Synopses & Reviews
"Crisp yet lyrical, simple yet intelligent...haunting, shocking, and tense."--
BooklistThe 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 novel Islands of Silence was short-listed for the Man Booker Prize.
Review
"Haunting, shocking, and tense....[Booth's] writing is crisp yet lyrical, simple yet intelligent. Readers looking for thought-provoking literary fiction can't do any better than this." Emily Melton, Booklist (Starred Review)
Review
"[A] brilliantly creepy psychological suspense novel....With first-rate characters and a gradual buildup of suspense, Booth constructs his most focused, tightly written novel to date..." Publishers Weekly
Review
"Booth's prose exhibits such a nicely pointed clarity that it would be all too easy to devour this beguiling story and to take for granted its artful construction, its sparkle, its vivid conjuring of character and landscape." Sunday Times (U.K.)
Review
"Booth has no trouble creating the beautifully detailed thoughts of this cool customer, but it may be difficult for some readers to believe the combination of intellect and industrial skills.....The scenery, however, is always exquisite. Bitter, but possibly good for you." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"The work of a remarkable writer...a novel of power and fascination." Evening Standard (U.K.)
Review
"There are echoes of Nabokov in this tense and poetic mystery." Today (U.K.)
Review
"Suspense builds artfully in this classy novel, and the prose is measured carefully. Even the use of first-person narration doesn't diminish the sense of uncertainty." Library Journal
Review
"With Farfalla, Booth has created a rich, conflicted anti-hero....Despite his criminal pursuits, we can almost identify with him, almost respect his sense of honor and integrity." Boston Globe
Review
"[N]ot your classic thriller, driven by plot and one explosion after another. Rather it is a literate tale that reveals its secrets only in dribs and drabs....But it is Booth's intimate portrayal of his protagonist that makes the novel one to savor." Denver Post
Review
"[A] psychological suspense thriller...invested with the life-and-death gravitas more typically found in a conventional novel. It also contains such a finely honed appreciation for the Italian culture that it could be construed as a travelogue." Seattle Times
Review
"Booth makes A Very Private Gentleman more than just a postcard from Italy....With a watchmaker's precision, Booth has written a suspenseful and intricate tale, one that is as inviting as it is cautionary." BookReporter.com
Synopsis
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 while sensing a treacherous circle closing in on him.
Synopsis
A man known as "Mr. Butterfly" has made his small fortune devising specialized arms for assassins. Now all he wants is to retire to the beautiful Italian town where he has an apartment and a woman. But he is being stalked by a mysterious man, and he knows his life would be a lot more pleasant if the stranger suddenly, somehow, disappeared...
Synopsis
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.
About the Author
Martin Booth, novelist, critic, biographer, children's author, and social historian, died in 2004 in Devon, England. His novel Islands of Silence was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize.