The Ghosts Of Rome By Joseph O'Connor ... The Contessa Giovanna Landini takes on Gestapo chief Paul Hauptmann in a daring mission in Occupied Rome 'Thrilling, terrifying and entertaining in equal measure' Liz Nugent, Number One Bestselling author of Strange Sally Diamond February 1944. Six months since Nazi forces occupied Rome. Inside the beleaguered city, the Contessa Giovanna Landini is a member of the band of Escape Line activists known as ‘The Choir’. Their mission is to smuggle refugees to safety and help Allied soldiers, all under the nose of Gestapo boss Paul Hauptmann. During a ferocious morning air raid a mysterious parachutist lands in Rome and disappears into the backstreets. Is he an ally or an imposter? His fate will come to put the whole Escape Line at risk. Meanwhile, Hauptmann’s attention has landed on the Contessa. As his fascination grows, she is pulled into a dangerous game with him – one where the consequences could be lethal. 'As thrilling, beautiful and sensational a novel as you'll read this year or any year' Donal Ryan, Sunday Times 'Vivid and moving' Guardian ‘A stellar piece of storytelling’ Daily Mail 'Not just a wartime thriller, but a meditation on how we remember, how we resist and how, even in the darkest times, humanity endures' New York Times 'Excellent...rings so emotionally true and clear... The writing has the energy and tension of a thriller, yet the language is rich, visual and beautiful' Sunday Independent
Author
![Joseph O'Connor]()
Joseph O'connor
Joseph O’Connor was born in Dublin. His books include eight previous novels: Cowboys and Indians (Whitbread Prize shortlist), Desperadoes, The Salesman, Inishowen, Star of the Sea (American Library Association Award, Irish Post Award for Fiction, France’s Prix Millepages, Italy’s Premio Acerbi, Prix Madeleine Zepter for European novel of the year), Redemption Falls, Ghost Light (Dublin One City One Book Novel 2011) and The Thrill of it All. His fiction has been translated into forty languages. He received the 2012 Irish PEN Award for outstanding achievement in literature and in 2014 he was appointed Frank McCourt Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Limerick. www.josephoconnorauthor.com