Inspector Montalbano Collection Andrea Camilleri 20 Books Set

This Inspector Montalbano collection brings together 20 crime novels by Italian author Andrea Camilleri, featuring the Sicilian detective as he tackles a succession of cases in Vigàta and beyond. Across the set, Montalbano balances demanding investigations with the pressures of his long-distance relationship with Livia, the complications of colleagues and officials, and the persistent pull of distraction when a case turns personal.

From the oppressive heat of August and a missing child, to bodies discovered in unexpected places, anonymous letters, and investigations clouded by false leads, these stories follow Montalbano through mysteries involving smuggling, blackmail, robbery and suspected Mafia links. The collection includes titles adapted for a major BBC4 television series, and features The Potter's Field, noted as winner of the CWA International Dagger Award 2012.

Included titles

• August Heat
• The Wings of the Sphinx
• The Track of Sand
• The Potter's Field
• The Age of Doubt
• The Dance of the Seagull
• The Treasure Hunt
• Angelica's Smile
• Game of Mirrors
• Blade of Light
• A Voice in the Night

Key details

• 20-book Inspector Montalbano collection
• By Andrea Camilleri
• Includes titles adapted for a major BBC4 television series
• Includes The Potter's Field, winner of the CWA International Dagger Award 2012

Synopses

August Heat

During the slow, sweltering month of August, Montalbano expects a quiet holiday with Livia at a villa he has found. Instead, the disappearance of a friend’s young son triggers a chain of events, beginning with a secret apartment and a grisly discovery in an old trunk. As the case develops, he also faces the suspicious death of an Arab labourer and an unsettling temptation.

The Wings of the Sphinx

Montalbano’s relationship with Livia is faltering, and he feels increasingly worn down by the violence of his work. When a young woman’s body is found in an illegal dump, a sphinx moth tattoo links her to three other girls, all recent Russian immigrants to Italy. With the remaining girls missing and a charity organisation under scrutiny, Montalbano’s enquiries meet resistance as he tries to uncover what lies behind a charitable façade.

The Track of Sand

Montalbano discovers a horse carcass on the beach near his home, only for it to vanish moments later, leaving a track in the sand. Soon, an equestrian champion reports her horse missing, and the case leads to Saverio Lo Duca, one of Sicily’s richest men, who has also lost a horse. As Montalbano investigates the world of horse-racing, the situation takes a more disturbing turn, with questions about who he has upset and what the Mafia may have to do with it.

The Potter's Field

As Vigàta is battered by storms, Montalbano is called to a field of clay where a dismembered body has been discovered. The killing appears to bear the marks of an execution, suggesting Mafia involvement, but the victim’s identity and the meaning of the clues remain unclear. Alongside the case, Montalbano must contend with the troubling behaviour of his colleague Mimì and the distraction of Dolores Alfano, who asks for help finding her missing husband.

The Age of Doubt

A chance encounter draws Montalbano to Vigàta harbour, where a corpse with a badly disfigured face has been found. His suspicions turn to the crew of a yacht called the Vanna, including its glamorous and short-tempered owner, Livia Giovannini. With pressure from officials and personal distractions at the harbour, Montalbano must keep his focus to unravel the mystery.

The Dance of the Seagull

At dawn, Montalbano witnesses a seagull fall from the sky in a strange, final dance, leaving him unsettled. Preparing to leave on holiday with Livia, he stops at the police station, only to learn that his colleague Fazio is missing and has been conducting secret investigations. Montalbano launches a desperate search that leads through smuggling, blackmail and murder, from the docks of Vigàta to deep, dry wells where the Mafia hide their crimes.

The Treasure Hunt

After an elderly man and his sister fire bullets from their balcony onto the street below, Montalbano becomes a reluctant television hero. Days later, a letter arrives with a riddle, drawing him into a treasure hunt set by an anonymous challenger. Assisted by Arturo Pennisi, Montalbano follows clues from Vigàta’s streets to its deserted outskirts, but a horrifying crime forces the game aside as danger closes in.

Angelica's Smile

A series of perfectly executed burglaries targets members of Vigàta’s elite, and Montalbano reluctantly takes the case. As the investigation continues, anonymous letters claiming responsibility begin to arrive. Montalbano also finds himself captivated by one of the victims, Angelica, and as the attraction grows, his relationship with Livia comes under threat.

Game of Mirrors

When Montalbano helps his new neighbour Liliana Lombardo after her car engine is tampered with, he is drawn into a troubling situation. Liliana is being targeted by someone with a grudge, while her account of her husband’s whereabouts remains vague. At the same time, a bomb explodes outside an empty warehouse in Vigàta, and as false clues flood in from an anonymous source, Montalbano realises he is being led into a dangerous “hall of mirrors”.

Blade of Light

A flash of light from a loft catches Montalbano’s attention, then disappears. Soon after, a man reports an armed robbery of his wife that ended with a kiss, prompting Montalbano’s suspicions. As he investigates, he finds that witness accounts do not add up, and he senses that the inconsistencies may be deliberate.

A Voice in the Night

As his birthday approaches, Montalbano feels his age and tries to lift his spirits by dealing with a young driver’s road rage. At headquarters, he receives an angry call from a supermarket boss after a robbery, complaining that Montalbano’s colleague is treating him as a suspect. An anonymous “voice in the night” raises doubts about a death, leaving Montalbano questioning what he believes to be true.