THE LAST CASTRATO ***AWARD WINNER***

New York, NY, U.S.A.: Saint Martin's Press, LLC, 1995. 1st ed. page edges lightly dusted, date at inside cover else near fine in dust jacket. Author's first mystery introduces poet-policeman who must solve a series of murders in Florence, Italy . WINNER of the ARTHUR ELLIS AWARD for Best First Novel. "Cordelia Sinclair, from Evanston, Illinois, takes up temporary residence in the Italian city of Florence, not only to research early Italian opera for a doctoral thesis but also to start life anew, putting her failed marriage behind her. Simultaneous to Cordelia's arrival in this sublime metropolis, Umberto Cardinal Cafferelli is found murdered in one of Florence's most famous churches. Detective Inspector Carlo Arbati, a poet, like P. D. James' Adam Dalgliesh, suspects a connection between the cardinal's brutal death and two previous ones with similar characteristics; readers know his hunch is correct early on--in fact, we meet the murderer almost right away, but what we don't know for a long time is his motive. Cordelia's scholarly research leads her to the body of the next victim, and of course, from that point on, she's involved in Detective Arbati's investigation, and her role is pivotal to the solution of the crimes, which concerns a group of individuals who years ago wanted to restore Italian opera to its Renaissance roots, including the reintroduction of castrati...." -- Booklist. First Edition. Hard Cover. Near Fine/Near Fine. Book.