04/14/2025
5.0 out of 5 stars Corea introduces us to an intriguing cast of refreshing and well-drawn characters not the least of which are former Italian raci
Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2016
Verified Purchase
In The Duesenberg Caper, Roger Corea offers up a fascinating, compelling cross-genre thriller that demonstrates his considerable talent as a writer and storyteller. Part detective story, part organized crime thriller and part homage to some of the world's most spectacular classic cars, The Duesenberg Caper takes us back thirty years as we join newlywed teachers Ada and Andy Robinson on a Sicilian summer adventure that puts them in the cross hairs of a brutal mafia crime boss and hot on the trail of The Midnight Ghost, the famed and long missing 1935 Duesenberg that once belonged to the last king of Italy, Victor Emanuel. Corea introduces us to an intriguing cast of refreshing and well-drawn characters not the least of which are former Italian racing great and habitual lady's man, Tazio Nucci; broken and haunted police inspector Francesco Mazza and the intriguing, and ever-surprising Ada Robinson. Ada is probably the most intriguing character of all. She's a determined, independent and resourceful woman decades ahead of her time. Ada struggles with the unsettled ghosts of a troubled past and is rich in contradictions. She can be both feminine and vulnerable one moment and incredibly tough and decisive the next. We learn that Ada is skilled in the martial arts and fluent in several languages. These reveals add intriguing and welcome layers of depth and nuance to her relationship with Andy.
Corea demonstrates a knack for realistic dialogue and banter and, at the same time, an artist's ability to paint a scene with words. In this book, diverse settings come alive. Corea is equally at home recreating the decadent excesses of a stateside classic-car auction, the quiet, breathtaking beauty of the Sicilian countryside, the palatial scale and elegance of Tazio's estate and the raw inhuman brutality of Salvatore Salone. This is a great book that will hold your interest and that also may infect you with the author's obvious love and fascination for classic cars. Highly recommended.
