'Tell me everything. But most of all, tell me about the snack thief.'
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 sometimes 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.
Praise for the Inspector Montalbano series
'Camilleri writes with such vigour and wit that he deserves a place alongside Michael Dibdin and Donna Leon' Sunday Times
'Quirky characters, crisp dialogue, bright storytelling - and Salvo Montalbano, one of the most engaging protagonists in detective fiction' USA Today