The cruelty

On a warm spring night, a young woman walks in the middle of a provincial road. She is naked and covered in blood. When she is found lifeless at a parking garage a few hours later, it comes to light who she is: Clara Salvemini, the eldest daughter of the most influential contractor on the spot, who convinces himself that he does everything for his children but ultimately destroys everything and everyone.

Everyone involved says it was suicide, but is that true? What did Clara have to do with her father's business? And could her bond with her brothers and sister - especially Michele, the shy, unstable, rebellious half-brother - have played a decisive role in her death?

Against the backdrop of the wealthy suburbs of Bari, Nicola Lagioia stages the drama of a family balancing between excess and ruin with his original visual language. His suggestive style draws the reader into a labyrinth of emotions, secrets and revelations: a confrontation with astonishing cruelty.