Black Souls

"Black Souls tells the story of three childhood friends in Calabria’s Aspromonte mountains who turn to crime to climb out of the poverty they were born into. Like many other Mafia novels, this one is packed with violence and crime. But Gioacchino Criaco has a great understanding of the psychogeography of crime and treats his characters – who aren’t far removed from his own experiences – with humanity. The novel is also deeply immersed in Calabrian culture, showing readers a ruthless world in which people with good hearts know that crime is the only path to a better life."