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‘He’d almost walked right over it when he finally saw it for what it was: a stain of red blood, churned into the white blanket of snow…’After getting on the wrong side of the wrong people in Rome, Deputy Police Chief Rocco Schiavone is exiled to Aosta, a small, touristy alpine town far from the cobbled streets and fritto misto of his beloved city.Rocco’s talent for solving crimes is matched only by his disdain for the rules and his eye for a beautiful woman. But when a mangled body is found on the ski slopes, he soon discovers that his Roman sophistication – not to mention his expensive Roman shoes – are of little help in this dangerous and unfamiliar mountain landscape.With blood on the black run, rumours of mafia involvement and a murderer at large, Deputy Police Chief Schiavone is about to find himself skating on very thin ice…

Small towns can hide big secrets, but Rocco Schiavone will do whatever it takes to bring them into the light. The second novel in the internationally bestselling series from Italian crime maestro Antonio Manzini.In an elegant apartment in a chilly Alpine town a cleaning lady makes a gruesome discovery: the body of her employer hanging from a chandelier in a dark room in an apparent suicide.Working the case is Deputy Police Chief Rocco Schiavone, banished from his beloved Rome to snowy, small-town Aosta. An incurable cynic, perpetually at war with the world – and the weather – Rocco is unconvinced that Esther killed herself.Armed with his intuition and his inimitable brand of morality, he begins to hunt for a killer. But as he digs deeper into Esther’s life Rocco is increasingly troubled by personal matters: his dissatisfied girlfriend Nora; the very vocal memory of his deceased wife, Marina; and a score that still needs settling back in Rome.

'A maestro of crime writing.' SUNDAY TIMES'The closest thing he's yet written to an English whodunnit.' LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKSAN AURELIO ZEN MYSTERYAurelio Zen has an unorthodox assignment: to release the jailed scion of an important wine-growing family who is accused of a brutal murder. Zen travels north to the quiet fields, autumnal skies and crumbling farmhouses of Piedmont, Italian wine country, where greed, envy, hatred, and love seethe under the sun. He needs to try to penetrate a traditional culture in which family and soil are inextricably linked. But here secrets can last for generations, and have a finish as long and lingering as that of a good Barbaresco.'A great addition to the Zen series . . . a great ending too.' 5* reader review'Brilliant atmosphere with incredible twists in the plot, right up to the last minute.' 5* reader review'So well-written and atmospheric that it just whizzed by!' 5* reader reviewPRAISE 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

'Spellbinding . . . superb.' WASHINGTON POST'Emotionally gripping and defiantly original.' ITALIAN MYSTERIESAN AURELIO ZEN MYSTERYZen finally receives the order he has been dreading all his professional life: his next posting to Sicily.The gruesome discovery of an unidentified, decomposed corpse sealed in a railway wagon marks the beginning of Zen's most difficult and dangerous murder case. And he will need all his cunning and skill to survive in a world where unwritten rules are enforced with ruthless violence, where one false step can prove fatal, and where the truth must be paid for in blood.'By far the darkest of Dibdin's remarkable mysteries.' 5* reader review 'The end leaves you gasping.' 5* reader review'I absolutely loved this book.' 5* reader reviewPRAISE 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

'Dibdin's best book.' LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS'Bawdly, suspenseful, and splendidly farcical.' ITALIAN MYSTERIESAN AURELIO ZEN MYSTERYInspector Zen has been posted to Naples in disgrace, where he is asked to oversee the clean-up of the city's corrupt authorities. Like the rest of Italy, Naples is concerned about its image and is trying to reform itself. Zen, however, finds that someone else is already at work: corrupt politicians, shady businessmen and eminent members of the Italian Mafia are disappearing off the streets at an alarming rate. With his commitment to his work at an all-time low, Zen must still find out who is behind the murders.'One of British crime fiction's most distinguished and distinctive voices.' ANDREW TAYLOR'An especially witty facet of [Dibdin's] rich talent.' PUBLISHERS WEEKLY'Brilliant - reminds me of the TV series Inspector Montalbano, but with a better storyline.' 5* reader review'Best one so far - surreal and funny!' 5* reader review'One of my favourite 'comfort' reads.' 5* reader reviewPRAISE 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

'A rollicking good tale.' INDEPENDENT'A first-rate mystery.' WASHINGTON POSTAN AURELIO ZEN MYSTERYAurelio 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 reviewPRAISE 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

'Unputdownable.' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH'A complete inversion of the standard detective genre.' GUARDIANAN AURELIO ZEN MYSTERYInspector Zen is back, but nobody's supposed to know it.After months in hospital recovering from a car-bomb attack, he is lying low under a false name at a beach resort on the Tuscan coast, waiting to testify in an imminent anti-Mafia trial. Zen has clear instructions: to sit back and enjoy the classic Italian beach holiday. But when an alarming number of people start dropping dead around him, it seems just a matter of time before the Mafia manages to find their target.'A top quality thriller.' 5* reader review'A very entertaining read, sometimes funny sometimes thought provoking and always with a slightly cynical dig at the Italian "establishment"!' 5* reader review'My favourite book, bar none.' 5* reader reviewPRAISE 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

'Escapism of a high order.' INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY'A slyly intelligent page turner.' PUBLISHERS WEEKLYAN AURELIO ZEN MYSTERYWhen a group of Austrian cavers in the Italian Alps come across human remains at the bottom of a deep shaft, everyone assumes the death was accidental - until the still unidentified body is stolen from the morgue and the Defence Ministry puts a news blackout on the case. The whole affair has the whiff of political intrigue.That's enough to interest Aurelio Zen's boss at the Interior Ministry, who wants to know who is hiding what from who and why. The search for the truth leads Zen into the murky history of post-war Italy and obscure corners of modern-day society to uncover the truth about a crime that everyone thought was as dead and buried as the victim.'As the plot quickens, we are soon deep in Dibdin's favourite territory: the murky political conflicts of Italy's past and the oily chicanery of its present.' SUNDAY TIMES'Dibdin's misanthropic wit finds plenty to play with.' GUARDIAN'A terrific detective story.' 5* reader review'Beautifully written . . . You get a real sense of the turbulence in the Italian state during that era.' 5* reader review'MEDUSA is the best I've read so far, with a complex but pleasing plot.' 5* reader reviewPRAISE 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

'Pure pleasure.' Evening Standard'An absolute treat . . . wittily and slyly written.' Euro CrimeAN AURELIO ZEN MYSTERYWhen the corpse of the shady industrialist who owns the local football team is found both shot and stabbed, Inspector Aurelio Zen is called to Bologna to oversee the investigation. Recovering slowly from surgery, and fleeing an equally painful crisis in his personal life, Zen is only too happy to take on what at first appears to be a routine and relatively undemanding assignment.But soon a world-famous university professor is shot with the same gun, and the case threatens to spin out of control . . .'The best of the Zen series. Exceptionally clever and witty.' 5* reader review'A very entertaining romp with Zen.' 5* reader review'Very funny and perceptive on Italian society. Michael Dibdin's Zen books are the top of the pile in detective fiction.' 5* reader reviewPRAISE 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

'One of Dibdin's finest . . . Wonderful.' EVENING STANDARD'Energetically and meticulously written.' GUARDIANAN AURELIO ZEN MYSTERYAurelio Zen's final case brings him to remote town of Calabria, at the toe of Italy's boot, on what is supposed to be a routine assignment: the death of a scout for an American film company. But the case is complicated by a group of dangerous strangers who have arrived to uncover another local mystery - buried treasure - and who will stop at nothing to achieve their goal. The case rapidly spirals out of control, and Zen must penetrate the code of silence in the tight-knit community in order to solve the crime.'Clever and exuberantly witty . . . Dibdin is outrageously funny, as always, in conveying Zen's snobby Venetian attitude toward his regional postings.' NEW YORK TIMES'Ample opportunities for the expression of his dry wit . . . the final entry [in the Zen series] is a very good one indeed.' INDEPENDENT'One of the genre's best stylists . . . This combination of gritty violence, often wildly funny satire, and wonderful descriptive writing has been the hallmark of Dibdin's Zen novels.' GUARDIAN'Superbly written thriller.' 5* reader review'Probably the most enjoyable of the Zen series, it provides an insight of Italy rarely accomplished by any author.' 5* reader review'Such a good read.' 5* reader review'Brilliantly plotted, very exciting.' 5* reader reviewPRAISE 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

WINNER OF THE FRENCH GRAND PRIX DU ROMAN POLICIER'Beautifully written . . . An excellent thriller.' WALL STREET JOURNAL'Zen is one of the greatest creations of contemporary crime fiction.' OBSERVERAN AURELIO ZEN MYSTERYPrince Ludovico Ruspanti died falling a hundred and fifty feet in St Peter's church, in the heart of the Vatican. But did he fall, or was he pushed? Inspector Aurelio Zen finds that getting answers isn't easy, as witness after witness is mysteriously silenced - by violent death. To crack the secrets of the Vatican, Zen must penetrate the most secret place of all: the Cabal.'A terrific read combining history, travel, sex, violence and of course the very understated brilliance of that complex character Aurelio Zen.' 5* reader review'Excellent.' 5* reader review'You plunge straight into Zen's Italian crime-world. Gripping in its intensity, its atmosphere and its understanding of character: this is a masterpiece and I read and re-read it.' 5* reader reviewPRAISE 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

WINNDER OF THE CWA GOLD DAGGER'Wonderfully intricate.' LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS'Heart-pounding . . . a terrifying tale of revenge.' MYSTERY NEWSAN AURELIO ZEN MYSTERYInspector Aurelio Zen has a problem: the impossible murder of an eccentric billionaire, recorded on the closed-circuit video of Oscar Burolo's top-security Sardinian fortress. Officials in a high government ministry want someone - anyone - to blame, and they want Zen to find a likely candidate.But the billionaire's corrupt dealings enriched some of the most exalted figures in Italian politics, and as Zen gets to work, he is plunged into a menacing and violent world where his own life is soon at risk.'Vendetta has tension, wit, a strong sense of place and a hero you can't help but root for.' THE WALL STREET JOURNAL'Dibdin has a gift for shocking the unshockable reader.' RUTH RENDELL'A wonderfully twisting plot.' 5* reader review'Elegantly written and, for a book now 30 years old, surprisingly fresh and contemporary . . . this is a beautifully written book that contains dark, world-weary humour.' 5* reader review'Love it!' 5* reader reviewPRAISE 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

WINNER OF THE CWA GOLD DAGGER'Tremendously exciting.' RUTH RENDELL'Energetic and genre-stretching.' GUARDIANAN AURELIO ZEN MYSTERYPolice Commissioner Aurelio Zen has crossed swords with the establishment before - and lost. But from the depths of a mundane desk job in Rome he is unexpectedly transferred to Perugia to take over an explosive kidnapping case involving one of Italy's most powerful families.But nobody much wants Zen to succeed: not the local authorities, who view him as an interloper, and certainly not Miletti's children, who seem content to let the head of the family languish in the hands of his abductors - if he's still alive.'A brilliant read, enjoyed every page.' 5* reader review'Brilliantly plotted and beautifully written . . . Great background and attention to detail.' 5* reader review'If you like anything Italian you'll like this.' 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