A Walk in the Dark

Guido Guerrieri Series, Book 2

By: Gianrico Carofiglio

Narrated by: Sean Barrett

Length: 5 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's Summary

When Martina accuses her ex-boyfriend - the son of a powerful local judge - of assault and battery, no witnesses can be persuaded to testify on her behalf. Guido Guerrieri knows the case could bring his legal career to a premature and messy end, but he cannot resist the appeal of a hopeless cause. Nor can he deny his attraction to Sister Claudia, the young woman in charge of the shelter where Martina is living, who shares his love of martial arts and his virulent hatred of injustice.

©2006 Gianrico Carofiglio (P)2011 Audible Ltd

Critic Reviews

"At one level an exciting courtroom thriller, but what places it in a superior league is the portrayal of a slice of Italian society not normally encountered in crime fiction and an immensely appealing flawed hero." (The Times, London)

"Hard-boiled and sun-dried in equal parts. Where Philip Marlowe would be knocking back bourbon and listening to the snap of fist on jaw, Guido Guerrieri prefers Sicilian wine and Leonard Cohen. The role of Guerrieri is to take on impossible cases that have little chance of success. His efforts to prove his client's innocence bring him into dangerous conflict with Mafia interests. Everything a legal thriller should be." (Financial Times)

Heartfelt tale with an Italian Rebus as hero.

Firstly, when is Sean Barrett going to win the Nobel Prize for Narrators? He is a genius and he superbly creates this book's main character Guido Guerrieri. Guido is interesting - sort of an Italian Rebus in that he loves his music, finds intimacy difficult and prefers taking a stroll on the wild side. However he's a lawyer, not an policeman and in this story, the only lawyer in Italy prepared to take on the rather heartbreaking case. A young woman is being stalked by her well connected and abusive ex lover. She's under the protection of a young nun who also happens to be a martial arts expert. Guido finds the nun compelling even though he has more than enough to contend with at home. Did I mention this is an Italian novel? Anyway, it's well constructed, well written, the main character is terrific and the story only too believable. The narration is masterful. Highly recommended.

Carofiglio read by Barrett--another winner for me!

I listened to the first book in this series, Involuntary Witness, and enjoyed it a great deal. I was undecided on whether to get this second book because it seemed much too short.

It was short, but I still enjoyed it a lot. I really like the main character, Italian lawyer, Guido Guerrieri. The nuances of his personality are so aptly captured by narrator, Sean Barrett. The story had unexpected twists and turns and it was good all the way to its end.

No wasted words, no flowery descriptions, just a compelling story. I will certainly get Book 3 in the near future.

The Second is Better Than the Much Loved First!!!

Would you listen to A Walk in the Dark again? Why?

Best lawyer series ever. I loved them!!!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The humor - the relationships - the cleverness. I can't wait to read the next one!

Seeking a good story, well told?

Gianrico Carofiglio being read by Sean Barrett is a definite good listen.
If you have actually read any of Andrea Camilleri's books and enjoyed those you would enjoy Carofiglio.
Our protagonist is a maybe '40 something' well established lawyer who represents a variety of clients.
He enjoys boxing as a workout to work out his frustration with the law, his clients and some of his own baggage. Anyone who has 'quit' smoking will relate to his musings. When things get tough he has a special kind of therapy. And not booze.
A little like Henning Mankell and Andrea Camilleri, social issues are addressed, like racism, sexual discrimination. child abuse and power imbalence.
Sean Barrett conveys the 'thoughts in response' as well as the 'what is said' so very well.
Good book.

Can’t get past 2 chapters

Narration and writing style are not easy to listen to. Very slow... A book for the older generation? I would suggest previewing and not go off reviews

Carofiglio and Barrett, simply the best!!

If you could sum up A Walk in the Dark in three words, what would they be?

Story, Voice, Extraordinary

Who was your favorite character and why?

Claudia, loved the martial arts scene and her handling of the ending crises, breathtaking.

Which character – as performed by Sean Barrett – was your favorite?

Guido, Barrett is perfect for the part, he and Carofiglio are unbeatable!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

YES!

Any additional comments?

If you want to choose one book, one writer, one narrator to begin your journey into audiobooks you couldn't do better than this amazing legal thriller, I recommend it without qualification!!!

So Happy with this Italian Legal Series

The second book in the Guido Guerrieri series holds up so well. Guerrieri's character is so well developed by the author. Carofiglio doesn't let a scene go by without Guerrieri doing or saying something that reinforces his values. I was hoping to get a sense of what living an ordinary life in Italy would be like, and this book delivers. I love it when Guerrieri's thoughts are part of the story -- they are so spot on for the circumstance. These are not legal thrillers. Instead, these cases are meant to correct a huge injustice. The Italian legal system is well described. Despite the fact that the narration is done without an Italian accent, Sean Barrett does an excellent job. Can't wait to listen to the next book.

Great Listen

If you could sum up A Walk in the Dark in three words, what would they be?

Compelling, Identifiable, Intriguing

What did you like best about this story?

I loved the careful development of the main character.

Which scene was your favorite?

I love the scenes when Guido is judging his own behavior.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

I have no idea. I don't believe Hollywood would ever make these beautiful stories into movies. These are compelling studies of human behavior at its best and worst. Hollywood is busy making comic books.

Any additional comments?

I love the look into every day Italian life. The work day, the taste in music, the taste in literature, dating, marriage and all the rest. Wonderful..

Not as good as the first Guerrieri series but engr

The plot, characters are a less credible. A few too many plot twists, yet so engrossing due to Guerrieri’s fine writing.

Great series

Well written and performed
This is 2nd one in series I’ve listened to and looking forward to the others

Italian Crime Without The Caricatures

It's always promising in books originally written in another language when there is a harmony between the author and the translator. With audio books, an additional dimension is added when this harmony extends to the narrator as is the case of A Walk In The Dark.



Having an Italian author who is thoroughly versed in the subject matter removes any danger of caricatures and embeds the story in a real place with believable people. The hero, an Italian lawyer called Guido Guerrieri, doesn't have a mission and isn't a superman physically or emotionally. He's good at what he does but is emotionally uncertain which makes him human. The book is as much about him and his life as it is about the legal case that forms the plot.



If you demand a constant stream of developments and/or a convoluted plot then this book is unlikely to appeal to you. The tale grows naturally and is focused on normal life rather than extraordinary events. It spends time developing characters and giving them credible personas. The legal case that forms the plot, as it would in real life, only takes up a part of the story.



Written in the first person, you are given a fairly deep insight into the main character and are left to form your opinion on others according to Guido's observations. The story is about an abused woman and an exceedingly well-connected abusive man. After having left him for a refuge, the abuse continues. A policeman friend and a nun who is a martial arts expert persuade Guido to take the case. He is in a position where he is morally right but politically is out on a limb. Will he prevail or will vested interests defeat him in the end?



If you're still interested listen to the rest of the story with the excellent and sympathetic narration of Sean Barrett.

Captured my imagination from the start.

What did you like most about A Walk in the Dark?

The main character and the way he was portrayed by the reader

Who was your favorite character and why?

the main character has a cynical wit that entertains and makes even the dullest trial or conversation interesting

What does Sean Barrett bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

His laid back and easy manner seem perfect for this book and character.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yes, and again. not just for the story but to have Sean Barrett/Guido talking to me.. bliss

Story well told

A story well told, totally engaging, a little predictable, but immensely pleasurable to listen to.

a resl undiscovered gem of a series.

I listen to these as fillers between longer books and they do the trick. Great stories read by the wonderful Sean Barrett

Excellent intro to Audible

If you could sum up A Walk in the Dark in three words, what would they be?

'Ear catching', plausible and yet good old fashioned crime

Who was your favorite character and why?

All characters seemed so real, 'present' and fitted the story beautifully

What about Sean Barrett’s performance did you like?

Sean Barrett reads as if he had written it himself. I hope he reads the whole series as his voice has now become the leading character for me.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

It's not all it seems to be

Any additional comments?

This was the first book I have listened too following a ghastly previous download of another title. Thankfully my hope in Audible is restored and I look forward to many more downloads of a similar type.

Good short story

My 2nd in the series - mainly chosen as they are read by Sean Barrett who does another great job!

Not my usual listen but after enjoying the first book I decided to go with the next 2 - thoroughly enjoyable listen and good story - not quite the ending I expected but well worth a listen. Already part way through the 3rd and enjoying that too. You do need to listen in order as parts of the story and background continue through the books.

Riveting read!

Guerrieri takes on what seems a hopeless case for a woman whose ex-lover is persecuting her. Unfortunately the persecutor happens to be the son of one of the most influential men in Bari. Guerrieri's court room performances are brilliant demonstrations of the power of speech..
Guerrieri is also conscious of the visible signs of ageing which are beginning to affect his appearance and his caustic humour at his own expense is hilarious. Carofiglio is an extremely witty author with a great sense of irony. His style is very concise and not a word is wasted or superfluous. Sean Barrett is an astounding narrator who really brings the protagonist to life.

Worth a listen

This was a fairly short book ( less than 6 hours) which kept my interest, I do quite like the 'Advocate', but he is sometimes a little dreary and depressive . nevertheless it was a worthy tale that I enjoyed.

Absorbing story

brilliant writing, great characters and superbly Read as usual by Sean Barratt. well worth a read

Another excellent book

Thoroughly enjoyed the book and it's delivery. The characters were believable and interesting. The book has a pathos yet humorous content.