Best Selling Books by Andrea Camilleri

"Quando Montalbano incornava su una cosa, non c''erano santi." Il narratore che da anni ci racconta le storie del commissario di Vigàta, immaginarie e vere come la provincia siciliana in cui si svolgono, lo sa bene. Una parola stonata, un gesto incontrollato, un dettaglio incongruo, isolati con precisione sovracuta nella catena di assurdità del vivere quotidiano, bastano a mettere in moto la macchina delle sue indagini. E Montalbano indaga non tanto sulla "colpa" quanto sulla nostra armata, e disarmante, "umanità.

Inspector Montalbano investigates the fatal shooting of a man and finds himself dealing with two beautiful women as prime suspects, mysterious computer codes, threatening letters, and dirty cocaine.

The twenty-sixth thrilling mystery in the Inspector Montalbano series.

Set on the coast of Sicily, The Safety Net is the twenty-fifth novel in the bestselling Inspector Montalbano series by Andrea Camilleri. ***Adapted for BBC4''s Inspector Montalbano series*** Vigàta is bustling as the new filming location for a Swedish television series set in 1950. In the production frenzy, the director asks the locals to track down movies and vintage photos to faithfully recreate the air of Vigàta at that time. Meanwhile, Montalbano is grappling with a double mystery, one that emerges from the past and another that leads him into the future . . . Engineer Ernesto Sabatello, rummaging in the attic of his house, finds some films shot by his father between 1958 and 1963, always on the same day, 27 March, and always the same shot: the outside wall of a country house. Montalbano hears the story and, intrigued, begins to investigate its meaning. Meanwhile, a middle school is threatened by a group of armed men, and a closer look at the case finds Montalbano looking into the students themselves and delving into the world of social media.

The Voice of the Violin by Andrea Camilleri is fourth in the bestselling Inspector Montalbano series. The commissioner kept looking at him with an expression that combined contempt and commiseration, apparently discerning unmistakable signs of senile dementia in the inspector. "I''m going to speak very frankly, Montalbano. I don''t have a very high opinion of you." "Nor I of you," the inspector replied bluntly. Montalbano''s gruesome discovery of a naked young woman suffocated in her bed immediately sets him on a search for her killer. Among the suspects are her aging husband, a famous doctor; a shy admirer, now disappeared; an antiques-dealing lover from Bologna; and the victim''s friend Anna, whose charms Montalbano cannot help but appreciate. But it is a mysterious, reclusive violinist who holds the key to this murder . . . The Voice of the Violin is followed by the fifth novel in this compelling mystery series, Excursion to Tindari. PRAISE FOR THE SERIES "A magnificent series of novels" Sunday Times "There''s a deliciously playful quality to the mysteries Andrea Camilleri writes about a lusty Sicilian police detective named Salvo Montalbano." New York Times Book Review "Camilleri as crafty and charming a writer as his protagonist is an investigator." The Washington Post "The books are full of sharp, precise characterizations and with subplots that make Montalbano endearingly human ... Like the antipasti that Montalbano contentedly consumes, the stories are light and easily consumed, leaving one eager for the next course." New York Journal of Books

"One of fiction''s greatest detectives and Camilleri is one of Europe''s greatest crime writers" The Mirror Montalbano''s First Case and Other Stories is a brilliant collection of short stories, personally chosen by Andrea Camilleri, which follows Inspector Montalbano from his very first case in Vigàta, in which he stumbles upon a young girl lurking outside a courthouse with a pistol in her handbag. When she is taken in for questioning and won''t utter a single word, Montalbano must find another way to learn who she is trying to kill, and why . . . Other cases include a missing woman who has run away from the love of her life; an old married couple who appear to be rehearsing their suicides; and a crime so dark there''s only one person the inspector can call for help. With twists and turns aplenty, these stories have all the wit, mystery and culinary gusto that Camilleri''s fans have come to love him for. PRAISE FOR THE INSPECTOR MONTALBANO SERIES "Breathes out the sense of place and the sense of humour that fills the air of Sicily" Donna Leon "A remarkable series . . . irresistible" Independent "A magnificent series of novels" Sunday Times "For sunny views, explosive characters and a snappy plot constructed with great farcical ingenuity, the writer you want is Andrea Camilleri" New York Times

From internationally bestselling author Andrea Camilleri, a brilliant, bawdy comedy that will surprise even the most die-hard Montalbano fans In 1880s Vigàta, a stranger comes to town to open a pharmacy. Fofò turns out to be the son of a man legendary for having a magic garden stocked with plants, fruits, and vegetables that could cure any ailment—a man who was found murdered years ago. Fofò escaped, but now has reappeared looking to make his fortune and soon finds himself mixed up in the dealings of a philandering local marchese set on producing an heir. An absurd, quirky murder mystery that recalls the most hilarious and farcical scenes of Shakespeare and The Canterbury Tales, Hunting Season will introduce American readers to a refreshing new aspect of one of our best-loved writers.

The long-awaited last novel in the transporting and beloved New York Times bestselling Inspector Montalbano series "At eighty, I foresaw Montalbano''s departure from the scene, I got the idea and I didn''t let it slip away. So I found myself writing this novel which is the final chapter; the last book in the series. And I sent it to my publisher saying to keep it in a drawer and to publish it only when I am gone." –Andrea Camilleri Montalbano receives an early-morning phone call, but this time it''s not Catarella announcing a murder, but a man called Riccardino who''s dialed a wrong number and asks him when he''ll be arriving at the meeting. Montalbano, in irritation, says: "In ten minutes." Shortly after, he gets another call, this one announcing the customary murder. A man has been shot and killed outside a bar in front of his three friends. It turns out to be the same man who called him. Thus begins an intricate investigation further complicated by phone calls from "the Author" in tour de force of metafiction and Montalbano’s last case.

Ritorna l''investigatore Montalbano: nel corso di un''inchiesta su di un traffico d''armi, ispezionando una caverna che funge da deposito di ordigni, Montalbano scopre un passaggio che conduce a un''altra grotta, e qui trova due cadaveri: un ragazzo e una ragazza uccisi cinquant''anni prima. Obbedendo all''istinto prepotente che lo spinge a ricercare una verità sbiadita e forse ormai inafferrabile, il commissario Montalbano inizia un''indagine improbabile, che cerca di ricostruire vicende apparentemente non destinate ad approdare in un''aula di tribunale.

Never has Inspector Montalbano''s character - a unique blend of humor, cynicism, compassion, earthiness, and love of good food - been more compelling than in Andrea Camilleri''s third Montalbano novel, The Snack Thief. This edition featuring a new look cover design. When an elderly man is stabbed to death in an elevator and a crewman on an Italian fishing trawler is machine-gunned by a Tunisian patrol boat off Sicily''s coast, only Inspector Montalbano suspects a link between the two incidents. His investigation leads to the beautiful Karima, an impoverished house cleaner and sometime prostitute, whose young son steals other school children''s mid-morning snacks. But Karima disappears, and the young snack thief''s life - as well as Montalbano''s - is endangered when the inspector exposes a viper''s nest of government corruption and international intrigue.The Snack Thief is followed by the fourth Inspector Montalbano novel, The Voice of the Violin.

"Il commissario invece era di Catania, di nome faceva Salvo Montalbano, e quando voleva capire una cosa, la capiva. " Quarta inchiesta per Salvo Montalbano, ''il Maigret siciliano'' di stanza a Vigàta, "il centro più inventato della Sicilia più tipica". Questa volta Montalbano deve trovare il colpevole dell''omicidio di una bella signora vigatese, assassinata nella sua villa. Ma i problemi di vita privata non sono meno spinosi per il commissario: c''è la questione del figlio adottivo e quella dell''eterna fidanzata Livia, che punta decisa al matrimonio... Annotation Supplied by Informazioni Editoriali

The Wings of the Sphinx is the eleventh book in the wickedly funny Inspector Montalbano series by Italian author, Andrea Camilleri. Things are not going well for Inspector Montalbano. His long-distance relationship with Livia is on the rocks, he feels himself getting even older and he''s growing tired of the violence in his job. Then the dead body of a young woman is found in an illegal dump, with half her face missing. Her identity at first unknown; a tattoo of a sphinx moth on her left shoulder links her with three other girls bearing the same mark, all recent Russian immigrants to Italy. Victims of an underworld sex trade, these girls have been rescued from the Mafia night-club circuit by a Catholic charity organization. The problem is, the other girls can''t help Montalbano with his enquiries. They are all missing. As his investigations progresses, it seems that not everyone wants Montalbano to discover what really lies behind the organization''s charitable façade. And not only does Montalbano have a case to solve, he has a demanding stomach to feed, and he must save his foundering relationship with Livia . . . The Wings of the Sphinx is followed by the twelfth gripping mystery, The Track of Sand.

Collected in one volume—the first three books in the bestselling Inspector Montalbano mystery series “You either love Andrea Camilleri or you haven’t read him yet. Each novel in this wholly addictive, entirely magical series, set in Sicily and starring a detective unlike any other in crime fiction, blasts the brain like a shot of pure oxygen. Aglow with local color, packed with flint-dry wit, as fresh and clean as Mediterranean seafood — altogether transporting. Long live Camilleri, and long live Montalbano.” A.J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window American readers were first introduced to Sicily’s inimitable Inspector Salvo Montalbano more than ten years ago. Since then, the detective—and his characteristic mix of humor, cynicism, compassion, and love of good food—has won the affection of crime fiction aficionados and Italophiles alike. With Andrea Camilleri’s last two mysteries appearing on the New York Times bestseller list, it’s clear that interest in the series is at an all time high. Now, Death in Sicily features the Inspector’s first three adventures in one handy volume, offering new readers just the enticement they need to get started.

The Dance of the Seagull is the fifteenth darkly humorous adventure starring Inspector Montalbano from bestselling author Andrea Camilleri. Inspector Montalbano is awake at dawn, sitting on his porch, when his attention is caught by a seagull which falls from the sky, performing a strange dance, before lying down to die. Montalbano is perplexed by what he has witnessed and the scene hangs over him like an omen. About to depart for a holiday with his girlfriend Livia, Montalbano makes a quick trip to the police station to tie up loose ends. But when his dear colleague Fazio is discovered missing - and it transpires that the policeman has been involved in his own secret investigations - Montalbano instead launches a desperate search for his lost friend, as time begins to run out . . . Navigating a shadowy maze of smuggling, blackmail and the darkest murder, and moving from the docks of Vigàta to its deep, dry wells where the mafia hide their terrible crimes, Inspector Montalbano must have his wits about him to unravel this tangled mystery. The Dance of the Seagull is followed by the sixteenth Inspector Montalbano novel, The Treasure Hunt. PRAISE FOR THE SERIES "A magnificent series of novels" Sunday Times "There''s a deliciously playful quality to the mysteries Andrea Camilleri writes about a lusty Sicilian police detective named Salvo Montalbano." New York Times Book Review "Camilleri as crafty and charming a writer as his protagonist is an investigator." The Washington Post "The books are full of sharp, precise characterizations and with subplots that make Montalbano endearingly human ... Like the antipasti that Montalbano contentedly consumes, the stories are light and easily consumed, leaving one eager for the next course." New York Journal of Books "This series is distinguished by Camilleri''s remarkable feel for tragicomedy, expertly mixing light and dark in the course of producing novels that are both comforting and disturbing." Booklist

On what should be a quiet Sunday morning, Inspector Montalbano is called to a murder scene on the Sicilian coast. A man has discovered his father dead in his Vigatan beach house: his body slumped on the dining-room floor, his morning coffee spilt across the table, and a single gunshot wound at the base of his skull. First appearances point to the son having the most to gain from his father''s untimely death, a notion his sister can''t help but reinforce. But when Montalbano delves deeper into the case, and learns of the dishonourable life the victim led, it soon becomes clear that half of Vigata has a motive for his murder, and this won''t be as simple as the inspector had once hoped ...

Angelica''s Smile is the seventeenth gripping title in the hit Italian Inspector Montalbano series by Andrea Camilleri. After sitting in the car on the hill for about ten minutes, Montalbano realized this was a big mistake. Because he didn''t think at all about the investigation, the burglars, or Mr. Z. He thought about Angelica . . . What had he done? When members of Vigàta''s elite are targeted in a series of perfectly executed burglaries, Inspector Montalbano reluctantly takes the case. It soon becomes clear however that more links these privileged few than simply their lost possessions . . . It isn''t long too before Montalbano finds himself taken with one of the victims, the captivatingly beautiful young Angelica. But as the detective''s attraction grows - until he can think of little else - a series of strange, anonymous letters claiming responsibility for the thefts begin to arrive . . . With the allure of Angelica beginning to consume him and his relationship with Livia under threat, Montalbano must focus his mind to solve this perplexing investigation before events spiral out of all control. Angelica''s Smile is followed by the eighteenth book in the series, Game of Mirrors. PRAISE FOR THE SERIES "There''s a deliciously playful quality to the mysteries Andrea Camilleri writes about a lusty Sicilian police detective named Salvo Montalbano." New York Times Book Review "Camilleri as crafty and charming a writer as his protagonist is an investigator." The Washington Post "The books are full of sharp, precise characterizations and with subplots that make Montalbano endearingly human ... Like the antipasti that Montalbano contentedly consumes, the stories are light and easily consumed, leaving one eager for the next course." New York Journal of Books "This series is distinguished by Camilleri''s remarkable feel for tragicomedy, expertly mixing light and dark in the course of producing novels that are both comforting and disturbing." Booklist

Andrea Camilleri, el querido maestro de la novela negra fallecido en julio de 2019, escribe una carta a su bisnieta Matilda. En ella repasa los episodios más representativos de su trayectoria personal y profesional junto con los hechos históricos más notables del último siglo. ____________________ Matilda, querida mía: Te escribo esta larga carta a pocos días de cumplir noventa y dos años, cuando tú tienes casi cuatro y todavía no sabes lo que es el alfabeto. Espero que puedas leerla en la plenitud de tu juventud. Te escribo a ciegas, tanto en sentido literal como figurado. En sentido literal, porque en los últimos años la vista me ha ido abandonando poco a poco. Ahora ya no puedo ni leer ni escribir, solo dictar. En sentido figurado, porque no consigo imaginarme cómo será el mundo dentro de veinte años, ese mundo en que te tocará vivir. ____________________ Mientras Andrea Camilleri está trabajando, su bisnieta se mete a escondidas debajo de la mesa para jugar. En ese momento tan sencillo como íntimo, el escritor descubre que no quiere que sean los demás los que le cuenten a la niña, cuando se haga mayor, cómo era su bisabuelo. Así nace esta carta, que recorre toda una vida con la inteligencia del corazón, iluminando los momentos que han hecho de Camilleri el escritor y el hombre que todos adoramos. A través de sus páginas, el autor nos pasea por sus recuerdos, llevándonos a un espectáculo teatral que cuenta con la presencia del ministro fascista Pavolini, o a unas extraordinarias clases de dirección en la Academia Nacional de Arte Dramático de la mano de Silvio d''Amico; asimismo, rememora una matanza perpetrada por la mafia en Porto Empedocle, las palabras de un anciano actor tras un ensayo, el día que conoció a su mujer, Rosetta, y a su editora, Elvira Sellerio... Con sentido del humor y lucidez, en estas páginas se recorre la historia de Italia en el siglo XX en paralelo a la de un hombre enamorado de la vida y de sus personajes. Cada nuevo episodio es una oportunidad para hablar de lo que hace que valga la pena vivir la vida: las raíces, el amor, los amigos, la política, la literatura... Y siempre con el valor de no eludir los errores ni las desilusiones, y con la emoción de un bisabuelo que tan sólo puede imaginar el futuro y entregar (a Matilda y a nosotros) el testigo precioso de la duda. ENGLISH DESCRIPTION Andrea Camilleri, beloved master of the crime novel who died in July 2019, writes a letter to his great-granddaughter Matilda. In it he reviews the most important periods of his personal and professional career together with the most notable historical events of the last century. While Andrea Camilleri was working, his great-granddaughter sneaks under the table to play. In this simple and intimate moment, the writer realizes that he wants to be the one to tell the girl what her great-grandfather was like, and not have her hear it from others when she’s older. This is how this heart-warming letter came to be, and it runs through a lifetime shining a light on the moments that have made Camilleri the writer and the man we all adore. With a great sense of humor and clarity, the author walks us through his memories and in parallel to that of a man in love with life and its people, he also navigates the history of Italy in the 20th century. Each new experience is an opportunity to talk about what makes life worth living: ones’ roots, love, friends, politics, literature ... And always with the emotion of a great-grandfather who can only imagine the future, and with the courage not to leave out all the mistakes and disappointments.

Camilleri, best known for his Inspector Montalbano series, presents the charming Judge Surra who moves to a small Sicilian town in the late nineteenth century. He does not quite understand the quirky welcoming gifts from the locals, but nothing stands in the way of his quest for justice - and pastries. Lucarelli brings us a far darker story. Judge Valentina Lorenzi - La Bambina - is so young and inexperienced she hardly merits a bodyguard. But when she barely survives an assassin''s bullet, her black-and-white world of crime and punishment turns a deathly shade of grey. In The Triple Dream of the Prosecutor, De Cataldo, a judge himself, crafts a Kafkaesque tale of a lifelong feud between Prosecutor Mandati and the corrupt Mayor of Novere. When the mayor narrowly escapes a series of bizarre assassination attempts, Mandati begins to realise that all his dreams may just be coming true. From Italy''s premiere crime authors, three novellas from every tradition of crime writing.

An intoxicating Inspector Montalbano mystery