Discover the first mystery in your new favourite crime series set on Italy's most beautiful island: Sicily. A gripping and atmospheric page-turner, perfect for fans of Andrea Camilleri's Inspector Montalbano series.
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An island of myth, legend . . . and murder? As the summer sun beats down on the ancient town of Acitrezza, a folk festival plays out in the picturesque harbour. Music, laughter and the aroma of local delicacies fill the air, and a traditional pantomime draws a crowd.
For rookie journalist Nedda Leonardi, it's just another day's reporting in a calendar of unremarkable events. Until that is, the performers dive in the sparkling Ionian Sea for their finale... and emerge with a corpse. Could this be Nedda's big break?
After one trick too many, Calogero Maugeri, self-styled Magus and con artist, is a wanted man. But his attempts to clean up his act and keep a low profile are thwarted when it's revealed he has a suspicious connection to the dead man pulled from the sea.
A young reporter keen for a scoop and a reformed swindler desperate to clear his name... can this improbable pair solve the most unusual of murders?
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Praise for Philip Gwynne Jones: 'I devoured all Philip's novels and felt transported to Venice with a new intimacy'
Val McDermid 'Clever and great fun'
The Times 'An irresistible concoction of crime and culture'
Daily Mail 'As delightful as a Spritz by the Rialto - a must for all Italy lovers'
David Hewson 'Superb - always gripping, beautifully constructed and vivid'
Stephen Glover 'Sinister and shimmering'
L.S. Hilton, bestselling author of Maestra 'Vividly described'
Literary Review 'The lively, colourful narrative scuds along as briskly as a water taxi...you'll enjoy the ride'
Italia Magazine 
