Biography

Maurizio de Giovanni (born March 31, 1958 in Napoli) is an Italian author of mystery novels. Maurizio de Giovanni was born in Naples in 1958; he has spent the majority of his life living and working there. In 2005 he decided to join a Porsche Italia competition reserved for giallo novelists, and that's where he came up with the character of Commissario Ricciardi, main protagonist of his first short story, “I vivi e I morti”. This was the start of his career as a writer. Subsequently, I Vivi e i morti served as an inspiration for Le lacrime del pagliaccio (later re-published as I will have vengeance – The winter of commissario Ricciardi).

With the publishing of this novel, the chronicles of Commissario Ricciardi began.

In 2007, Fandango published I will have vengeance – The winter of commissario Ricciardi, De Giovanni's first work inspired to the 4 seasons of the year. Following this, in 2008, Blood curse – The springtime of commissario Ricciardi was released. In 2009 came Everyone in their place – The summer of commissario Ricciardi and finally, in 2010, The day of the dead – The autumn of commissario Ricciardi was released. He started to gain a wider audience and made a name for himself because of this series.

In 2011 he had his first book published by Einaudi, By my hand – A commissario Ricciardi mystery.

In 2012 de Giovanni wrote in the noir genre with a book titled The Crocodile (Il metodo del coccodrillo), introducing a new main character, Ispettore Lojacono.

In the same year, together with Einaudi, he published the pocket version of the seasons’ novels and the brand new Viper – A commissario Ricciardi mystery.

In 2013 The Bastards of Pizzofalcone (I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone) was released. The book was inspired by the 87th Precinct novels from author Ed McBain, and marked De Giovanni's transition from the noir genre to the police procedural. Soon after, he published Darkness for the Bastards of Pizzofalcone (Buio per i Bastardi di Pizzofalcone), the second entry in what would become the 'Pizzofalcone' novels. In 2017, The Bastards of Pizzofalcone was adapted as a televisions series of the same name for Rai 1.

In the same month as Darkness was completed, his short story Un giorno di Settembre a Natale, contained in the anthology Regalo di Natale, was published by the editor Sellerio.

2014 was a prolific year for de Giovanni. Not only were 15 of his noir stories released in the Mani insanguinate anthology, he also had two new novels published: Bottom of your heart (by Einaudi) and Gelo per i bastardi di Pizzofalcone.

In 2015, Glass souls, the 8th installment in the Ricciardi's series, was released. In the same year, he appeared at an event at the Italian Cultural Institute in Edinburgh, in conversation with academic Raffaella Ocone discussing the success of the detective story.In 2016, de Giovanni had both Serenata senza nome. Notturno per il commissario Ricciardi and Pane per i Bastardi di Pizzofalcone published.

The majority of his works are currently translated into the following languages: English, Spanish, Catalan, French and German.

He's an atheist.