NEW YORK, Sept. 02, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- An old Sicilian proverb, "You can force someone to cry but not to sing," sets the stage for Manera's dramatic story of a sophisticated Mafia-connected businessman. Don Pasquale seeks fame and fortune through his inside track on a five-billion-euro project. He lives with his beautiful and jealous wife Donna Rosa in a palatial Renaissance-style villa, lavishly supplied with contemporary art, where he finds inspiration from books such as Machiavelli's The Prince and Donald Trump's The Art of the Deal.
After rival Mafia boss Rizzo is assassinated, Don Pasquale expects smooth sailing. Still, he's concerned by a mysterious warning from his boyhood friend Inspector Bellini. "Isn't it amazing how peaceful Etna is most of the time? Yet, even when a mantle of snow covers its peak, there could be a devastating eruption." Soon after, the European Investment Bank, worried about Mafia entanglement, freezes its share of the project's funding. Don Pasquale decides to fly to England to raise money from some unscrupulous wealthy associates. Donna Rosa becomes agitated about this sudden trip abroad and accuses him of carrying on an affair with an English duchess, which he denies.
Further complications arise when Don Pasquale is betrayed by people he has always trusted. With Bellini determined to put him behind bars, nipping at his heels, he becomes recklessly paranoid. Just as disaster looms, an unexpected golden opportunity arises from the Byzantine machinations of Italian politics. If he can seize it, his troubles will dissipate like morning dew under a rising Sicilian sun.
A complex investigation involving police forces in Italy and Canada, plus the Scotland Yard, the FBI, and Interpol brings the story to its surprising climax. The Sicilian resort town of Taormina, with its scenic beauty and rich cultural heritage, provides the primary setting for the plot's epic clash between corruption and the pursuit of justice.
Kirkus Review Excerpt: "Fast-paced story that wastes no time in building to its climax ... An efficient and intriguing, if sometimes bumpy, tale." BookLife Review Excerpt: "Offbeat plot, narrative swerves, emphasis on local culture ... A mafia story full of unexpected twists, betrayals, and local details that delivers a welcome change of pace."
Review this book or interview the author by contacting him at tony_manera@hotmail.com
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