The Knight and Death (Italian: Il cavaliere e la morte) is a crime novel by Leonardo Sciascia, published in 1988.

The Knight and Death
First edition
AuthorLeonardo Sciascia
Original titleIl cavaliere e la morte
TranslatorJoseph Farrell
Cover artistAlbrecht Dürer - Knight, Death and the Devil
LanguageItalian
PublisherAdelphi Edizioni
Publication date
1988
Publication placeItaly
Published in English
1991
Media typePrint
Pages160 pp (English edition, softcover)
ISBN1-86207-579-4
Preceded byOpen Doors 
Followed byThe Mystery of Majorana 

Plot

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The protagonist of the novel is a cultured and tenacious detective affected by a deadly disease (which is clearly a cancer, although it is never openly stated).

The detective, whose name we never learn (he is simply called "il Vice", as "the Vice Chief of Police") investigates the murder of lawyer Sandoz. His chief believes that Sandoz has been killed by a mysterious revolutionary group, but the detective is convinced that powerful businessman Aurispa is involved in the crime, and that the phoney revolutionary group has been invented ad hoc as a scapegoat to cover up the real reasons behind the murder.

The novel is permeated by a sense of impending death, as the increasingly ill and tired "Vice" tries to unravel the mystery.

Significance of title

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The title is a reference to the engraving Knight, Death and the Devil by Albrecht Dürer, often observed by the "Vice" as he thinks about his imminent death.