Tough, philosophical, and world-weary detective Aurelio Zen returns in Michael Dibdin's latest foray into the maze of Italian criminal and political entanglements.

This time Zen finds himself with an assignment he'd rather have avoided. After years of, shall we say, flirting with the enemy, he finds himself in the heart of hostile territory: Sicily, the ancient, beautiful island where blood has been known to flow like wine, if not water, and the distinction between the police and the criminals is a fine one. So when Zen's adopted daughter, Carla, comes across some information that certain people wish to remain secret and develops a friendship with a magistrate on the Mafia's most wanted list, the plot develops into one of Dibdin's most enthralling inventions.