INTERVIEWS

Accompanied by our journalist PIERA FONTANA, readers will discover, through her exclusive interviews for MaxSixtySix.com, curiosities and behind-the-scenes insights they won’t find anywhere else.

Exclusive Interviews from MaxSixtySix.com

MaxSixtySix.com – Piera Fontana
December 7, 2025

The air in Varese is humid, heavy with the scent of coffee and the first hints of autumn rain. We are at Dolci Sensazioni, a discreet corner known to regulars as reserved for the elite of the police headquarters, where Ivan, the owner, already knows his guests’ tastes before they even order.

The release of the novel THE GOLFER revealed to the world Operation Fournier, an investigation that shook the Anti-Crime Unit of Varese, taking Deputy Chief Max Colombo (“SixtySix”), Deputy Inspector Chiara Galli, and Dr. Aldo Renga on a surreal journey through ancient Egyptian curses, international trafficking, and institutional secrets.

As we wait for their breakfast, we observe their dynamic: Max is already on the phone, gesturing energetically; Chiara flips rapidly through the news on her tablet; Aldo, impassive, examines his glass of water through his spectacles as if it were an artifact. They are a team. And after everything they have been through, they are an enigma to be unraveled.

This interview is a tightrope: curiosities about their lives, clues about the criminal organization, and the utmost discretion regarding the most sensitive details that brought the case to a close.

Aldo Renga: The Science of Evidence and the Chinese Lamp

MaxSixtySix.com: Dr. Renga, for readers you are the bridge between the pragmatism of forensic science and millennial mystery. Did the Fournier case, which began with a discovery at the Sacred Mountain, truly challenge your scientific certainties?

Aldo: (Sips his cappuccino, carefully cleaning his round glasses) Our investigation is an investigation of time. Forensic science analyzes tangible evidence to reconstruct the how and the when. Egyptology, my true passion, seeks to reconstruct the why of entire civilizations. But don’t think I live in a pyramid! Max always teases me about my decor… he says my multicolored Chinese LED lamp clashes with the ancient artifacts. Even an Egyptologist needs a touch of pop, right?

The discovery at the Sacred Mountain threw us into a world that touched the occult. We had to confront the possibility that millennia-old beliefs could directly impact a modern murder. The real challenge was understanding how such a modern and ruthless organization could use the past—and its mystique—to manipulate the present. Chilling, but not supernatural; it was sophisticated deception.

MaxSixtySix.com: You have traveled extensively, from Varese to the Valley of the Kings in Luxor and Lake Tana in Ethiopia. What is your personal luxury outside the police force?

Aldo: (Laughs heartily) Ah, Max and Chiara tease me, but my home isn’t an unauthorized museum, it’s a chronicle of my travels! Every fridge magnet, every legally acquired artifact, is a piece of history I carry with me. Otherwise, I’m a modest man. My wealth exists entirely in my head… and perhaps in a good Gin & Tonic, which I never refuse when Max stops by to review the case. After the adrenaline of such a complex investigation, the only true luxury is the tranquility of a Varese Calcio match and the promise of the next flight to the Nile, dreaming of being the next Howard Carter.

Chiara Galli: Logic, Tactics, and Frank Sinatra

MaxSixtySix.com: Deputy Inspector Galli, your role is to maintain logic in an investigation where the truth is constantly manipulated. Was there a moment—between the offices in Turin, Singapore, and Madrid—when the trail seemed lost?

Chiara: In an investigation where technology is used to make us believe the false, doubt is the only working tool. At first, we chased ghosts: first a cult, then a billionaire, then something even bigger. The organization was incredibly well-funded and ruthless. The turning point came when we realized we weren’t investigating a crime, but a dangerous performance orchestrated to mislead us.

That’s when I had to bring out my most tactical side, assisting Max with logistics and constructing what in the novel is called the “false narrative” to protect our real moves. My international training—Edinburgh Law School—helped me not to lose my head in the Italian chaos.

MaxSixtySix.com: You and Max are very close, not just professionally. You love Frank Sinatra; Max is a blues rocker. How does jazz reconcile with a Ragazzon exhaust?

Chiara: (Laughs, adjusting her long blonde hair) Ah, Max’s 124 Spider is like the fourth member of the team, but how noisy it is! I started playing Fly Me To The Moon to help him relax during work nights. Our musical differences reflect our synergy: his instinct, my analysis. After a mission, I have my rituals: good food—perhaps a filet of salmon trout like that time at the lake—and my little obsession with fresh scents. These are my ways to return to normalcy.

Max “SixtySix” Colombo: Instinct, the Road, and the “Tough Guy”

MaxSixtySix.com: Deputy Chief Colombo, Route 66 is your philosophy. In a case that moved between foggy valleys and chaotic metropolises, how essential was it to stick to your idea of freedom: taking the road less traveled to find the truth?

Max: (Caresses his metal Route66 mug, always with him) Exactly. Freedom is key. Sometimes, when trapped in the fog of bureaucracy or institutional misdirection, you must take the longer road to find the truth. This case severely tested our trust at every level. We dealt with a “mole” and had to operate undercover, trusting only a tight circle—us three and Franco Restelli in Rome.

MaxSixtySix.com: About outlets for stress: your red Fiat 124 Spider. Is it true that the Ragazzon exhaust is more a statement than an engine?

Max: (Smiles proudly) The Spider is my outlet, my signal of freedom. Not the most discreet car for an undercover investigation, but it reminds you who you are and what you want. In the evening, I return to the basics: a glass of Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel, Dire Straits blasting, and I make peace with the world.

MaxSixtySix.com: The novel’s epilogue hints at a trip to the West with Chiara and a “small favor” for a friend. Should readers fear trouble even on vacation?

Max: (Sips coffee) We’ll go to Arizona. No Harley this time; we rented a camper for more comfort, a compromise I gladly made for Chiara. But… let’s say there’s a “small favor” to handle in Seligman: a missing man, an old unsolved case Restelli mentioned to me. Just a glance, nothing official! If there are deceptions in the world, there will be a place for Max SixtySix.

Epilogue: The Next Road

As Max rises to pay, Chiara and Aldo exchange a look: a resigned smile on Chiara’s face, Aldo already lost in thoughts about which magnet to buy in Arizona for his fridge. The tranquility at Dolci Sensazioni is fleeting, like a clue at a crime scene.

THE GOLFER revealed an organization with ancient roots and modern tentacles, but the real stakes were the team’s survival. Our three protagonists made it, overcoming deceptions and threats that went beyond criminal logic.

For readers just beginning the journey: get ready. The Fournier case isn’t just an investigation; it’s a labyrinth where every certainty collapses. For readers who know the ending: you know that the arrest of one man is only the first step. There is always a next road.

Stay tuned. Max will be back soon!

A MaxSixtySix.com production – Piera Fontana