Aurelio Zen returns to his native Venice to investigate the disappearance of a rich American resident but he soon learns that nothing is what it seems. As he is drawn deeper into the mysteries surrounding the discovery of a skeletal corpse on an ossuary island, he is forced to confront a series of disturbing revelations about his own life.

'A rollicking good tale.' INDEPENDENT
'A first-rate mystery.' WASHINGTON POST

AN AURELIO ZEN MYSTERY

Aurelio Zen returns to his native Venice in an unofficial capacity, to investigate the disappearance of an American millionaire. But he is quickly reminded that, amid the hazy light and shifting waters of the lagoon, nothing is what it seems.

As he is drawn deeper into the ambiguous mysteries surrounding the discovery of a skeletal corpse, he is also forced to confront a series of disturbing revelations about his own life.

'Absolutely brilliant . . . made me want to go back to travel in Italy again.' 5* reader review
'I loved this book . . . a good storyline, and enough twists to keep me guessing.' 5* reader review
'Perfect entertainment.' 5* reader review
'My personal favourite in a great series.' 5* reader review

PRAISE FOR MICHAEL DIBDIN AND THE INSPECTOR ZEN SERIES:
'He wrote with real fire.' IAN RANKIN
'A maestro of crime writing.' SUNDAY TIMES
'One of the genre's finest stylists . . . And Zen himself is a masterly creation: he is anti-heroic and pragmatic but obstinate, cunning and positively burdened with integrity.' GUARDIAN
'Dibdin tells a rollicking good tale that you want both to read fast, because of its gripping storyline, and to linger over, to savour the evocative descriptions of place and mood.' INDEPENDENT
'One of British crime fiction's most distinguished and distinctive voices.' ANDREW TAYLOR
'Dibdin has a gift for shocking the unshockable reader.' Ruth Rendell
'Zen is one of the greatest creations of contemporary crime fiction.' OBSERVER
'I love the way these books capture the atmosphere and contradictions of Italy.' 5* reader review
'Aurelio Zen novels are a great treat.' 5* reader review
'There is no better writer than Dibdin. His books are a joy to read.' 5* reader review
'Love these books . . . I am sure you will get hooked too!' 5* reader review