The book provides an exemplary account of the period following the assassination of Judge Giovanni Falcone, highlighting the mafia's terror campaign and the authorities' response. The narrative is engaging and well-paced, offering insights into the broader impact on both the mafia and the police.
John Follain's book, Vendetta, delves into the aftermath of Judge Giovanni Falcone's assassination, which was orchestrated by Salvatore Riina. The mafia's subsequent terror campaign, including killings and bombings, aimed to reassert their power but also alienated many mafiosi who found some acts against their moral code. Follain's narrative is gripping, with a thrilling pace and tension, while also providing a deeper understanding of how these events affected both the mafia and the authorities. The book is a compelling read that sheds light on the complexities of the mafia's operations and the efforts to combat them.
Quick quotes
Follain tells the story with an almost thrillerish sense of pace and tension, but never loses sight of how the Falcone case dramatically affected the wider workings of both the mafia and the police.
A wave of killings and bombings ensued, but as journalist John Follain shows in this exemplary account of the period, the campaign also galvanised the authorities into action, and alienated many mafiosi, who saw some of the acts (killing priests and children, for example) as going against the mafia’s “moral code”.
It wasn’t the first time the mafia had tried to kill Falcone: a series of bungled attempts stretched back almost a decade.