Inspector Montalbano's investigation into a series of odd kidnappings involving bank employees who are released hours later is complicated by a missing business owner suspected of arson, a secret affair, and a dead body.

"An emotional, action-packed epic of love and justice, set during the rise of the Mafia in Sicily"-- "Loyalty can save a soul--or destroy one. Franco Fiorvanti is a handsome laborer toiling on the estate of a baron. He dreams of owning a lemon grove, but the rigid class system of Sicily thwarts his ambition. When the baron asks him to kidnap a little boy, Franco makes a decision that will change his life--and the history of Sicily.. Gaetano Catalano...