David Hewson: The Garden of Evil (USA 2009)

From the Publisher:
In a deserted artist's studio in the heart of Rome, detectives stumble upon a scene of shocking brutality: two bodies, freshly killed. Looming over them is a painting that bears all the hallmarks of a Caravaggio: a brilliantly colored canvas depicting a shocking tableau of beauty and depravity...

This grisly discovery sends Detective Nic Costa on a desperate chase through the streets of his city. For Costa, finding the killer who escaped him is intensely personal... Teaming with an art expert, Costa follows clues hidden in the mysterious Caravaggio canvas. As he moves through a maze of history, he begins to make stunning connections to the present case. And each discovery brings him closer and closer to a secret buried in a priceless work of art, a conspiracy dating back four hundred years - and men who will stop at nothing to protect their own private garden of evil...

David Hewson: The Garden of Evil. Dell Publishing, ISBN: 9780440242987 (February, 2009), 608 p., $6.99.

David Hewson: The Garden of Evil (UK 2008)

From the Publisher:
The picture possessed a frightful beauty, one which burned so brightly that, once witnessed, could never be unseen... Even the presence of two corpses, one clearly murdered, the other dead through strange and suspicious circumstances, did nothing to distract their attention from the canvas...

In a hidden studio in an area of Rome, where the Vatican liked to keep an eye on the citys prostitutes, an art expert from the Louvre is found dead in front of one of the most beautiful paintings that Nic Costa has ever seen - an unknown Caravaggio masterpiece.

But before long tragedy will strike Nic far closer to home. The main suspects identity is known, but he remains untouchable - protected in his grand palazzo by a fleet of lawyers and a sinister cult known as the Ekstasists.

If Costa and his team can crack the reasons for the cults existence, he may well stand a chance of nailing his wifes killer. But the mystery will take him right back to Caravaggio himself and the reasons he had to flee Rome, all those centuries before...

David Hewson: The Garden of Evil. Macmillan, ISBN: 9780330435963 (September, 2008), 544 p., £6.99.

David Hewson: The Garden of Evil (USA 2008)

From the Publisher:
In a deserted artist's studio in the heart of Rome, detectives stumble upon a scene of shocking brutality: two bodies, freshly killed. Looming over them is a painting that bears all the hallmarks of a Caravaggio: a brilliantly colored canvas depicting a violent tableau of beauty and depravity... In David Hewson's bold new novel of suspense, this grisly discovery sends Detective Nic Costa on a desperate chase through the streets of his city. The consequences are devastating. And for Nic, the case has only just begun.

At the crime scene, detectives find a treasure trove of evidence -- from fresh blood to lurid photos of dead prostitutes. For Costa, finding the killer who escaped him is intensely personal. But his prime suspect arrogantly hides in plain sight behind a fortress of money, power, and the law.

Teaming with an art expert, Costa follows clues hidden in the mysterious Caravaggio canvas. As he moves through a maze of history, he begins to make stunning connections to the present case. And each discovery brings him closer and closer to a secret buried in a priceless work of art, a conspiracy dating back four hundred years -- and men who will stop at nothing to protect their own private garden of evil.

From modern forensics to the realm of the Medicis, from the force of faith to the corruption of power, The Garden of Evil is a novel steeped in Roman history -- and an unforgettable experience in richly atmospheric, modern-day suspense.

David Hewson: The Garden of Evil. A Novel of Suspense. Delacorte Press, ISBN: 9780385339575 (July, 2008), 480 p., $24.00.

David Hewson: The Garden of Evil (UK 2008)

From the Publisher:
In a hidden studio in an area of Rome, where the Vatican liked to keep an eye on the citys prostitutes, an art expert from the Louvre is found dead in front of one of the most beautiful paintings that Nic Costa has ever seen - an unknown Caravaggio masterpiece.

But before long tragedy will strike Nic far closer to home. The main suspects identity is known, but he remains untouchable - protected in his grand palazzo by a fleet of lawyers and a sinister cult known as the Ekstasists.

If Costa and his team can crack the reasons for the cults existence, he may well stand a chance of nailing his wifes killer. But the mystery will take him right back to Caravaggio himself and the reasons he had to flee Rome, all those centuries before...

David Hewson: The Garden of Evil. Macmillan, ISBN: 9781405050234 (January, 2008), 437 p., £12.99.