A Beam of Light

A Beam of Light is #19 in the Inspector Montalbano mystery series by Andrea Camilleri. I'm reading these in order, as the relationships develop over time. This is one of my favorite mystery series. The setting immerses you in the atmosphere and culture and food (oh, the food!) of Sicily, and the characters are well-developed and balanced nicely against the plot lines.

from the back of the book:

When Inspector Montalbano falls for the charms of beautiful gallery owner Marian, his long-time relationship with Livia comes under threat. Meanwhile, he is also troubled by a strange dream as three crimes demand his attention: the assault and robbery of a wealthy merchant's young wife, shady art deals, and a search for arms traffickers that leads him deep into the countryside, where the investigation takes a tragic turn.

Kirkus Reviews says this one "has a more melancholy tone than his previous cases ... but also boasts a nifty, twisty mystery at its core." Publishers Weekly concludes a positive review with this: "Fueled by frequent infusions of food, Montalbano comes up with clever solutions to the strange goings-on, even as he’s less than adept at dealing with the women in his life."

I've also read these:

1. The Shape of Water
2. The Terra-Cotta Dog
3. The Snack Thief
4. Voice of the Violin
5. Excursion to Tindari
6. The Smell of Night
7. Rounding the Mark
8. The Patience of the Spider
9. The Paper Moon
10. August Heat
11. The Wings of the Sphinx
12. The Track of Sand
13. The Potter's Field
14. The Age of Doubt
15. Dance of the Seagull
16. Treasure Hunt
17. Angelica's Smile
18. A Game of Mirrors