Man on Fire

This is one of those rare novels that totally immerses its readers in the life of an extraordinary central character. Creasy, formerly a first-rank soldier of fortune, drifts in a Europe where every road, it would seem, only turns him back into the twilight of his private Gethsemane. Middle-aged, physically and morally debilitated by drink, he seeks the help of his former comrade-in-arms, Guido. In the present-day Italy of kidnappings and ransoms, good professional bodyguards are demanding and getting exorbitant salaries because the protection they provide makes it possible for wealthy…