Il Lupo by Gregory Alexander Sharp

  

Il Lupo

By Gregory Alexander Sharp

SUMMARY:

When Nick Frobisher's father reveals he is dying, Nick reconnects with his old friend Charlie Mortimer. Now wracked with grief, Nick invites Charlie to join him on a trip to the Amalfi Coast in Italy.
When they arrive, it becomes clear that Charlie suffers with anxiety and panic attacks, yet a self-medicating Frobisher steers them into harm's way. Bar fights, a night in the cells, drunken behaviour, and Charlie's anxiety only increases. Just when it seems things can't go much worse, they do, as Nick and Charlie find themselves confronting a man who is believed to be a werewolf. This man's name is Telemaco Russo, and wherever he goes, trouble follows.
Now, with the full moon approaching, Charlie must find a way to protect those he loves, and save his own soul - but first, he must take on Telemaco, and somehow survive the experience.
And what of Fredo Esposito? Fredo is a man whose family has been decimated by a lycanthrope, and now, he wants revenge. What will that mean for Charlie and his hopes of redemption?

Il Lupo takes us to some of the most breathtaking locations imaginable, from the extraordinary beauty of the Amalfi Coast to the rugged Highlands of Scotland and the incredible ruins of Pompeii in the shadow of the brooding Mount Vesuvius. Follow in the footsteps of Charlie and Frobisher as they face up to the stresses of modern life and a curse as ancient as the hills.

 

TERRI’S REVIEW:

In travel, many of us seek to go beyond our comfort zone; to encounter new experiences and to even have a bit of adventure. Charlie Mortimer and his best friend from university, Nick Frobsher, are out to do just that. Nick is grieving the loss of his father; Charlie is stuck in a self-imposed micro-managed life that may stem from unresolved childhood trauma. When the two reconnect after years of separation, Nick convinces Charlie to embark with him on a loosely planned jaunt to Nick’s family villa along the Amalfi Coast. It is part pilgrimage, part escape, and part old roommates reliving their university party days.

Almost immediately, they encounter much more than they bargained for. Italy, especially the south, is filled with lore, legends, and superstitions that permeate daily life. In the case of Charlie and Nick, one legend in particular becomes more than a story - it becomes a reality with dire consequences. 

 “Il Lupo” means “the wolf” in Italian. The title signals that this novel may depart from the many about the magic of Italian ambience, love found there, love lost there, and roots regained there. Diving in, you discover this departure is true.

The book begins with a flash forward of Charlie Mortimer confiding in a psychiatrist shortly after his return from the trip with Nick. It’s a normal enough action that grounds us in the reality needed to carry the rest of the story. Charlie fears he is a werewolf. Apparently, this is a plausible syndrome called clinical lycanthropy. It is a rare psychiatric syndrome where an individual has a delusion of shape-shifting, often associated with underlying mental health conditions. The psychiatrist reassures Charlie that he is likely suffering from extreme stress due to the events he and Nick experienced during their trip. Through alternating narratives around a mysterious Neapolitan named Telemaco, and Charlie and Nick’s travel experiences, we soon learn that the reassurance is premature. What follows is an ever-escalating set of circumstances that whisks the reader through a densely written yet gripping narrative. 

Mr Sharp’s skill in laying out these escalations keeps us in the thralls of his unfolding story. His writing is muscular, with the heft needed to convey the seriousness of the situations and still move events along. Since they deal with the supernatural, it takes some skill to maintain one’s belief in them. Mr Sharp possesses that skill in ample measure. His writing is sufficiently detailed that we become immersed in the world he creates; we’re hooked into believing every word. He also doesn’t shy away from the more gruesome descriptions of some of the action, but none of it is gratuitous; it isn’t alienating.

While I hesitate to compare authors, I will say I am a great Stephen King fan. Mr Sharp’s way of immersing us into the world of the supernatural while remaining rooted in very human emotions and relationships is as masterful as Mr King’s. This is a singular kind of book for one in the genre of stories set in Italy. I loved it.  

         

 

AUTHOR BIO:

GREGORY ALEXANDER SHARP is a professional services executive who has worked for some of the world's best-known tech and consulting companies. He's always been something of a storyteller, and a huge fan of the supernatural tales that made his spine tingle as a boy. Greg is also a multi-published author, podcaster, and voice actor. Gregory Alexander Sharp is a business executive with a career in technology and consulting spanning three decades. Greg has worked at director level for some of the most recognisable brands in the world.

Having been introduced to the horror genre as a boy when his father suggested he watch Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein one afternoon, Greg's work has something of a feel of the old school about it. More thriller than out-and-out horror, Il Lupo and Kill and Cure tell the story of Charlie Mortimer and his encounters with the ancient curse of the werewolf.

Greg lives in the south of England with his wife, Dee, and their four-legged family. Greg is a keen golfer and holds a black belt in karate.

BOOK BLURB:

Independently published (Jan 2023)

 

OTHER BOOKS BY THE AUTHOR:

Kill and Cure - Il Lupo 2.0 ( September 2023)

The Trapdoor: A Short Story- Short Stories for Halloween (October 2024)

The Bridge - a ghostly short story (Oct 2023)

If you would like to know more about the author and the book, you can listen to Gregory Alexander Sharp on Werewolf- The Podcast