The Master of Knots

Massimo Carlotto's crime novels explore the dark side of Italy that you don't see in the glossy tourist brochures -- the political corruption, violent crime, and ineffective judicial system. (Carlotto himself would experience this first hand, when in 1990 he was sentenced to sixteen years in prison for a crime he very likely did not commit; he would later be pardoned by Oscar Luigi Scalfaro.) The Master of Knots is the second book in Carlotto's Alligator series, which centers on a night club owner and part-time private investigator named Marco. In this story, Marco investigates a missing woman who has apparently been kidnapped by individuals involved in S&M pornography. The narrative is a little bland; if you are looking for suspense or even dramatic tension, you will be disappointed. But Carlotto creates some intriguing characters.