" The lore and mystique of male transvestite lifestyles in Florence. . . . The marshal takes the case that no one wants, a situation underscoring the novel's theme of unloved and troubled children."-Publishers Weekly

"Among the genre's most appealing cops."-Booklist

"Surpasses the best of Simenon."-Kirkus Reviews

The marshal must leave his snug world at the Pitti Palace to seek a criminal in the shadowy haunts of prostitutes, pimps, and tricks. No one believes that he can navigate in this milieu, much less identify a killer, but once again he confounds their expectations.