Should a man be free to kill his adulterous wife? This is the most notorious trial for the most notorious crime of the eighteenth century. Count Guido Franceschini is accused of murdering his beautiful young wife Pompilia, said to have eloped with a handsome young priest. But did they actually commit adultery? Half of Rome believes she did; the other half claims she is innocent. In this book the trial is reconstructed from contemporary court reports, and the gossip of the time. Pompilia: guilty or innocent? Giuseppe: helpful priest or lustful seducer? Count Guido: released or executed? This is the story Robert Browning re-told in his best-selling novel-length poem 'The Ring and the Book'. From start to finish, it tells the story of one of the most fascinating trials of all time. ‘A fine, powerful and persuasive book’ – Daily Telegraph ‘Derek Parker is an exceptional and probing storyteller’ – History ‘All the page-turning grip of a good thriller’ – Michael Dibdin.