Disclosure: I received a complimentary e-book copy of this book and have volunteered to share my review.

In the not-too-distant future, Italy is in disarray. It has voted to leave the EU in an attempt to regain control of its laws, finances and commerce. Even so, the country’s economy is shrinking and its national debt rising. There is a marked escalation, too, in unemployment, bank loans and immigration. Production and service companies are in difficulty. The only thriving business areas are the black market and organised crime. There is discontent and protest on all sides.

In Florence, the local Mafia boss, more accustomed to gunrunning and trading in plutonium, is involved in organising a silent auction for the sale of one of the world’s most valuable lost paintings – a sixteenth-century masterpiece, which was appropriated in World War II by Stalin’s Trophy Brigade. A British art expert is set to buy the picture on behalf of his client, a South American billionaire – yet surprisingly two Italian undercover intelligence agents, acting as antique dealers, submit the winning bid.

All the while, human beings continue to harm the Earth by destroying land, sea, air, animals and trees. Global climate change, polluting the atmosphere, depleting the ozone layer: these are some of man’s crimes against Nature. But time is running out. Nature has lost patience with humans. Unless something is done immediately to reverse the destruction of the ecosystem, Nature will retaliate by deploying the terrifying forces at her command. And as a first step in wreaking her revenge, she instigates a reign of terror by the deadliest creature on Earth.

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Wow. I am really at a loss as to what to write.

First and foremost, this book was rated as ‘R’ on the book tour site for “profanities, intermittent sex and violence, incl. one violent sex episode, together with scenes of explicit disaster, distress and death”. Honestly, I have read ‘R’ rated and this was definitely on the verge of more than R.

I would say the most disturbing aspects of the book were a very detailed specific scene which lasted probably two chapters that was – gruesome. There is no better way to put it. It was something that even two days after reading that specific event, has still left a disturbing memory and though. It was horrible.

It wasn’t a sex scene (I did not find that aspect of the book to horrific) but was more distress and death.

Throughout the book, there are detailed accounts of distress and death which were disturbing, but none more so than that specific scene.

With that said; I felt the book opened with a rather odd starting. I still don’t know how the initial paragraph of the opening was relevant. I’m not sure I am supposed.

Additionally, the ending was rather… odd. Sort of abrupt.

The story line followed two main aspects – a stolen (and recovered) piece of art that the Mafia is selling off and the increase of mosquitoes and how they are attacking the human population.

I don’t necessarily see how the two connect other than being two separate plot lines (both filled with suspense) and bringing characters together.

I really feel that the underlying story line related to global warming and the human effect on our environment – thus resulting in the punishment of mosquito attacks that killed, ravages, and diseased the population.

Overall, it was a suspenseful read that kept me reading, wanting to know how everything connected, how things were resolved, and what would happen to the characters we had grown to enjoy.

If you enjoy heart pumping suspense that leaves you thinking of the book for days later; this is a book you should pick up and read.

About the Author



Born in Surbiton, Surrey in 1944, Alan Moore lives in Barnes, SW London, with his wife, Amber. They have two daughters and a son, who between them have two boys and two girls with another boy expected in May. Alan was educated at Oundle School in Northamptonshire and at London University, where, as an external student, he obtained a BA degree in English. Thereafter, for 25 years, he single-handedly ran his own book publishing company, which at one stage was producing up to 20 titles a year. Now, at the age of 74, he has self-published his first novel.