Omerta.

The code of silence is central to the story but also a complex moral issue. I wonder if it was based on real traditions or purely fictional.

The detailed rituals and hierarchy made the world feel so real, but it also left me wondering how much was researched versus fictionalized.

Focusing on the code of silence as a theme gave the novel a powerful throughline. I'm curious whether this was a conscious choice from the start or developed during writing.