WINNER OF THE CWA GOLD DAGGER

'Tremendously exciting.' RUTH RENDELL

'Energetic and genre-stretching.' GUARDIAN

AN AURELIO ZEN MYSTERY

Police Commissioner Aurelio Zen has faced off against the establishment before - and lost. But from the depths of a mundane desk job in Rome, he is unexpectedly transferred to Perugia to take over an explosive kidnapping case involving one of Italy's most powerful families.

However, nobody really wants Zen to succeed: not the local authorities, who see him as an outsider, and certainly not Miletti's children, who seem content to let the head of the family remain in the hands of his abductors - if he's still alive.

'A brilliant read, enjoyed every page.' 5* reader review

'Brilliantly plotted and beautifully written... Great background and attention to detail.' 5* reader review

'If you like anything Italian you'll like this.' 5* reader review

PRAISE FOR MICHAEL DIBDIN AND THE INSPECTOR ZEN SERIES:

'He wrote with real fire.' IAN RANKIN

'A maestro of crime writing.' SUNDAY TIMES

'One of the genre's finest stylists... And Zen himself is a masterly creation: he is anti-heroic and pragmatic but stubborn, cunning and positively burdened with integrity.' GUARDIAN

'Dibdin tells a rollicking good tale that you want both to read quickly because of its gripping storyline, and to linger over to savor the evocative descriptions of place and mood.' INDEPENDENT

'One of British crime fiction's most distinguished and distinctive voices.' ANDREW TAYLOR

'Dibdin has a gift for shocking even the most unshockable reader.' Ruth Rendell

'Zen is one of the greatest creations of contemporary crime fiction.' OBSERVER

'I love the way these books capture the atmosphere and contradictions of Italy.' 5* reader review

'Aurelio Zen novels are a great treat.' 5* reader review

'There is no better writer than Dibdin. His books are a joy to read.' 5* reader review

'Love these books... I am sure you will get hooked too!' 5* reader review

Pages: 464, Dimensions: 12.5x12.5cm