Doubting Thomas: A Novel About Caravaggio

How could an aggressive, self-destructive and heavy-drinking libertine create an art of genius that united a passionate, sensual nature with a keen sense of observation and even an unorthodox kind of religious devotion? A fascinating and innovative literary detective story based on the life of the renowned Italian painter known as Caravaggio. Doubting Thomas centres on the murky events of a May evening in Rome in 1606. when Caravaggio was challenged to a duel and killed a man. Atle Naess superbly recreates this night using evidence found in the Vatican archives in the form of first-person witness statements from nine people who came in contact with the artist before his flight into exile. Exploring destiny, sensuality, love, brutality, unquestioning religious faith, Doubting Thomas attempts to reveal the line between the sacred and the profane, as well as the reliability of memory.