Angelica's Smile

In Andrea Camilleri's "Angelica's Smile," Inspector Salvo Montalbano is confronted with a perplexing string of burglaries in Sicily, seemingly orchestrated by a brilliant and taunting criminal known only as Mr. Z. As Montalbano delves into the case, he encounters Angelica Cosulich, a charming burglary victim who sparks his imagination, drawing him into daydreams inspired by the epic poem "Orlando Furioso." This internal journey provides a unique contrast to the gritty reality of the investigation. However, the stakes escalate dramatically when one of the burglars is found dead, forcing Montalbano to abandon his romantic reveries and focus on unmasking the true mastermind behind the crimes. This book is best suited for mature readers, likely high school age and up, due to its complex plot, themes of crime and death, and literary allusions.

“The novels of Andrea Camilleri breathe out the sense of place, the sense of humor, and the sense of despair that fills the air of Sicily.” —Donna Leon A rash of burglaries has got Salvo Montalbano stumped. The patterns of the crimes are so similar and so brazen that Montalbano begins to think a criminal mastermind is challenging him. This suspicion is confirmed when he starts receiving menacing letters from the gang leader, the anonymous Mr. Z. Among those burgled is the young and beautiful Angelica Cosulich, who reminds Montalbano of the love interest in Ludovico Ariosto's chivalric romance, Orlando Furioso. Taken by Angelica's charms, he imagines himself back in the medieval world of jousts and battles. But when one of the burglars turns up dead, Montalbano must snap out of his haze and unmask his challenger.