A nine-year-old boy is found murdered at the bottom of a well near a popular beach resort in southern Italy. In what looks like a hopeless case for Guido Guerrieri, counsel for the defence, a Senegalese peddler is accused of the crime. Faced with small-town racism fuelled by recent immigration from Africa, Guido attempts to exploit the esoteric workings of the Italian courts. More than a perfectly paced thriller, Guerrieri's novel transcends genres, also providing a powerful attack on racism and giving readers a fascinating insight into the Italian judicial process.