Guido Guerrieri Books In Order

Publication Order of Guido Guerrieri Books

Guido Guerrieri is the main character is a series of crime mystery novels written by bestselling Italian author Gianrico Carofigilo. As an anti-mafia prosecutor based in Bari, Gianrico created a character that is a mirror reflection. Gianrico began the publication of Guido Guerrieri series in 2002 when the Involuntary Witness the series debut novel was published. The series lasted four books concluding in 2010 when Temporary Imperfections was published.

However, it is to be noted that Gianrico’s Guido Guerrieri series was originally written in Italian and later translated into English. Involuntary Witness was first published in 2002 under the title Testimone Inconsapevole and later translated into English in 2005 by Patrick Creagh. In the debut novel, Involuntary Witness, Gianrico Carofigilo introduces his protagonist Guido Guerrieri, a lawyer who is also featured in other books by the same author such as Temporary Perfections and A Fine Line Reasonable Doubts. Involuntary witness adapted into a popular Italian television series.

Involuntary Witness

Involuntary Witness is the first book in Guido Guerrieri series by Gianrico Carofigilo. The novel introduces readers to Guido an Italian lawyer in his late 30’s based in Bari, Italy and the story focuses on a case in which the lawyer handle about a Senegalese immigrant on trial after being accused of killing a young boy.
The narrative itself is a long-winded narrative, and part legal procedure, a part description that has had success in his professional life but terribly failed in personal life, who feels unfulfilled and without a purpose in a corrupt system. Narrated in fairly short chapters, Involuntary Witness gives a vivid description of Guido’s life. There are different types of women that he meets, ranging from those who offer him one night stand sexual pleasures to the alcohol addict Margherita who move in with him and with home Guido Guerrieri begins a strings attached relationship, as well as his divorced wife. Also, we also get a glimpse of Guido’s other cases and the narrations of his frequently trying to get away from it all at sometimes.

Guido is a man who worries more about his reputation in the society and often sneaks to a dismal bar few blocks away to have some decaffeinated coffee. Gianrico makes use of the music and books that his characters love to define them. The narrator has a light touch, and the characters accounts and a variety of materials account for a relatively engaging read. However, Involuntary Witness is superb court procedural that mainly focuses on the case of a Senegalese drug peddler named Abdou Thiam, a man who was known to the young boy who was found killed.

In a way, Involuntary Witness is realistic in nature; this is because the Italian court proceeding takes reasonably short time and are often spaced out for a long time and hence end up taking a small part of attorney’s time, exactly what is depicted in the novel. Additionally, the author also pinpoint the shortcomings of the Italian judicial system and makes for quite interesting comparison to the American judicial system.

Gianrico has crafted a superb and likable main character, secondary cast and a storyline that connects from one chapter to the next. The personal aspect of Guido’s life is brilliantly crafted, and the criminal aspect has some good elements of great drama- such as the validity of the eyewitness testimony, child molestation, questions of murder and racism. The narrative offers a glimpse into the Italian legal system and the chronic corruption the system and society have faced since time in memorial.

What you will love about the Involuntary Witness is the fact that it is narrated in first person perspective, by Guido. Working as a lawyer, Guido recalls the events that resulted in his midlife crisis and the story is split into three sections. The first section focuses on Guido’s personal suffering that are the causes of his midlife crisis. However, the second part of the story focuses on Guido as he confronts the problems associated to his professional career as a lawyer- as he handles the challenging case that requires his assertiveness, strength resulting to his personal growth and gradual recovery. However, the third section of the novel focuses on Guido’s commitment to defending his client to the point that he becomes the man he can finally admire.

It is also revealed that Guido Guerrieri marriage life had been in turmoil- thanks to his self-learning for punishment, and his subtle aggressive nature the contributing factors that led him to hurt the only woman he ever loved. After his marriage fails (he is to blame), Guido hits rock bottom but doesn’t quit his job even during this challenging times. Also though narrated in the first person point of view from a man with shattering a personal life, Gianrico has filled the story will endless sense of humor which makes the narrative intriguing. The dialogue in the story is often embedded in the story, making it a close resemblance of The Catcher in the Eye by J.D Salinger. Furthermore, if you have ever read John Grisham novels, you will notice the similar patterns of Guido to the lawyer who must redeem himself by winning what appears to be an impossible case.

Gianrico did an excellent job in Involuntary Witness making him achieve a spot in the top Italian author arena. The cultural setting, the humor as incredibly woven, while the first person point of view narration sends you deep inside the minds of the main character thus, you get to know them better.

Reasonable Doubts

Reasonable Doubts is book three in Guido Guerrieri series by Gianrico Carofigilo, and once again, Guido is back in the courtroom, however, this time around taking an appeal of a client with no “memory.”

Fabio Paolicelli is serving his time in prison for selling illegal drugs and has no memory of participating in beating a young boy to death, and he also has no realization that the man he has hired to get him out of prison has long wished for a perfect time to get revenge. Guido’s hesitance to oversee this case is contributed by the fact that he knows the man and it is only the intervention of the man’s wife that he finally agrees to help. Once again, just like in the debut novel, Gianrico maintains the twisty & turns and his sense of humor in Reasonable Doubts hence making Guido Guerrieri series a series worth reading.