Read an excerpt from Who Killed the Mayor by Jeffrey Archer
| Published date | 21 December 2022 |
| Publication title | Express, The/The Express on Sunday: Web Edition Articles (London, England) |
As for the olive oil, the only reason you never see a bottle in your local supermarket is because many of the leading Michelin starred restaurants won't consider allowing any other brand on their premises.
The bonus, which allows the locals to enjoy a standard of living envied by their neighbours, is their truffles. Restaurateurs travel from all corners of the globe in search of the Cortoglia truffle.
It's true some people have been known to leave Cortoglia and seek their fortunes further afield, but the more sensible among them return fairly quickly. The town boasts only half a dozen shops and a restaurant. The council wouldn't sanction any more for fear it might attract tourists.
There is no train service, and a bus appears once a week for those foolish enough to wish to travel to Naples.The town is run by the Consiglio Comunale, made up of six elders. The most junior member, whose lineage only goes back three generations, is not considered by all to be a local.
The mayor, Salvatore Farinelli, his son Lorenzo Farinelli, Mario Pellegrino, the manager of the olive oil company, Paolo Carrafini, the owner of the winery, and Pietro De Rosa, the truffle master, are all automatically members of the council.
The one remaining place comes up for election every five years. As no one had stood against Umberto Cattaneo, the local butcher, for the past 15 years, voters had almost forgotten how to conduct an election.
The Polizia Locale had consisted of a single officer, Luca Gentile, whose authority derived from the city of Naples, and Luca tried not to disturb them unnecessarily. This story concerns the one occasion it was necessary.
No one could be certain where Dino Lombardi had come from but, like a black cloud, he appeared overnight, and was clearly more interested in thunderstorms than showers. With the build of a heavyweight boxer who didn't expect his bouts to last for more than a couple of rounds, he began his reign of terror with the weaker inhabitants of the town.
He persuaded the shopkeepers, the local tradesmen and the restaurateur they needed protection, even if they couldn't be sure from whom as there hadn't been a serious crime in Cortoglia in living memory.
To be fair, Constable Gentile was due to retire in a few months' time at the...
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