The American (A Very Private Gentleman) - Martin Booth

Written by Martin Booth
Read by Ralph Cosham
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 64 Kbps
Unabridged

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Release date: August 6, 2010
Duration: 10:01:50

The locals in the southern Italian town where he lives call him Signor Farfalla—Mr. Butterfly—for he is a discreet gentleman who paints rare butterflies. His life is inconspicuous—mornings spent brushing at a canvas, afternoons idling in the cafes, and evenings talking with his friend, the town priest, over a glass of brandy.

Yet there are other sides to this gentleman’s life: Clara, the young student who moonlights in the town bordello, and another woman, who arrives with one hundred thousand dollars and a commission—but not for a painting of butterflies.

With this assignment returns the dark fear that has dogged Signor Farfalla’s 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 self-betrayal, The American shows Martin Booth at the very height of his powers.

“The protagonist of Booth’s novel is known only as Mr. Butterfly, for the subjects of his paintings of the Italian countryside. But he is hardly the kindly, aloof expatriate artist people take him for. In reality, he’s a custom maker of firearms, in particular those required by hit men and assassins. Despite his need for secrecy, Mr. Butterfly is not immune to the yearnings of love and companionship, and developing relationships are now threatened because of his past. Ralph Cosham affects the detachment of this lone wolf–his watchfulness and attentiveness. While Cosham doesn’t quite reflect the coldness listeners might expect of such a man, he creates a portrait of a man they can emotionally engage with.” …. (*) AudioFile