Welcome to Italian police detective Nic Costa’s Rome: the side of the city the tourist board does not want you to see.

“Hewson does more than provide a thrilling read. He saves you the airfare to Italy. When you turn the last page, you’ll think you’ve been there” LINWOOD BARCLAY

“David Hewson’s Rome is dark and tantalizing, seductive and dangerous, a place where present-day crimes ring with the echoes of history” TESS GERRITSEN

“David Hewson is one of the finest thriller writers working today” STEVE BERRY

“No author has ever brought Rome so alive for me – nor made it seem so sinister” PETER JAMES

“[Hewson is] a master plot maker” BOOKLIST

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Detective Nic Costa finds himself a stranger in a strange land when he’s sent to infiltrate the mob in a remote part of southern Italy.

The ’Ndrangheta is a ruthless mafia organisation, one of the richest and most powerful organised crime groups in the world. Completely impenetrable to outsiders, merciless when crossed, they run the savage Calabrian coast of Italy. And for reasons best known to himself, the head of this feared mob – known only by his nickname, Lo Spettro, the Ghost – has offered to turn state witness.

Detective Nic Costa and his team are sent deep undercover into the mountains, to negotiate with Lo Spettro and bring him in. With Lo Spettro’s help, Costa dons a new identity and becomes a member of the mafia family. It’s a dangerous game, and a single slip up could mean an end not only to the operation, but to the lives of Costa and his team.

As tensions rise, the detectives find themselves pitched as much against each other as the mob. Is Costa getting too close to the enemy for comfort . . . and is there a traitor in their midst?

Fans of Donna Leon’s Commissario Brunetti, Andrea Camilleri’s Inspector Montalbano and Michael Dibdin’s Aurelio Zen, as well as Louise Penny, Jeffey Siger and Martin Walker, will love this thrilling mystery series – perfect for readers who enjoy dark and complex character-led mysteries with multiple twists.

PRAISE FOR THE SAVAGE SHORE:

“An outstanding crime series” Booklist

“Plenty of action, and the setting is vivid” Library Journal

“The tale floats on a tide of dark threats, double-crosses, abrupt changes of heart, revelations that characters aren’t as they seem, and indications that the best-kept secrets aren’t secrets at all” Kirkus Reviews

“Had me hooked from start to finish, even during the very tense moments when I could hardly bear to turn the pages, such was my dread of what was coming next” Elaine T., 5* GoodReads review

“David Hewson is one of TripFiction’s favourite authors. His books are extremely exciting, and extremely well and intelligently written. He also evokes a brilliant sense of location” TripFiction, 5* GoodReads review

“The tension level runs high . . . I wanted to close my e-book and turn my head, but simultaneously keep reading to find out what happens next. I was completely blindsided by Hewson’s clever plotting” Melissa D., 5* GoodReads review

“I couldn’t fail to be entranced by this book . . . David Hewson transported me to the Mezzogiorno and it’s undoubtedly one of my favourite novels of the year” Karen K., 5* GoodReads review