The secret of the Black Widow

Preface ‘Hello, am I speaking to Professor Prandi?’ ‘Yes, it’s me.’ ‘Good evening, dear Professor, I hope the world is treating you fantastically well?’ ‘Sorry, who do I have the privilege of talking to? You must be seriously important to be bothering me so late.’ ‘Professor, don’t you recognise my voice? Don’t you remember the good old days in Torquay, the pearl of the Devon Riviera?’ ‘Ah, la vache! It’s you! Dowser, you pain in the ass!’ ‘Oh yes, it’s me. And you can’t imagine how happy I am to be hearing your voice. I’m calling you from Manchester, where I’ve lived for almost twenty years.’ ‘I’m happy to hear from you too, but tell me why you’re calling me after so many years? And, most importantly, have you finally learned to speak English?’ ‘Of course, Professor! I now consider myself to be fluent – you wouldn’t know English isn’t my mother tongue. I got so bored during lockdown that I’ve written a book! It’s a noir novel, to be precise. And who better than you – my legendary English professor – to be the first person to read it! That’s why I’m calling you. I’ve emailed you the manuscript. Blond gave me your e-mail address, as well as your phone number. Do you remember him?’ ‘How could I forget? You were like Siamese twins. I never saw either one of you without the other.’ ‘So Professor, would you read it? And tell me if you think it’s good enough to publish? I think it’s pretty good, but I’d love to hear your opinion. And I’d also like you to read it because … you are one of the main characters.’ ‘Wow, really?’ ‘I’ve never forgotten all the stories you used to tell us at school, about sailors and ships. And since the book is about a ship and its captain, I couldn’t help but think of you.’ ‘Well done, Dowser. Now I’m really curious to read it! I’ll check my email and come back to you in a couple of days. Good night, my friend.’ ‘Thank you, Professor. You never disappoint me. Good night.’ The author is right: his work is definitely noir. Both the atmosphere evoked in the description of events and the character development is typical of this genre. Angelo’s style of writing is lively and colourful, always flowing and to the point. He does not use literary frills but relies on a subtle, ironic vein to the narrative that is very pleasant to read. Descriptions are accurate and do not weigh down the overall narrative, which rests on a well-calibrated dialogic structure and an original and intriguing plot. The line of development is well drawn and highlights a surprising ability to tell and represent the meaning of a figure, a character, a situation. With a solid structure and well-developed plot, the original expressivity of the characters through their words, gestures and very existence adds an overall freshness and credibility to the story. I am sure that this modern noir will capture the reader’s attention right from the first page, and keep you anchored to the chair till the secret of the Black Widow is revealed. Francesco Prandi