A Death in Tuscany (Michele Ferrara) [Paperback]

For A Florentine Death: '...has all the hallmarks of becoming a classic of the genre - a highly atmospheric tale of murder, the mafia and the rarely explored criminal underbelly of Florentine life...Ferrara is set to run and run.' Mirror ** 'An exceptional thriller and I'd wager a handy sum that Michele Ferrara will be with us for some time to come.' Evening Herald ** 'Giuttari shapes his knowledge and experience into a cracking page-turner.' RTE Guide

`Each scene is convincing and well-realised'

`The plot is clever and fast-moving, the atmosphere, not surprisingly, authentic'

'The author has all the marks of a man who knows his subject'

`...a reliably absorbing account of the murkier side of modern Italy'

In the picturesque Tuscan hill town of Scandicci, the body of a girl is discovered, lying by the edge of the woods. The local police investigate the case-but after a week, they still haven't even identified her, let alone got to the bottom of how she died. Frustrated by the lack of progress, Chief Superintendent Michele Ferrara, head of Florence's elite Squadra Mobile, decides to step in. Because toxins were discovered in the girl's body, many assumed that she died of a self-inflicted drugs overdose. But Ferrara quickly realises that the truth is darker than that: he believes that the girl was murdered. And when he delves deeper, there are many aspects to the case that convince Ferrara that the girl's death is part of a sinister conspiracy-a conspiracy that has its roots in the very foundations of Tuscan society...

Michele Giuttari is former head of the Florence police force (1995-2003), where he was responsible for re-opening The Monster of Florence case and jailing several key Mafia figures. He is now a special adviser to the interior minister in Rome, with a special remit to monitor Mafia activity.