The Prague Cemetery

Set in the nineteenth century, this novel follows Simone Simonini, a cynical forger and spy who moves through the secret worlds of Italy, France and beyond. Writing in his diary, he looks back on his life, his hatreds and his trade in fabricated documents, while gaps in his memory leave him unsure of parts of his own story.

Most characters and events are drawn from real history. The book is a dark, sharp study of how lies, prejudice and forged conspiracies take hold and spread, and it deals unflinchingly with antisemitism.