The American: Previously Published as A Very Private Gentleman
About this audiobook
The locals in the southern Italian town where he lives call him Signor Farfalla—Mr. Butterfly—for he is a discreet gentleman who paints rare butterflies. His life is inconspicuous—mornings spent brushing at a canvas, afternoons idling in the cafes, and evenings talking with his friend, the town priest, over a glass of brandy.
Yet there are other sides to this gentleman’s life: Clara, the young student who moonlights in the town bordello, and another woman, who arrives with one hundred thousand dollars and a commission—but not for a painting of butterflies.
With this assignment returns the dark fear that has dogged Signor Farfalla’s mysterious life. Almost instantly, he senses a deadly circle closing in on him, one which he may or may not elude.
Part thriller, part character study, part drama of deceit and self-betrayal, The American shows Martin Booth at the very height of his powers.
About the author
Martin Booth (1944–2004) was a critically acclaimed novelist and a documentary and feature-film writer. He wrote thirteen novels including Islands of Silence, Hiroshima Joe, and The Industry of Souls. His most recent nonfiction books include Opium: A History and The Doctor and the Detective: A Biography of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
