Naples is a city that never sleeps, where the sound of church bells mingles with the cries of the market and the scent of basil drifts through narrow alleyways. But behind the warmth of its kitchens and the music of its streets, darkness often lingers.

Inspector Franca Ferri knows this all too well. At sixty, with her loyal instinct and a heart tempered by loss, she has become one of Naples' most trusted investigators. Widowed, sharp, and compassionate, she carries both her pistol and her wooden spoon with the same determination. Because for Franca, solving a case and preparing a meal share the same rhythm: patience, attention, and the ability to see what lies beneath the surface.

When the body of a man is found during what should have been a peaceful dinner, Franca is drawn into an investigation that tastes of deception and betrayal. The crime scene is more than a tableau of violence—it is a banquet of silence, where each empty plate conceals an untold story and every glass of wine may hold a trace of truth.

As the case unfolds, Franca is never alone. Her young colleague Marco, impulsive yet brilliant, follows her through labyrinthine streets and perilous leads, learning from her wisdom while confronting his own shadows. Commissioner Luigi Russo and the witty Carmela form part of her circle, a fragile but steadfast family built on trust and resilience. Together, they navigate a world where the undercurrents of power, corruption, and loyalty twist as dangerously as the alleys of the old city.

Food is never far from the story. A plate of pasta with potatoes and basil on Franca's terrace, a steaming bowl of scarole and beans shared in the night, a humble dish of lentils—each recipe is more than sustenance. It is memory, comfort, and a silent companion to the struggle for justice. Cooking is Franca's way of stitching together the fragments of broken lives, of offering warmth where violence has left only coldness.

The Banquet of Silence is more than a mystery—it is a journey into the heart of Naples, a city of contrasts where beauty and brutality coexist. It is a story that blends crime with cuisine, suspense with tenderness, and investigation with the rituals of everyday life.

For readers who love culinary mysteries, Mediterranean settings, and characters who feel both human and unforgettable, Franca Ferri offers a new voice. Her cases are not only puzzles to be solved, but windows into a world where food, memory, and truth are inseparably intertwined.

At the end of the novel, readers will find something rare: Franca's secret recipes, drawn directly from the pages of the story. Because every investigation, like every dish, deserves to be shared.

Step into Naples, sit at Franca's table, and discover how a single dinner can reveal more than a thousand words.