The Colombian Mule (The Alligator Mysteries)

When Colombian Arias Cuevas is caught trying to smuggle drugs through Venice airport, his fear isn't fuelled by the idea of prison. He's much more frightened of his auntit was her coke he took off with. He comes clean to avoid her wrath. The cops set up a sting to find out who was to be the recipient of the drugs, and art smuggler Nazzareno Corradi falls straight into the trap. But he's been set up. His lawyer hires "the Alligator," and his fixer, Max, to find out what's going on. Soon it becomes apparent why Cuevas was so afraidthe aunt, La Tia, has left a bloody trail in her wake, and is now looking to do some business in Italy, and she's not about to let anybody get in her way. ** “Think The Sopranos meets Goodfellas —without the Americanized gloss . . . [A] not-for-the-faint-hearted novel by an Italian master” ( Reading Matters ). In The Colombian Mule , the author called “the reigning king of Mediterranean noir” ( The Boston Phoenix ) and “the best living Italian crime writer” ( Il Manifesto ) brings to riveting life the story of Arías Cuevas, who sets in motion a chain of bloody events when police catch him trying to carry a shipment of La Tía’s cocaine into Italy. The intended recipient of the coke appears to have been art smuggler Nazzareno Corradi. But Corradi has been set up. He hires a PI known as “the Alligator” to get him out of the mess he’s in. Meanwhile, La Tía, a notoriously ruthless figure in the Colombian drug trade, is determined to move her operation to Italy, where cocaine has become all the rage among the professional classes. There’s only one thing standing in her way: the Alligator. The Alligator, an ex-con-turned-investigator, and his two companions, former underworld heavy Beniamino Rossini and Max the Memory, are among Massimo Carlotto’s most vivid noir creations. Together, the three men will wade deep into a criminal world of few scruples, testing their own strict and specific moral code along the way. “The morally ambiguous tone makes this an intriguing read, and the suspense is well maintained.” — Manchester Evening New s “A fascinating glimpse into Italian culture and justice system. It’s sparely written and though quite short, there’s a lot of action . . . dark and gritty.” —Euro Crime “[A] brilliant book.” —The Friendly Shelf When Colombian Arias Cuevas is caught trying to smuggle drugs through Venice airport, his fear isn't fuelled by the idea of prison. He's much more frightened of his aunt - it was her coke he took off with. The cops set up a sting to find out who was to be the recipient of the drugs, and art smuggler Nazzareno Corradi falls straight into the trap. But he's been set up. His lawyer hires 'the Alligator', and his fixer, Max, to find out what's going on. Soon it becomes apparent why Cuevas was so afraid - the aunt, La Tia, has left a bloody trail in her wake, is now looking to do some business in Italy, and she's not about to let anybody get in her way When Colombian Arias Cuevas is caught trying to smuggle drugs through Venice airport, his fear isn't about prison. He's more frightened of his aunt - it was her coke he took off with. To avoid her wrath, he promptly confesses to the police. The cops set up a sting to find out who was to be the recipient, and art smuggler Nazzareno Corradi falls into the trap. But he's been set up. His lawyer hires the Alligator, and his fixer, Max, to find out what's going on. Soon it becomes apparent why Cuevas was so afraid - the aunt, La Tia, has left a bloody trail in her wake