"Boisterous black comedy . . . funny and goodhearted, with much incident
and expert enthusiasm for sex, food and drink."--The Literary Review
"Much to enjoy in the clash of cultures and superstitions, even a tasty
recipe for poisoning your friends with pasta. Detail like this places
European crime writing on a par with its American
counterpart."--Belfast Independent
Some favors simply cannot be refused. Tonio agrees to write a love
letter for Dario, a low-rent Paris gigolo. When Dario is murdered, a
single bullet to the head, Tonio finds he has been left a small vineyard
near Naples. The wine is undrinkable, but an elaborate scam has been set
up. The smell of easy money attracts the unwanted attentions of the
Mafia and the Vatican and the unbridled hatred of the locals. Mafiosi
aren't choir boys, and monsignors can be very much like Mafiosi.
Winner of three mystery prizes in one year, including the Grand Prix de
la Littérature Policière and the Prix Mystère de la Critique.
Tonino Benacquista, born in France of Italian immigrants, dropped
out of film studies to finance his writing career. After being in turn a
museum watchman, a train guard on the Paris-Rome line and a professional
parasite on the Paris cocktail circuit, he is now a highly successful
author of fiction and film scripts.
