A noir-inspired caper set in Milan, Italy…
By Lorenzo Petruzziello
A MISTAKE INCOMPLETE, Suspense/Noir-Inspired, Magnusmade, 344 pp.
An incompetent thief,
a hopeless bartender,
a dead stranger,
and a lonely tourist.
A NOIR-INSPIRED CAPER SET IN MODERN-DAY MILAN.
An incompetent thief makes another attempt at burglary. A hopeless bartender struggles to manage her last patron. The pair reluctantly work together to figure out why a man they presumed dead may have returned, while a lonely tourist inadvertently gets in the way.
PRAISE:
Berlin
His steps were careful, and his comfort with darkness allowed
him the typical confidence to succeed without a trace. He made
his way across the room to the large ornate mirror hanging above
an oak cabinet. Lifting the constraining ski mask, he examined
his new moustache still coming in. He had decided a while ago
that he wanted a distinguished look, and concluded that a
moustache should do the trick.
The soft moonlight was not bright enough at this end of the
room. To allow him a better examination of his facial hair, he
turned on his mini flashlight and shined it onto his face. The
moustache was coming in nicely, not too thick, and shaped just
perfectly. He looked at the rest of his face, which he tended to
do when in front of a mirror – he just couldn’t help himself. He
noticed that the lighting, positioned as it was at that moment,
accentuated his handsome features. Realizing he had distracted
himself again, he quickly turned off the flashlight to get back
to the matter at hand.
Did he have to put the ski mask back on? What was the point of
it? He knew no one was going to see him. And besides, if he was
to get spotted on the street or by some neighbor, he thought a
black ski mask would definitely call attention to him. He
decided it wasn’t necessary and kept the ski mask up away from
his face. This way, it was easier to make his way around the
room.
He was dressed in all black: a tight black shirt with long
sleeves and tight, yet flexible, black pants, allowing him
agility for climbing over the balcony. His shoes were made of
flexible black canvas with black rubber sole. He had perfected
this outfit over the years. Wait, he thought
to himself. What is that? He shined the mini
flashlight on his shirt. “Is that a fuckin’ stain?” he mumbled
as he rubbed the white drop. “Where the hell–?” He remembered.
“Fuckin’ bird.”
His gloves were also tight, but their leather made it more
difficult to handle objects. He hadn’t been able to find
his favorite neoprene pair with the metallic tips, which allowed
him to use touch screens. Where the fuck had he misplaced those
damn gloves? Damn! He just remembered. They
were in the side pocket of his travel bag in the extra closet in
his new apartment. The travel bag! That’s where the other lighter is too! Flashlight off. He finally turned away from the mirror,
aggressively shoving the flashlight back into his small black
shoulder sling. He made his way around the room and took note of
the furniture. It was laid out almost exactly as it had been
described to him. Bam! He stubbed his left toe on the metal leg
of a marble top coffee table. “What the fuck?” he whispered as
he lifted his leg and grabbed his toe. It was instinct. That’s
what one does when one’s toe throbs with pain, right? He felt
himself fall forward. He tried regaining his balance, but it was
too late. Crash! A lamp fell to the floor. It had to have been
made of metal because it fell with a multitude of crashes. He
fell along with it, but managed to land onto the plush floral
sofa. He let go of his leg, realizing he had to get the hell out
of there. The floorboards in the ceiling creaked.
Lorenzo Petruzziello is the author of A MISTAKE INCOMPLETE – a noir-inspired caper set in Milan, Italy. His first novel THE LOVE FOOL is a non-romantic romantic comedy set in Rome. Both books are available worldwide through your favorite booksellers.
Lorenzo holds a Global MBA in International Marketing from Suffolk University in Boston, Massachusetts. He is bilingual, raised speaking both English and Italian. He was born and raised in U.S.A. and spent his summers in Italy. He lives in Massachusetts working on his writing as a side gig to his corporate day job. He has contributed to publications on food, travel, and cocktails, including Intermezzo and SIPthemagazine.
Visit his website at www.magnusmade.com.
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