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It was to have been the triumphant swan song for a revered Italian film directorthe premiere in Rome of his long-awaited movie version of Dantes Inferno. But before the lights go down, chaos reigns: a man is dead, the films star has disappeared, and a priceless relic, Dantes death mask, has been stolen. The trail leads to San Francisco, where Rome police detective Nic Costa, along with partner Gianni Peroni andtheir boss, Leo Falcone, are part of a team charged with ensuring the safety of other relics that will be part of an exhibit at Golden Gate Park set to open in tandem with the rescheduled premiere. But, of course, Hewsons three maverick detectives want to get involved in the murder investigation itself, technically the province of their institutional rivals, the Carabiniere, and soon enough they are end-running around not only their Italian counterparts but also the San Francisco police. Hewson is a master at convoluted, many-tentacled plots that weave their way through history and back to the present, but this time he doubles the stakes: we start with Dante and the iconography of his Inferno and wind up reliving the plot of Hitchcocks Vertigo. Thats a lot ground to cover in one novelperhaps too muchbut from scene to scene, Hewson never loses the readers attention, and for fans of this outstanding series, the latest chapter in the interlocked lives of Costa and friends, while overstuffed, is asdelicious as ever. --Bill Ott
Review
"The return of Nic Costa is a true cause for celebration! A literate, page-turning tale that finds our heroone of the most appealing in crime fictionzipping between two of the most iconic cities in the world: Rome and San Francisco. Hewson is a daunting talenta writer who is a master stylist, who respects his audience's intelligence, and who effortlessly keeps the thrills coming a mile a minute."Jeffery Deaver, New York Times bestselling author
"One of my all-time favorite fictional detectives is David Hewson's Nic Costa, and Dante's Numbers brings Nic for the first time to American shores. From the opening scene of murder and mayhem at a movie premiere to the final, mind-blowing surprise, Dante's Numbers is an elegant, clever, and terrifying tale of intrigue and murder involving Dante's first circle of Hell and Hitchcock's classic film Vertigo. An outstanding novel."Douglas Preston, author of_ The Monster of Florence and Blasphemy_.
"David Hewson is one of the finest thriller writers working today. A born stylist. 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. The rest of the world already knows how good David is. Now, it's time America find out." Steve Berry
" Dante's Numbers is action-packed suspense at its smartest and most gripping. Transplanting Nic Costa and his fellow Italian detectives to the dizzying world of Hitchock's 'Vertigo' is a master stroke from a brilliant author. It's impossible not to be swept up in the memorable, compelling world that is David Hewson's specialty."David Morrell
"Easily the best in a really terrific series."Lee Child
Hewson is a master at convoluted, manytentacled plots that weave their way through history and back to the present. _Booklist
_[In] Hewsons fine seventh crime novel to feature Nic Costa. A convoluted plot, eccentric characters and numerous sinister connections to Hitchcocks Vertigo all contribute to the suspense. _Publishers Weekly
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