What better subject could there be for a short-story writer than the dynamic life of Caravaggio? His biography, shrouded in legend, provides an account of a quarrelsome character, challenging to the church and aristocracy, who enjoyed brilliant artistic and social success and was involved in sexual excess, manslaughter, escape from justice, and a papal pardon, but whose life abruptly ended with an early, mysterious death.
Eight renowned authors were inspired by the paintings of this Italian Baroque master (1571–1610): the stories by Ingrid Noll, the grande dame of the German suspense novel, and the internationally respected Swedish writer Henning Mankell have brought Caravaggio and his work to life, placing them within an intriguing framework. Other authors include poet, dramatist, and essayist Gerhard Falkner; author Arnold Stadler; the young, successful writer Tanja Kinkel; and best-selling author Florian Illies. This first-class lineup is complemented by two Italian masters of literary suspense, Nino Filastò and Andrea Camilleri.