July 1, 1990
The lore and mystique of male transvestite lifestyles in Florence--wigs, silicone implants, makeup, gowns and, notably, confusions of gender in ``a culture dominated by men''--provide the interest in this competent mystery by the author of The Marshal and the Madwoman. As the novel opens, home-loving Marshal Guarnaccia, wife Teresa and small sons Toto and Giovanni, shopping for school supplies, rescue a lost child. Next, elderly Signora Fossi reports her missing adult son. Before long, grisly remains of the corpse of ``Lulu'' are found on a grassy riverbank. The Marshal takes the case that no one wants, a situation underscoring the novel's theme of unloved and troubled children. When Totoo is caught shoplifting a sweater, the problem of discontented youth hits close to the Guarnaccia home. Police interviews with men calling themselves Carla and Peppina afford sociological insights in a tale that proves more sobering than entertaining.