"Doyens of the Italian detective story, Fruttero and Lucentini, offer a perfect blend of the comedy of manners and the macabre…" ---Tim Parks, author of Hotel Milano 

An atmospheric classic set in Venice over the course of three days; the plot is bookended by the arrival of a plane and the departure of a ship. 

She is an elegant Roman signora who scouts for one of the large English auction houses. He is a fascinating, mysterious man of indeterminate age, the leader of a tour group, who seems to know every language and all secrets. But who is he really? Around them, the canals and lagoons of Venice, a city which becomes a character in the novel in its own right. 

“A labyrinth full of shapeshifting and ambiguity, sometimes sinister, often hilarious, for which Venice offers the perfect setting.” ---Jonathan Keates, author of La Serenissima: The Story of Venice 

" An undiscovered gem, finally available in English...witty, moving and enthrallingly atmospheric." Philip Gwynne Jones, author of The Venetian Legacy.