I’d read somewhere about The Day Of The Owl being the first work of fiction to describe the Sicilian Mafia and was intrigued…
It’s the translation of a fairly short story (I haven’t yet read Equal Danger the second of the novellas in this edition), and largely centres around the procedural investigation following a murder of a trade unionist in front of a bus full of locals in a small town.
The policeman attempting to track down and charge the murderer is immediately frustrated by the natural inclination to omerta – nobody wants to say they saw anything. Then when questioning the family of related persons who are missing, suspected dead, he struggles to get them to admit the mafia may be responsible; more than that, they barely want to acknowledge they exist.
Then when questioning a mafia leader, the arrogance and confidence that no charges will follow really illustrate the depth of the societal infiltration of organised crime – even as a “clean” cop from the mainland, he simply cannot push forward due to all manner of external influences.
A very enjoyable read and an atmospheric depiction of mid-20th century Sicilian life.
