Detective Linus
Linus likes to work in the shadows, but he’s a detective so famous that he’s destined for glory! He claims to have a personal secretary, whom he refers to as Mum for convenience’s sake, and an assistant, Bagarre, a little dog whose potential Mum doesn’t seem to have understood yet. He is an eccentric and awkward version of the famous film noir investigators.One summer morning, Linus receives a postcard from his friend Giangi. Apparently there’s a new threat in town. It seems like a case for Linus, the most famous young detective around! Of course, he should be doing his holiday homework, but how can he concentrate on that when his town is teeming with crimes and mysteries?
• Linus has very specific ideas about how to be an investigator. You need: 1) incredible disguise skills– hence his costume wardrobe; 2) the ability to make snap decisions – which mum then shoots down; 3) a painstaking dedication to investigating cases – necessarily leading him to neglect his homework.
• A story inspired by classics that borrows all the typical features of the noir genre: the detective, the secretary, the cop, the sidekick, the femme fatale, the secret informant, the villains, even jazz music (and some trap too).
Angelo Mozzillo was born in Naples in 1988 before moving to Milan to attend film school. He stayed there, but instead of working on film sets he focused on writing. He likes discovering new stories and making up his own, mixing and reinventing words like shuffling a pack of cards. His latest works include the picture book Io sono foglia (I am a Leaf), Bacchilega Junior, 2020, illustrated by Marianna Balducci and winner of the 2021 Andersen and SuperAndersen prizes.
