Corrado Dusa is head of Italy's Christian Democrat Party and the country's senior minister. He is also considered to be the key figure in resolving the crisis of dissent and violence that permeates political life.
But Dusa has been kidnapped and now his son, Bernardo, a member of a militant extremist group, has disappeared. The press is aghast while the family sense disaster. Can Dusa's release be negotiated? Under what conditions? And - most importantly - with what results?
Massie's stylish and enthralling thriller won a Scottish Arts Council Award and, with its continued relevance, is sure to win new admirers.