The Fatal Touch: A Commissario Alec Blume Novel (The Alec Blume Novels)

Alec Blume returns to action in this intricate and heart-pounding new novel. With the help of his associate Caterina, Blume is called to the scene of a death connected to a spate of muggings. Though the Carabinieri-military police-are trying to control the investigation, Blume, never one to bow to authority, pursues it his own way. When it becomes clear that the victim is an art forger, enemies-and hidden treasures-begin to emerge. Relying on old friends and intuitions, Blume hurls himself into the center of the mystery, risking his job, his neck, and just about anyone who trusts him. Immersed in its old-world setting and written with satisfying detail about inks and signatures and the tools of forgery, this is a riveting novel, with rich characters and a spectacular conclusion. Conor Fitzgerald is the author of The Dogs of Rome , also featuring Commissario Alec Blume. He has lived in Ireland, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Italy. He has produced a current affairs journal for foreign embassies based in Rome, and founded a successful translation company. He is married with two children and lives in Rome. Praise for The Dogs of Rome : "A sizzling-hot debut that deftly weaves together corrupt politicians, organized crime, and centuries-oldtradition."- Entertainment Weekly "Conor Fitzgerald is a class act ... a real find."-William Boyd In the early hours of a Saturday morning, a body is discovered in Piazza de' Renzi. If it was just a simple fall that killed him, why is a senior Carabiniere officer so interested? Commissioner Alec Blume is immediately curious and the discovery of the dead man's notebooks reveals that there is a great deal more at stake than the unfortunate death of a down-and-out ... What secrets did he know that might have made him a target? What is the significance of the Galleria Orpiment? And why are the authorities so intent on blocking Blume's investigations? A recent spate of attacks against tourists has given an area of Rome an unwelcome reputation. And when, in the early hours of a spring Saturday morning, German tourists come across the body of an elderly English artist in Piazza de' Renzi, it looks like just another in this unpleasant string of muggings for Commissioner Alec Blume Investigating a death connected to a series of muggings, Alec Blume and his associate, Caterina, risk their jobs and the ire of the Carabinieri military police while uncovering the victim's identity as an art forger with enemies