Alpini by Eric V. Youngquist

About the book

Alpini is set in 1980, when Italy was beset by terrorist attacks. Dario Alfieri, chairman of the international conglomerate Alfindustria, is concerned about strange "accidents" that have bedeviled one of its subsidiaries, a small joint venture with a US company. When his young protégé is ambushed and killed, he calls on David della Croce for help. The two are lifelong friends, having served together as officers in the fabled Alpini and the Italian resistance during World War II. He is confident that David, a Boston attorney and long-time counsel to Alfindustria, will find out what is happening and who is responsible.

David is assisted by his son Mark, a junior partner in David's firm, and Mark's friend and fellow FBI alumnus Jim DiStephano. They uncover a web of deception and deceit, and finally realize that the subsidiary is only a diversion. The real target is Alfindustria, and the next victim is Dario himself. They foil the plot and capture the killer. In the process they do battle with a KGB agent, a hired killer and a band of fanatical terrorists. The Mafia and CIA are also involved. The villain in the plot is none other than Francesco Giambetta, a trusted senior executive of the company who would be the logical successor if Dario were dead. The KGB agent working with Giambetta is helping his take over scheme thinking that the company can be used as a funnel for funds to finance world terrorism. Giambetta, on the other hand, has no intention of sharing Alfindustria with anyone, least of all communists or terrorists. When the plot fails, the KGB agent kills Giambetta and then is killed himself while trying to escape.

About the author

Eric V. Youngquist has had a varied career. After two years as a teaching fellow at Cornell, he joined the Foreign Service, serving in diplomatic assignments in Thailand and Finland as well as in the State Department. That was followed by more than twenty-five years of corporate law practice, beginning as an associate with a prominent Wall Street firm. In writing Alpini, he drew upon his experiences while serving as a general counsel for a large international corporation based in northern Italy. He and his wife Georgianna are inveterate travelers. They live in Nashville, Tennessee.