This was a fantastic read. It was suspensful, the literary devices worked, it was amazing how the plot was laid out and the character development was superb! A friend had recommended the series and I jumped into the last volume. Sorry I did get n the other hand I’m so glad I read it.

Dark And Disturbing. I walked into this third book in a series without having read the first two, and while the rapid introduction of characters at the beginning is a bit overwhelming at times when doing this, and there are very defintely spoilers for previous stories here, it *is* possible to follow and enjoy this story by itself, even if you haven't read the previous two books. That noted, this features an all too real look at the amazing power of Autism... and some of the darker aspects of what neurotypicals have subjected Autistics and other neurodivergents to over the years. Awesomely, the various Autistic abilities shown are based in reality - including discussion of the future of humanity - but sadly, so are the various abuses discussed. The book has a "Return of the King" type vibe for a bit after the 75% or so mark, where it feels like what should have been the end of the tale actually isn't, and the story drags out a bit... but then it gets a bit better in its closing pages and shows the point of why it didn't end there. To the level of almost being an extra novella or perhaps short story after the natural end of the tale. Interesting decisions at many levels of how it is divided up, and very much recommended.

Kill the King is the last book in the Columba Caselli trilogy.

Columba is convinced that her partner, Dante, is not dead. During an explosion in the previous book, Dante disappeared. He hasn’t been seen in fifteen months. She is on leave from work awaiting his return. In another narrative thread, Dante is indeed alive and trying to escape his captor.

Meanwhile, Columba discovers an autistic boy named Tommy lurking around her house. He is uninjured but covered in blood. While taking him to the police, she learns his parents were bludgeoned to death brutally during the night. To the local police chief, Tommy is the obvious suspect. Columba decides to investigate so Tommy won’t be railroaded into jail.

I haven’t read the first two books in the trilogy. However, the author seamlessly integrated the history within the main plot. This was an exciting thrill ride then I recommend highly. I also liked the authentic Italian setting. 4 stars!

Thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is an an action packed, violent tale set in Italy. Columba and her partner Dante thought they killed the loathsome man known as the Father, a man who kidnapped and abused boys and young men. Then Columba was injured in a bombing and Dante disappeared. Unfortunately, that wasn't the end of things. She finds herself sucked back into the hunt for the Father's adherents. There's murder, there's torture, there's conspiracy, there's all sorts of things. The chapters are short, which make it easier to read just one more. Columba is a good strong character. I did not read the first two books, which I think would have added to my enjoyment. Nonetheless, it's a good read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Great setting and a plot driven read that will keep you guessing.

Kill the King is the final volume in Sandrone Dazieri’s Caselli and Torre trilogy. After a bombing in Venice left Colomba Caselli injured and Dante Torre missing, she left the police and retreated to the countryside. For fifteen months she led a solitary life filled with guilt and wondering what happened to Dante. Then Tommy entered her life.

Colombia found Tommy hiding in her shed, his shirt covered in blood. He had a bracelet that identified him as autistic with contact information. When she returns him home she discovers that his parents were murdered. These are only the first of many deaths as Caselli’s life spirals out of control. Suspicion falls on Colomba and finding Dante becomes a priority to help clear her name and find the killer.

Dante was one of many children who was taken and imprisoned by the Father. These children were abused and isolated over a number of years. Colomba and Dante worked together to find the Father and he is now dead. Tommy exhibits some of the behaviors of the Father’s other victims and Colomba realizes that someone has taken over his position. After finding Dante close to death, his recovery becomes her priority so that they can stop the murders and catch the King.

While Colomba was difficult to like in the beginning, once she re-teamed with Dante they worked well as a team. The actions of the Father and the King are both horrifying and heartbreaking and Dazieri ends his trilogy with a twist that is jaw-dropping. I would like to thank NetGalley and Scribner Publishing for providing this book for my review.

I haven't read the first two books, but this last in the three-book series gave some clues as to the action that went ahead involving the two protagonists. A major twist at the end is a little hard to believe, but it does tie up the loose ends well. In this book, the major criminal known as the Father has already been killed by Columba Caselli, of the Italian police, but there is a lot of mopping up to do, to find his followers who continue the psychological and physical cruelty of kidnapping and torturing young men and boys, and to find and free Caselli's police partner, Dante Torre.

This is book three in Caselli and Torre series and reads best as part of the set. The novel is spectacularly written with its nod to the dark, gritty world of crime and violence. Every part of this book was a roller coaster, offering readers non-stop thrills. The plot was taught, fast paced and unparalleled. The characters jump off the pages and pull the reader into the story. Absolutely loved it!

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC of #KillTheKing which was read and reviewed voluntarily.

I LOVED this dark disturbing and wholly original series!! The final installment was spectacular, tying all the loose ends together in the end with the perfect pacing, fraught tension and horrifying violence that comprised this amazing trilogy. Dazieri is a master at crafting incredibly complex characters who bend but never break despite the incredible parade of horribles that they undergo. There is a delicious and oddly delicate madness pervading the world of Casseli and Torre, and Dazieri's ability to paint a seemingly infinite number of atrocities, conspiracies, and brilliantly evil schemes with that palette is what makes these books so amazing. The plots, the characters, and the settings are so richly presented that they jump off the page. And the evil that lies at the hearts of this world's populace is stunning... It's a phenomenal combination that propels the reader into a nightmare that you don't want to end even while you're frantically scanning for the nearest exit. I'm beyond sad to see this series end - but can't wait to start again with book one because I'm dying to see all the details with knowing eyes now that I've seen how it all ties together!!

A very solid mystery with well fleshed-out characters, many, many twists and an ending that I just never saw coming. This is the third volume in the series and you need to read the first two before tackling this one. It shouldn’t be an issue because they are excellent, but the story takes off from where the second novel left off (in a huge cliffhanger) and there is no time to catch your breath before the plot is up to a breakneck speed. Dante and Colomba, the main characters, are very flawed. He is a genius who survived unspeakable abuse and has a lot of physical issues. Colomba has trusted the wrong people in the past so she’s not ready to let herself get close to anyone. Their relationship is complicated, but based in an unbreakable trust. The side plots involving the political intrigue of supporting characters are a little complicated but they didn’t distract from the main story. The whole series is addictive and meaty and this third volume may be the best yet.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/ Scribner!

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was good! It really ended this trilogy well. I have been a big fan of the stories since book one, and honestly I am surprised its not more popular. I feel that it tied up all the lose ends while still leaving it open enough to possibly have a fourth book.

I really enjoy the writing style and the pacing of this book. It was a great read.

Well, it's finally here: the finale of Sandrone Dazieri's "Caselli and Torre" series. It's been quite a ride since we first met these characters in Kill the Father, but these two have always stayed true to themselves -- even while navigating a seemingly never-ending barrage of threats, tragedies, and shocking revelations.

And it's all because of The Father.

Now, sure, we unmasked and even killed the Father in the first novel, but Kill the Angel proved that there was so much to more what that wretched excuse for a man was doing; there was a grander conspiracy at work. Kill the King lets us finally see just how far this grisy rabbit hole goes.

It goes pretty damn far...by the end I was covering my mouth because my jaw had dropped in horror. It's a finale filled with endless emotion, heartbreak, twists and turns, and betrayal. It's wholly satisfying, a rarity in many a series.

What I continued to love most about this series was (1) how violence is treated and distributed as well as (2) the treatment of mental illness, especially in the case of both Caselli and Torre. These are two extremely traumatized individuals, and for good reason. I noted in my review of Kill the Father that:
PTSD isn't uncommon in characters, especially in thrillers, but I do admit that I often find it frustrating when it's used as a seemingly convenient device to make a character seem vulnerable, yet never plays a greater role in the plot. The trauma of Colomba and Dante's respective pasts constantly haunts in a painful, visceral way -- sometimes it even gets in the way during important situations. The two are constantly taking both their own and each other's internal temperatures, knowing that, at any time, something could set the either off into a full-blown panic attack.
Yes, the results of their own respective PTSD -- anxiety, depression, panic attacks, claustrophobia -- are treated with both realism and respect. When attacks are (understandably) triggered, it can affect both these characters' ability to function in daily life. It's taken very seriously and in no way treated with disrespect or as nothing more than a 'character quirk' by Dazieri. As someone with both depression and anxiety, it's such a nice thing to see.

As for the violence: yes, these are thrillers and there is disturbing content. But in all the torture and death/murder...there is no sexual violence against women. What? A thriller with a female cop as the primary character and there's no rape or sexual assault? LE GASP! (Please feel my sarcasm.) But yes, it is true. Sure, women are victims...of murder, but those who die (male and female) and are victims are treated with respect. There is no objectification, and what "sensational" or gory details there are are not lingered upon in a tasteless manner. Brownie points to you, Signore Dazieri. Grazie. Grazie mille.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Kill The King.

I've been following this series from the beginning, and I was impressed from the first book, the writing was excellent, the research was thorough, and the characters were interesting and well developed.

The third and final book in the series takes off almost two years from the second book.

Caselli is still recuperating from a near fatal stab wound in the remote region of Italy. When an autistic boy is found on her property, covered with the blood of his murdered parents, Caselli is pulled into the investigation where nothing is as it seems.

When a series of clues leads Caselli to Dante, saving his life, bringing the two back together again.

As the investigation deepens and more people die, Dante and Caselli hunt for the true mastermind behind this devious plot, and all the events will lead to a shocking conclusion and demonstrated how things have finally come full circle.

I've been a fan of Dante Torre since the first book; the lanky, chain smoking, punkish rebel with astute skills akin to Sherlock Holmes but with a far more horrific childhood.

It took me a bit to warm up to CC; her abrasive and harsh demeanor rubbed me the wrong way, but I grew to like her. Her irritable personality has not diminished in the last book, a result of severe PTSD and emotional and mental distress, but this time I was accustomed to her behavior and even smiled when she snapped at certain people to assert authority.

There are many scenes of urgency and severe psychological and emotional stress, and there are many twists, which I didn't see coming, especially at the end.

Does that mean that it was easy to suspend disbelief?

In a way, yes, because I've been reading the series from the beginning, and the author does a great job of building the characters, especially Dante and world building about a time period based on real life horrific events.

The story isn't only about injustice and perversion; it's also about survival, friendship and the lengths we will go to find out who we are in a world that is confusing and harsh to so many, especially those suffering from depression and mental illness.

I really enjoyed how the author portrayed Dante's and CC's relationship; at first, belligerent and resentful, followed by loyalty, respect, admiration and the love that grows between a person you trust and admire. You believe in their friendship, which means you believe in them as individuals.

This was a satisfying conclusion to a thrilling trilogy filled with great writing, memorable characters and villainous and treacherous enemies.

This is the third book in the series, and I had trouble following the plot but then I realized I had skipped book two. The problems with this series is that the books are not that easy to find, and I still don't know what book two is titled. So I read the books because I enjoyed the relationship between the two main characters and the apt description of what it is like to suffer from mental health issues like PTSD. At times the plot seems a bit contrived like it was meant to written as a screenplay for an action movie because there seems to be a gratuitous amount of blowing things up. I also think the translation from Italian could be better, as I had trouble following all the ins and outs of the plot. My bet is that the series will be made into a film.

Kill the King and thus it ends. The electrifying trilogy of thrillers from Sandrone Dazieri. I read it, liked, almost loved it, but glad it’s over. Which is to say…ok, I don’t like series, never have. Books should be standalones. And if they can’t be standalones, they should have the decency to maintain a manageable format, such as a trilogy. But the thing is I didn’t know this was meant to be a trilogy going in and still plunged right into book three (despite its considerable size, another personal dislike of mine, almost no book needs to be that size, US edition lists it at nearly 400 but it’s probably more like 500 pages) and I did so purely because of how good these books and its characters are. I mean, that’s a convoluted compliment, but it is nevertheless a considerable one. A reader ignores personal preferences in favor of revisiting the world of Dante and Colomba. And yes, these books are billed as Colomba’s, but that is really a great injustice to Dante, in fact, it’s the most annoying things about these books, the way the subline proclaims them as adventures of what is essentially a lesser character. Not page time wise, in this book specifically, Colomba gets a lot of notice, Dante is, after all, missing, presumed dead by some, after the tragic events in Venice. Fifteen months pass, Colomba is retired from the force and trying to enjoy a quiet life in the middle of nowhere, when she is abruptly drawn into a murder mystery by an autistic boy who shows up at her place, wordless and drenched in blood. Turns out both his mother and his stepfather have been brutally murdered. Colomba can’t resist a good puzzle, even though she does her best puzzling out when assisted by the Sherlock of the team, the inimitable Dante Torre. Eventually it turns out to be a huge intricately interconnected conspiracy that ties the origin of the Father’s research and all the events of the previous books together. Eventually it will have a very satisfying ending. But to get there you have to wade through a lot of terrible, terrible things. In fact, things that may start to weight down the plot or reader’s attention. For a while, the book was so much like a police procedural, some of my least favorite thriller subgenres, albeit made more interesting by the international, specifically Italian, setting. And then there’s always the fact that Colomba is nowhere nearly as interesting as Dante, so you always waiting for Dante to arrive and Dante things up. But then there was that ending and it was just so epic. For as much mystery thrillers as I read( so very many indeed), to be that surprised by the ending…well, that’s really something. Well done, Mr. Dazieri. If socks were worn at the time, that’d be blown off. Loved it. And also, I just genuinely like the idea of the author wrapping it all up, three entries comprising a grand story he wanted to tell, done and done. There’s much to be said from walking away from a set of such awesome characters in a world that thrives on stretching concepts ad infinitum for the sake of a buck, or euro. I respect that. It should professional integrity and maintain the integrity of the story, which to me will always be a Dante Torre story. All in all, this was fun. I read this one in one day, in two long sittings and it was quite immersive. Absolutely a treasure trove for fans of dark psychological fiction. The author even included real links to back up his research. Fascinating, frightening things. What a fun adventure this has been. Great trilogy. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

This series is amazing. I’ve been fortunate to receive all three books in this series and none have disappointed. The main characters are well developed, the storylines are exciting and surprising. I truly did not see the ending of Kill the King coming. Just wow. Highly, highly recommend this book, as well as the previous two.

Kill the King caps off Sandrone Dazieri's trilogy in fine fashion. He pulls together the diverse themes of the first two books in this one. Fantastic read!