Praise for Involuntary Witness:

"Raises the standard for crime fiction. Carofiglio's deft touch has given us a story that is both literary and gritty-and one that speeds along like the best legal thrillers. His insights into human nature-good and bad-are breathtaking."-Jeffery Deaver

"A stunner. The veracity of the setting and the humanity of the lawyer make the novel a courtroom drama of rare quality."-The Times

"Compelling novel written by a prosecutor, the scourge of local criminals who likes to write books that make his readers cry. Reveals both a flawed legal system and debunks the myth of the macho Italian man."-Observer

"Carofiglio writes crisp, ironical novels that are as much love stories and philosophi-cal treatises as they are legal thrillers."-The New Yorker

When Martina accuses her ex-boyfriend-the son of a powerful local judge-of assault and battery, no witnesses can be persuaded to testify on her behalf, and one lawyer after another refuses to represent her. Guido Guerrieri knows the case could bring his legal career to a messy end, but he cannot resist the appeal of a hopeless cause. Nor can he deny an attraction to Sister Claudia, the young woman in charge of the shelter where Martina is living, who shares his love of martial arts and his virulent hatred of injustice.