The quiet of the Venetian night is shattered as a band of armed men smash their way into Dr. Gustavo Pedrolli's apartment, fracture his skull and grab his 18 month-old baby. Amd when Comissario Guido Brunetti, pulled from his bed by the news, arrives at the hospital to investigate, no one knows why the eminent pediatrician has suffered such a violent assault. But soon Brunetti begins to uncover a story of infertility, desperation, and an underwolrd where babies can be bought for cash- linked with a money-making scam between pharmacists and doctors in the city. Amd knowledge can be as destructive as greed - certain information about one's neighbours can lead to all kinds of corruption and all sorts of pain.
