Synopsis

While the political and institutional world is in turmoil over the impending election of the new head of state and the main party of the Italian left is torn apart by the clash between the old guard and the aggressive new generation, the young deputy prosecutor Berg, recently transferred to Rome, investigates the disappearance of Grazia Marthensen, a high-society lady with a background in finance. A wiretap by the woman's partner, the distinguished lawyer Pastor, reveals evidence suggesting illicit interference to prevent the leading candidate, close to the left, from winning the Quirinale. What happened to Mrs. Marthensen? Was she kidnapped, murdered, or simply absent? What is the connection between her disappearance and the maneuvers aimed at influencing the selection of the new president of the Republic? And what role does Pastor, whose ambitions for that office are not unknown, have in all this? The investigation immediately becomes an uphill battle for Berg: shadowy forces are trying to stop him by any means, quickly escalating from flattery to intimidation. Navigating the treacherous and bumpy road to the truth, without getting caught in the dense web of plots and intrigues someone is weaving around him, will require all his wit, determination, and a little luck. A profound expert on the mechanisms of power and the effects it can have on people, with this surprising debut in crime fiction, Luciano Violante offers us a glimpse into the secret rooms where it is exercised, masterfully revealing some of its darkest sides.