Bella Mafia

Front Cover
Pan Books, 1991 - Fiction - 737 pages

Don Roberto Luciano, boss of the Sicilian Mafia, agrees to be chief witness in the trial of Paul Carolla, who murdered Luciano's firstborn son, Michael, 20 years ago. Despite round-the-clock protection, all the Luciano men are killed the night before a family wedding. The don's wife, Graziella, holds together what's left of the family–daughters-in-law Theresa and Sophia, and Theresa's daughter Rosa–while instructing their lawyer to sell off business holdings. Eventually the women become involved in the business themselves, trying to recover money that's disappeared into Carolla's hands. Following a courtroom shootout, Carolla's adopted son Luka, using his knowledge of organization politics and his mastery of murder, becomes the women's partner and protector. Once the Luciano women discover Luka's secret, however, they implacably take revenge in the ruthless manner of their age-old code, and the strongest of them becomes the new head of the family, the bella mafiosa.

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About the author (1991)

Author, television dramatist and actress Lynda Marchal La Plante was educated at England's Royal College of Dramatic Art and began her career as a stage and television actress. She worked with the National Theatre, and appeared in The Gentle Touch, Out, and Minder, as well as in Rentaghost, a British children's television series, before turning to scriptwriting. In the U.S., La Plante is best known as the author of Prime Suspect, a mystery-thriller television series featuring Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison. The critically-acclaimed show has received numerous awards in both the U.S. and Britain, including two Emmys and Britain's prestigious BAFTA award for best drama series. La Plante has written several other television dramas and mini-series, including Bella Mafia, Cold Blood, Cold Shoulder 2, Framed, and Seekers. La Plante's first novels, The Legacy and Bella Mafia, were both international bestsellers. She is also the author of several mystery novels, including a novelization of the Prime Suspect series and a series featuring sleuth Lorraine Page. Other titles include Entwined, Cold Shoulder, The Governor, and She's Out. La Plante divides her time between East Hampton, N.Y. and London. She is married to Richard La Plante.

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