Scheda libro

Summary

A corpse pierced by fifteen darts, one burnt and another one skinned: three ferocious crimes disturb a leaden and rainy Florence. There is a murderer, a serial killer who is called by all «the Sagittarius». He kills his victims following a cruel ritual: he tortures and kills them on the patterns of famous Christian martyrs’ deaths and, before vanishing without leaving any trace, he recreates with the bodies the works of art that represents these deaths. A morbid message that nobody can decipher. The investigations are entrusted to the inspector Franco Mezzanotte, a policeman of the old school who, after the story of the Monster of Florence, had hoped not to see again all that blood together. By his side, his friend Simòn Renoir, former policeman at that moment teacher at the Accademia di Belle Arti, having the same name of the great impressionist painter and sharing a similar spirit of observation that during their investigation would become a precious ability of intuition. In the background of a war against terrorism that threatens to devastate the world, Simòn Renoir will throw himself into the manhunt for the Sagittarius, driven by an insane desire of redemption that will bring him to live through what he has tried to forget. And, he will come to risk his own life to see which bewildering forms the Evil can assume. After that, nothing can be the same.
«What was that?» asked Mezzanotte pointing to the screen. Simòn turned to him and said: «Saint Sebastian». The image had lasted only few seconds in Mezzanotte’s eyes, yet he remembered it perfectly. Mantegna had depicted the killing of Andrea Forti almost six centuries before it occurred. Or, more obvious and acceptable explanation, yet not less disturbing, the killer was inspired by the painting.
God of Sagittarius is an excellent first work and, within few months from its publication, is earning a remarkable success among the lovers of the genre. Emotionally involved and thrilled, the readers of this novel are making it a small cult book, assuring it the best possible advertising, that is passing the word.

The Author

Simone Togneri took his degree in Painting at the Accademia di Belle Arti of Florence. God of the Sagittarius is his first book.