Death at Sea: Montalbano’s Early Cases

“The eight stories in this delightful collection…show a young Salvo Montalbano encountering tricky situations and crimes that can’t always be solved by traditional police work… Highlights include ‘Room Number 2,’ in which Salvo solves an arson case, and ‘Double Investigation,’ in which he has a seminal confrontation with Augello. Salvo’s cleverness derails a complex drug operation in ‘Death at Sea.’ Pamela, an unlikely but sexually voracious barmaid, disappears in ‘The Stolen Message,’ and Salvo figures out the surprising reason why. This is a must for Montalbano fans and anyone else who values superb plotting.” —Publishers Weeklly (starred review)

“Lovers of eccentric mysteries will be entertained by these fast-moving tales and by Montalbano’s insider knowledge of how to get things done in Sicily.” —Booklist

“A fine introduction for newcomers to Camilleri’s work and, for the dedicated, eight examples of why Inspector Montalbano is so beloved.” —Kirkus Reviews