Translated from the Italian by Howard Curtis & Isabelle Kaufeler
2015 Longlist
The latest case for Florentine Police Chief Michele Ferrara
After enduring years at the mercy of an infamous serial killer, the people of Florence are relieved at the news of his death – until a senator and his butler are found brutally murdered.
Chief Superintendent Michele Ferrara suspects that the case isn’t closed and as he becomes trapped in a spiral of vendettas and corruption, a powerful adversary is conspiring against him from the shadows. When he’s confronted with dead ends and unreliable theories, discovering the truth is only the beginning for Ferrara as he finds himself face-to-face with something rotten at the heart of the city . . .
The Dark Heart of Florence is a stunning work of detective fiction, written with incomparable authenticity by former Florentine police chief Michele Giuttari. Evocative, gripping and atmospheric, it has been a major bestseller in Italy and across Europe.
(From Publisher)
About the Author
Michele Giuttari is former head of the Florence Police Force (1995-2003), where he was responsible for re-opening the Monster of Florence case and jailing several key Mafia figures.
About the Translators
Howard Curtis is a British freelance literary translator from French, Italian and Spanish. In 2013 he won the Marsh Award for Children’s Literature in Translation for his translation of In The Sea there are Crocodiles by Fabio Geda.
Isabelle Kaufeler studied Spanish and Italian at Cambridge University and has a Masters in Literary Translation. She has co-translated with Nick Caistor and with Howard Curtis.
Librarian’s Comments
After enduring years at the mercy of an infamous serial killer, the people of Florence rejoice at news of his death – until a senator is found brutally murdered. To Chief Superintendent Michele Ferrara the case is very much alive. But, with a powerful adversary conspiring against him, he is trapped in a spiral of corruption and deadly speculation. As the truth comes to light, Ferrara is left standing face-to-face with something truly rotten at the heart of the city… The Dark Heart of Florence is an evocative, gripping work of detective fiction, and a major bestseller across Europe.