Thriller

Fiori sopra l'inferno

(Flowers over the Inferno)

Casa Editrice Longanesi&C., January 2018, pp.372

The Times book of the Month, Prix Bête Noire 2019, Prix Nouvelles Voix du Polar.
Bestseller – over 280,000 copies sold – Full English translation available

In a quiet village in the middle of a centuries-old forest surrounded by mountains, a series of violent acts take place. Police inspector and profiler Teresa Battaglia is called back from the city when the first body is found in the woods, a naked man whose face has been disfigured and eyes gouged out. Teresa immediately realises that the killer has some sort of psychosis, a theory that is later confirmed by a series of victims who have all been subjected to horrendous mutilation. The kidnapping of a newborn baby causes the situation to escalate. For inspector Battaglia, this is the beginning of a race against the clock, one that is worsened by a personal burden that makes everything more difficult. Teresa is fighting a battle against herself: against her body which is weighed down by her age and the diabetes that is continually creeping up on her. She is also battling against her mind, which used to be an invincible weapon and has now become her worst enemy, one that is making her lose her lucidity and confidence as it gnaws away at her memory.

Casa Editrice Longanesi&C., January 2018, pp.372

  • “A rather unique character in crime fiction (…) a fast-enjoyable read (…) a clockwork plot (…) Impeccable crime writing.”

    Crime Time

  • “A debut novel of real skill.”

    European Literature Network

  • “An unforgettable character readers will want to see a lot more of.”

    Publishers Weekly (starred review)

  • “There are stories that transform pages into magnets, so that the reader cannot break away from them, and cuts him or herself off from the rest of the world […] a truly talented storyteller.”

    Il Fatto Quotidiano

  • “Creepy and evocative.”

    Guardian

  • “It’s rare that such a character enters crime fiction for the first time, and with such gripping impact.”

    Marcel Berlins, The Times

  • “With Teresa Battaglia, Ilaria Tuti hasn’t just created a mere character, but an authentic, three- dimensional person who overbearingly pushes the boundaries of the printed page thanks to her immense energy. Teresa Battaglia is the best gift any author can offer his or her readers: someone they will come to care for.”

    Donato Carrisi, Corriere della Sera

  • “The writer, like the killer and detective, is perfectly at ease in the Friuli environment, and knows how to render its profile, its iciness, its woods and swarming wild animals in a way that leaves the reader with a feeling of warmth.”

    Ida Bozzi, Corriere della Sera

  • “Ilaria Tuti tells the story of an environment that she is familiar with in careful detail, focusing on the weight of nature that often reflects unknown internal torments. This is a well-structured novel based on the fascination for evil.”

    Alberto Riva, “Il Venerdì”, la Repubblica

  • “Ilaria Tuti grabs and keeps her readers’ attention in full.”

    Claudia Morgoglione, la Repubblica

Rights Sold

World Arabic Rights: Al Arabi Publishing; Albania: Botimet Living; Brazil:Rua do Sabão; Bulgaria: Lemur Books; Croatia: Znanje; Czech Rep: Argo; World English Rights: W&N/Orion and Soho Press, Denmark: Modtryk; France: Laffont; Germany: Penguin Verlag; Greece: Psichogios; Hungary: Alexandra Kiado; Israel: Modan/Keter Books; Macedonia: Matica Makedonska; The Netherlands: Xander; Norway: Cappelen Damm; Poland: Sonia Draga; Portugal: TopSeller; Romania: Litera; Russia: Ast; Serbia: Vulkan; Slovenia: Ucila; Ukraine: Nora-Druk Publishers; World Spanish Rights: Alfaguara (Castilian) / Rosa dels Vents (Catalan); Sweden: Bazar/Strawberry; Turkey: Timas.

Rights for a TV series sold.

Ilaria Tuti

Ilaria Tuti lives in Friuli, in far north-eastern Italy. Her novels, featuring Chief Inspector Teresa Battaglia, Fiori sopra l’inferno (Flowers Over the Inferno, 2018), Ninfa dormiente (Painted in Blood (UK), The Sleeping Nymph (USA), 2019), Luce della notte (Night Glow, 2020), Figlia della cenere (The Daughter of the Ashes, 2021) and Madre d’ossa (Bone Mother, 2023) have enjoyed great success in Italy – selling over 900,000 copies to date – and been published in translation in 41 countries. Flowers Over the Inferno and The Sleeping Nymph have inspired the series, currently being broadcast on the Italian TV channel RAI 1. In 2021, she was the first ever writer to have been shortlisted for the prestigious Edgar Allan Poe Award, with Painted in Blood/The Sleeping Nymph. llaria Tuti is also the author of the bestselling historical novels, Fiore di roccia (Flower of the Rocks, 2020) and Come vento cucito alla terra (Like Wind Sewn to the Soil, 2022).

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