it matters, these people have been murdered by the mafia on their way to meeting him at the train station. Of course, this crime leads the authorities to suspect our protagonist’s arrival in their town.
On this journey, De Angelis meets with all sorts of people of questionable moral character. De Angelis often struggles with doing “what is right”.
At times this novel is humorous, especially in the way our protagonist views the events he experienced, however, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread while I was reading.
This isn’t a long read, and it moves at a fast pace. If you like suspenseful and atmospheric novels, you will enjoy this one.
Thank you Netgalley and Guernica Editions for a free copy.