The Wings of the Sphinx

Bestseller Camilleri's sublime and darkly humorous 11th whodunit featuring Chief Insp. Salvo Montalbano (after 2009's August Heat ) finds the 56-year-old Sicilian policeman in the midst of a serious crisis with his significant other, Livia. Montalbano is uncertain what he can and should do to repair the rift that has developed between them. Meanwhile, the inspector must tackle a difficult case—the gunshot murder of an attractive young woman whose nude body was left in a dump. As Montalbano and his team first attempt to identify the victim based on a butterfly tattoo on her left shoulder, they learn of a possible link to an influential Catholic charity. Soon they start to feel political pressure to steer the inquiry in a different direction. Camilleri balances his hero's personal and professional challenges perfectly and leaves the reader eager for more. (Jan.)