An official from the British Consul, one Scampion, has been murdered. He was stabbed to death after taking part in his passion—a cycling race. Seymour has been sent over to investigate, and this time has brought his girlfriend Chantale with him. There are lots of possible reasons for Scampion’s murder, from his revolutionary friends to the sinister Camorra, the Neapolitan secret society.

There aren’t many writers who can combine a talent for brevity with one for convoluted plotting, but Michael Pearce is certainly one of them. Despite this book’s lack of length it is not a fast read, being one of those books where you need to read every word carefully lest you miss something important. I also love the way this writer evokes the atmosphere of a place and a time; here it is the world of the Neapolitan artisan and his/her dreams of the lottery, as well as the fear of the Camorra and a love/hate relationship with their city. Added to this is a delightful evocation of that brief time before the advent of the car when bicycles were top fashion and more than a little daring, with enthusiasts reading magazines about them and racing them. It all mixes together for a heady cocktail, and remains a series I am always rather impressed by.