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UNO SGUARDO INDISCRETO (An indiscreet glance), published by Longanesi, 1999. Co-written with Federico Zeri. ISBN: 88-304-1529-4
A vibrant thriller produced by the greatest Italian art critic and one of the most acclaimed Italian thriller authors. A tale full of passions, vices, statues, recipes and compromising photos...
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An investigation on stolen art works brings Maresciallo Ferdinando Merulla, an agent in force at the team for the protection of the Artistic Patrimony, to a breathtaking villa overlooking the lake of Lugano, where an American millionaire cultivates his passion for art, surrounded by a court of sexy lovers, loyal friends, trustworthy collaborators.
His smooth, elegant and sheltered life is upset when Dorothy Dickens, one of the most adorable guests, is found dead in his bathtub. A sudden fit of faintness, according to the doctor’s report. Brutal murder for Merulla who then finds himself involved in a complex investigation outside his very own jurisdiction and familiar ambient, though he is aware that the urge to kill is more likely to find ground in the most refined minds. The Assassin can only be a guest of the villa, but who? Could it be a jealous lover? Or was it maybe a friend who indeed was not a friend, or a greedy consultant, or else a too ambitious collaborator? Perhaps a house servant that has something to hide?
Suddenly feelings of resentment, greed, envy, and suspicion storm in the apparent idyllic resemblance of that golden world. The investigation proceeds between art works, grand manners, collections anxiety, reconstruction of Malatestian temples, Tuscan criminals, old burglaries and thousands and thousands of photos until the next, unavoidable murder occurs…
A witty novel whereby the irony of the story blends in smoothly with the complex plots of the best thrillers. The style is elegant though catching. The in depth description of the characters and of their feelings is in unison with the masterly described surrounding environment.
The reader will be able to appreciate again the tenacity, the human sympathy, the cooking abilities as well as the glooms of the down to earth Maresciallo Marulla, the unforgettable main character in NEVER WITH THE PICTURES, the first novel by this unusual pair of authors.