Michele Giuttari – författare

In the picturesque Tuscan hill town of Scandicci, the body of a girl is discovered. Scantily dressed, she is lying by the edge of the woods. The local police investigate the case - but after a week, they still haven''t even identified her, let alone got to the bottom of how she died.Frustrated by the lack of progress, Chief Superintendent Michele Ferrara, head of Florence''s elite Squadra Mobile, decides to step in. Because toxins were discovered in the girl''s body, many assumed that she died of a self-inflicted drugs overdose. But Ferrara quickly realises that the truth is darker than that: he believes that the girl was murdered.And when he delves deeper, there are many aspects to the case that convince Ferrara that the girl''s death is part of a sinister conspiracy - a conspiracy that has its roots in the very foundations of Tuscan society...Originally published in Italian as La Loggia Degli Innocenti.

A bomb explodes in the centre of Florence, hitting the car of Chief Superintendent Michele Ferrara of the elite Squadra Mobile. The attack rocks the ancient city to its foundations. Ferrara was clearly the target - and he did, after all, just controversially imprison notorious Mafia boss Salvatore Laprua.A week later, another bomb explodes - bringing tragedy for Ferrara and a determination to find the culprit. But that same morning, Salvatore Laprua is found dead in his prison cell. So who is the mysterious influence behind the bombings - someone even the Mafia fear?An ingenious, gripping mystery, The Death of a Mafia Don has been a bestseller in Italy and across Europe. Written by former Florence police chief Michele Giuttari, it offers a fascinating insight into the secret world of the Mafia, and life in Florence.Originally published in Italian as Il Basilico.

Chief Superintendent Michele Ferrara knows that the beautiful surface of his adopted city, Florence, hides dark undercurrents. When called in to investigate a series of brutal and apparently random murders, his intuition is confirmed.

Distrusted by his superiors and pilloried by the media, Ferrara finds time running out as the questions pile up. Is there a connection between the murders and the threatening letters he has received? Are his old enemies, the Calabrian Mafia, involved? And what part is played by a beautiful young woman facing a heart-rending decision, a priest troubled by a secret from his past, and an American journalist fascinated by the darker side of life?

Ferrara confronts the murky underbelly of Florence in an investigation that will put not only his career but also his life on the line.

Originally published in Italy as Scarabeo.

One of the wildest and most beautiful regions in Italy, known for its rugged coastline and mountains, Calabria is also home to the deadly ''Ndrangheta. An organised Mafia crime operation more feared in Italy than the Cosa Nostra or the Camorra, it is shrouded in mystery.Chief Superintendent Michele Ferrara of Italy''s elite Anti-Mafia Investigation Department is tasked with investigating the deaths of several Calabria citizens - some in New York, some in the small, isolated villages that dot the Calabrian countryside.To get to the bottom of the case, Ferrara has to infiltrate the village of San Piero d''Aspromonte, deep in the Calabrian mountains. And there, he must put his life on the line to learn more about a family at the centre of an ancient, bloody feud...Originally published in Italian as La Donna Della ''Ndrangheta.

A strikingly beautiful young woman is found dead in her Florence apartment. She lies on her bed, naked, a black rose between her legs. And the murders do not stop there: shortly afterwards, a woman is burned to death in a church, and a man is shot on the Ponte Vecchio. Chief Superindendent Michele Ferrara is all too familiar with the dark side of Florence. But he has never seen anything of this magnitude before - he is up against a mysterious, powerful enemy who would do anything to hide his identity, and manages to controls events at every turn. As more violent deaths occur, Ferrara has to face the most dangerous investigation in his entire career and must confront deadly secrets from his own past . . .Originally published in Italian as Le rose nere di Firenze.

''It was a night that would be long remembered. The Florence police would come to call it a night of horror, the start of a new nightmare . . .''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.Originally published in Italian as I Sogni Cattivi di Firenze.''A crime author with impeccable credentials: Giuttari is no less than the former head of the Florence police force, where he was on the case of the notorious serial killer The Monster of Florence. Who better to write about the dark undercurrents beneath the surface of the city?'' Booklist