In July 1610, Michelangelo Merisi, known as Caravaggio, the most celebrated artist in Italy, disappeared. Though he had dangerous enemies and had been on the run with a price on his head for several years, he was said to have died of a fever. His body was never found. The death of this highly influential and controversial artist remains an enigma. It is usually explained by art historians with a tortuous tale of mistaken identity, missed boats and a malarial beach in Tuscany.

There has never been an explanation for Caravaggio’s disappearance that didn’t pose as many questions as it resolved. A NAME IN BLOOD is award-winning crime writer Matt Rees’ answer. With historical research and real characters, Rees produces a fictional but plausible narrative, presenting a solution to this 400-year-old mystery. It’s a story of violence, of art, and of love.

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Rights Sold:

UK: Corvus; UK: audio: AudioGo Ltd; Germany, Beck Verlag; Brazil: Novo Seculo; Italy, Newton Compton Editori; Slovaia: Slovensky Spisovatel; Russia: Sindbad; France: City Editions

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Reviews:

“Rees does full justice to the artist, investing him with a brooding, self-destructive soul that is equal parts classical tragedy and noir fatalism. All told, it’s a sumptuous piece of work”. – The Irish Times

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“Matt Rees’s novel adds the light and shade that were so characteristic of his work to the man. The author illuminates with sensitivity the hitherto dark portrait of one of the world’s most influential artists.” – The Daily Mail (UK)