Dante's Numbers

Book excerpt: 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 _______________________ A star-studded movie premier in Rome. A horrific discovery. Welcome to Dante's circles of hell . . . It's a warm, golden evening in Rome, and celebrities from around the world have gathered to attend the movie premiere of a blockbuster adaptation of Dante's Inferno. The poet's death mask is to be exhibited as part of the evening's events, alongside other important historical relics. But at the grand unveiling, the priceless artefact is gone - replaced by a macabre death mask of the film's star, Allan Prime. A sick prank . . . or something worse? And to further throw the evening into chaos, another of the leading actors, the beautiful Maggie Flavier, is threatened, and her assailant killed. Nic Costa and his team are sidelined from the investigation in Rome, and instead tasked with ensuring the safety of the remaining relics at the movie's San Francisco premier. But in California confusing new clues suggest that there is more behind the dark events than a crazed Dante fan. With the authorities distracted by false leads, can Costa protect Maggie, find the truth and stop a killer - all before life imitates art? 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 DANTE'S NUMBERS: "Easily the best in a really terrific series" New York Times bestselling author Lee Child "Hewson is a daunting talent-a writer who is a master stylist, who respects his audience's intelligence, and who effortlessly keeps the thrills coming a mile a minute" New York Times bestselling author Jefferey Deaver "Dante's Numbers is politically wise, multi-dimensional, and psychologically intuitive. Action braids suspense on nearly every page, creating a reader's delight from beginning to end. A superb effort by a master storyteller" New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry "[A] fine crime novel" Publishers Weekly "Hewson never loses the reader's attention . . . [An] outstanding series" Booklist "The dialogue is crisp. The characters are strong . . . Fans of movie history, international mysteries and police procedurals will enjoy this" Jim, 5* GoodReads review "The sense of place is terrific, taking us from Rome to San Francisco and the mystery at the heart of the story is deeply satisfying" Maggie C., 5* GoodReads review "This series just keeps getting better and better. An excellent book for mystery lovers and movie lovers alike" Kandice, 5* GoodReads review THE NIC COSTA MYSTERIES, IN ORDER: 1. A Season for the Dead 2. The Villa of Mysteries 3. The Sacred Cut 4. The Lizard's Bite 5. The Seventh Sacrament 6. The Garden of Evil 7. Dante's Numbers (aka The Dante Killings) 8. City of Fear (aka The Blue Demon) 9. The Fallen Angel 10. The Savage Shore