A Very Private Gentleman A Novel [Paperback]

SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE,THE AMERICAN, STARRING GEORGE CLOONEY AND DIRECTED BY ANTON CORBIJN

The locals in the Italian village where he lives call him Signor Farfalla--Mr. Butterfly--for he appears to be a discreet gentleman who paints rare butterflies. But as inconspicuous as Farfalla tries to make himself, his real profession is deadly, unbeknownst to the sometime brothel worker, Clara, with whom he sleeps.

Of a certain age, and as his feelings for Clara intensify, Farfalla has resolved to make his next job his last--all the while sensing a treacherous circle closing in on him.

Martin Booth, novelist, critic, biographer, children's author and social historian, died this year in Devon, England. His novelIslands of Silencewas short-listed for the Man Booker Prize.

Crisp yet lyrical, simple yet intelligent...haunting, shocking, and tense. Booklist

With Farfalla, Booth has a created a rich, conflicted antihero whose clever rationalizations mask a soul weary with self-doubt...making us question our own moral values, our sense of right and wrong--and where exactly to draw the line. Boston Globe

A psychological suspense thriller invested with life-and-death gravitas. Seattle Times

There are echoes of Nabokov in this in this tense and poetic mystery. Today (UK)

Crisp yet lyrical, simple yet intelligent...haunting, shocking, and tense. --Booklist

The locals in the Italian village where he lives call him Signor Farfalla--Mr. Butterfly--for he appears to be a discreet gentleman who paints rare butterflies. But as inconspicuous as Farfalla tries to make himself, his real profession is deadly, unbeknownst to the sometime brothel worker, Clara, with whom he sleeps.
Of a certain age, and as his feelings for Clara intensify, Farfalla has resolved to make his next job his last--all the while sensing a treacherous circle closing in on him.

Martinló