Mystery and intrigue in the marshlands around Ferrara

“To all the stray animals, abandoned, wounded, or killed, and to all who feel the way they do” is quite an opener for the new novel Non dire gatto by Cinzia Bomoll, presented at the Rizzoli Bookshop, with a special appearance by Nina Zilli, who read passages from the book.

This mystery story is closely connected with the rural world and animal life, starting with the setting of the book, in the heartland of Emilia-Romagna, almost a character itself in the film directed by Bomoll, La California, which marked singer Nina Zilli’s acting debut.

And it’s just her being a filmmaker, the author remarks, that leads her to envision the scenes described in the novel. The choice of the marshlands between Ferrara and the sea reflects the author’s desire to set the story in a foggy landscape full of mystery. As she puts it herself, that fog “adds to the noir atmosphere” as it envelops and protects her characters.

Heading the investigation is Inspector Nives Bonora, a complicated character with a troubled past and a psychological makeup the author tries to get to the bottom of. “Writing series of books is fun because you become fond of the characters and you can tell their life stories a bit at a time,” says Bomoll, when asked about her relationship with Nives Bonora.

Singer Nina Zilli has also experienced the allure of noir narratives, having written the novel Ultimo di sette (2022, Rizzoli). Her “thriller of love”, as she calls it, has the typical structure of the crime novel, founded on multiple points of view, just like, in her words, “a puzzle you slowly put together”.

Cinzia Bomoll and Nina Zilli thus share not only the experience of filmmaking but also that of writing novels. And they haven’t ruled out the idea of partnering on a new joint effort in the future.