The American
Previously published as A Very Private Gentleman

The locals in the southern Italian town where he lives call him Signor FarfallaMr. Butterflyfor he is a discreet gentleman who paints rare butterflies. His life is inconspicuousmornings spent brushing at a canvas, afternoons idling in the cafs, and evenings talking with his friend, the town priest, over a glass of brandy.Yet there are other sides to this gentlemans life: Clara, the young student who moonlights in the town bordello, and another woman, who arrives with one hundred thousand dollars and a commissionbut not for a painting of butterflies. With this assignment returns the dark fear that has dogged Signor Farfallas 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 selfbetrayal, The American shows Martin Booth at the very height of his powers.