In late-19th-century Siena, the decaying but formidable Festini family lives under the shadow of violence, secrecy, and old vendettas. At its center stands Salvani Festini, a proud patriarch whose household is split between Simone, the obedient heir, and Antonio, the thoughtful younger son educated in Florence. As rumors of the Red Hand criminal network spread and the brilliant Professor Tillizini begins exposing its leaders, the family's private tensions sharpen into open dread. Antonio, increasingly aware of the moral danger surrounding his name, is drawn into a painful conflict between loyalty and justice as searches and arrests close in. The story widens to England, where a burglary trial reveals the harsh face of class prejudice through Sir Ralph Morte-Mannery, a feared magistrate whose judgment crushes a desperate working-class husband and his young wife. Into this world of hidden motives and social tension step Vera, elegant and dissatisfied, Marjorie, Frank Gallinford, and Count Festini, whose polished charm masks a ruthless criminal ambition. A black opal, a kidnapping, a murder, and a pair of coveted lockets link the Italian intrigue to English society, while Festini's scheme to build a criminal empire collides with Tillizini's relentless pursuit of the truth. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.
