For 150 years the Sicilian mafia, Cosa Nostra, exercised control through ruthless and systematic extortion and murder. It once seemed invincible. Now, thanks to the heroic sacrifice of police and public prosecutors, the most fearsome mafia bosses are dead or behind bars. This should be a success story. But the death of the mafia is no fairy tale...

In Twilight of the Godfathers, John Dickie, author of the million-copy international bestseller Cosa Nostra, deploys shrewd historical detective work and pieces together vivid testimonies from key figures and witnesses to reveal how the mafia has been brought to its knees. Moving between Palermo's piazzas and the isolated Sicilian hinterland, from police interrogation rooms to mob hideouts, this is the thrilling inside story of the war on the mafia and the true price of victory.

But as the mafia has retreated, corruption and paranoia have filled the void. Has Sicily won its war with Cosa Nostra, only to find that a far deadlier threat was lurking at the very heart of the state all along?