.....that gets under your skin!

The Missing Hand of Femininity – A Carinthian (a state in Austria)
Crime Thriller That Gets Under Your Skin* (see www.artadoro.com)

A perfectly manicured woman's hand with a sparkling diamond ring is discovered at the picturesque Wörthersee. The victim: *Patrizia de Cinzano, a Viennese woman from a good family who has disappeared without a trace. Inspector Kramer and the eccentric forensic scientist **Professor Andrea Salivatorie* take up the investigation. But the case takes a more brutal turn when a torso turns up in the lagoon of Grado – belonging to the same woman. The trail leads deep into the underworld: art theft, luxury yachts of the high society and a dazzling BDSM scene in Venice.
### *The key players:*
1. *Professor Andrea Salivatorie* – A charming ex-neurosurgeon with a penchant for forensic puzzles and Italian red wine. At his side: his intuitive wife Elisabeth, who supports his investigations with a keen eye.
2. *Caravaggio's Bloody Legacy* – Franjos obsession with the painter who once used corpses as models inspires the murderer to morbid stagings.
3. *Caravaggios blutiges Erbe (Caravaggio's Bloody Legacy)* – Franjos's obsession with the painter who once used corpses as models inspires the murderer to morbid stagings. Maritime knots and ritualised dismemberment point to a serial killer with ties to the BDSM (bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, sadism and masochism) scene.
### *The hunt begins:*
- *The Hand Discovery*: A girl finds the hand in the reeds of Lake Wörthersee. It quickly becomes clear that a professional is at work here. The cut is precise, the diamond ring a symbol of power and decadence.
- *The Grado Torso*: Another piece of the puzzle turns up in Italy, tied with a bowline, a maritime knot. Connections to Venice's shadow world are intensifying.
- *Art theft and drug billions: Franjo forges works of art to finance Maltesos' drug business. But his double life as a professor and accomplice is threatened when his lover **Marie* suddenly reacts distantly.
### *Burning questions:*
*Who is Mirabella?* The dead woman's daughter lives in New York – but what is she hiding?
*Stefan Oberleitner*: Patrizia's ex-husband, a heartthrob with a dark past. Was he involved in the murders?
- *The *Odessa: Elite parties take place on the luxury yacht – but what happens below deck? Is Malteso the mastermind, or is Franjo deeper in the net?
### *The final confrontation:*
The investigation leads Andrea and Elisabeth to Venice, where they confront Franjo on the Odessa. During a breathtaking night, the gruesome game is revealed: the murderer stages his victims as ‘works of art’ - a homage to Caravaggio's dark aesthetics. But when Andrea exposes the culprit, everything escalates: a shootout on the open sea, a fireworks display of deception and betrayal.
*Why this novel is so captivating:*
- *Venetian Abysses*: From secret BDSM clubs to art robbery auctions – the settings are as opulent as they are dangerous.
- *Psychological Depth*: Franjos's conflicted soul, Maltesos' cold calculation and Andreas's combative idealism collide.
*A cliffhanger that leaves you begging for more: the finale on the *Odessa is just the beginning. Who will survive? And who will be the next to lose a hand?
**‘The Missing Hand of Femininity’ – a novel that masterfully weaves art, murder and the human abyss.**
**For fans of Donna Leon and Umberto Eco.**