Description

In the piazza, a man lies dead. No one will say if they witnessed his killing. This presents a challenge to the investigating officer, a man who earnestly believes in the values of a democratic and modern society. Indeed, his enquiries are soon blocked off by a wall of silence and vested interests; he must work against the community to save it and expose the truth.The narrative moves on two levels: that of the investigator, who reveals a chain of savage crimes; and that of the bystanders and watchers, of those complicit with secret power, whose gossipy, furtive conversations have only one end – to stop the truth coming out.

This novel about the Mafia is also a mesmerizing demonstration of how that organization sustains itself. It is both a beautifully, tautly written story and a brave act of denunciation.

Publisher Review

The most intelligent detective story I have ever read and the ideal introduction to Sciascia’s brilliant but little known oeuvre — Thomas Wright * Daily Telegraph * The best evocation of Sicily I’ve read, this is one for the crime connoisseurs — Leslie Forbes A very well-written page turner. This is an absorbing and compelling story * Northampton Chronicle * One of the major writers of the age * Time Literary Supplement * A detective story that is so much more; sharp and precise and demanding the reader to render judgement * Absolutely Chelsea * Irresistible… The finest writer [out of these classic sleuth reissues] — Anthony Cummins * Metro * The accessibility and beauty of Sciascia’s prose suggest he wanted it to be an antidote to the silent complicity and self-deception confronting both him and his heroes. When he wrote about crime, he was also writing about truth, solitude and belonging * Observer * The first novel written in Italy about the mafia… Powerful and remarkable, full of telling details and uncomfortable truths * The Times *