Book Review: Runaway Horses by Carlo Fruttero and Franco Lucentini

Siena, one of Italy’s most beautiful cities, is feverishly preparing for the Palio, a horse race dating back to the Middle Ages, held every summer in the centre of the town.

Tempers flare, rivalries between the competing neighbourhoods intensify. Milanese lawyer Enzo Maggione and his wife Valeria are unwittingly caught up in the death of a jockey and a maelstrom of plots, counterplots and bribes surrounding the race.

What begins as a listless excursion to a medieval equestrian competition turns into a hallucinatory nightmare for Maggione and his wife, awakening their dormant libido, for each other but, more dangerously, for others in their entourage.

*****

The annual Palio horse race is due to take place in Siena. Days before, Avvovato (Enzo) Maggioni and his wife Valeria end up at a strange house after taking a wrong turn. What they find is intrigue and before long, they get mixed up in a murder.

The premise of this book did catch my attention. I had no previous knowledge of the Palio and its history so it was interesting to discover it through this novel. Although I’m not sure I want to witness the race, I’d love to visit Siena.

I will admit, it did take me a few pages to settle into this novel but as I got further into the story, I got completely immersed as the authors drew me completley into the plot and the setting. I felt like I was standing with the characters witnessing this historical event. I could feel their passion and emotions.

When it comes to the characters, Enzo and Valeria are fasinating. A couple who are disconnected from one another then find themselves surrounded by mystery and a chance to re-discover themselves. The other characters within the novel are also compelling. I don’t want to say too much as I don’t want to give too much away.

Runaway Horses is a good read for fans of history, horses and/or the beauty of Italy. At the heart of this book is a great mystery that keeps you reading until the last page.

(Thank you to Bitter Lemon Press for the free copy in exhange for an honest review.)

About Carlo Fruttero and Franco Lucentini – 

Carlo Fruttero (1926-2012) and Franco Lucentini (1920-2002) are legendary authors in Europe, known as pioneers of the modern crime genre. 

The Lover of No Fixed Abode, their most successful novel, is one of six works of fiction they wrote together. It was published in 1986 in Italian and never before available in English.

In 2025 Bitter Lemon published Runaway Horses, their murder mystery set in Siena during the Palio, the city’s colourful annual horse-race. Translation by Gregory Dowling. 

Find out more on the Bitter Lemon Press website. 

Click to buy Runaway Horses on Amazon and Waterstones. 

by

Laura

I'm Laura. I started Novel Kicks back in 2009 as I wanted a place to discuss books and writing - two loves of my life. As someone who has anxiety, these two things give me, and I am sure countless others, a much needed escape.
There is a monthly book club, writing exercises, prompts, reviews, author interviews, competitions and guest posts. I cover many genres and I hope there is something for everyone.
I grew up by the sea in Dorset and currently live in Poole with my husband, Chris and three cats. I love writing and have a BA (Hons) in Creative Writing from Falmouth University. I am writing my first book. If only I could stop pressing delete. Chris has threatened to stop it from working. Haha.
I have always loved creative writing since I was in first school and would very much like to meet my teacher, Miss Sayers, to say thank you for all the encouragement she gave me then.
When not writing, I love reading, cats, Disney, singing (I can't sing but this doesn't stop me,) and falling into a good TV show or film. If I could step into any fictional world, it would be amongst the characters in ABC's Once Upon a Time.
I love reading many genres and discovering new authors.