The Wings of the Sphinx (orig. Italian Le ali della sfinge) is a 2006 novel by Andrea Camilleri, translated into English in 2009 by Stephen Sartarelli. It is the eleventh novel in the internationally popular Inspector Montalbano series.
Summary
Whatever happened to those early mornings when, upon awakening, for no reason, he would feel a sort of current of pure happiness running through him?
It's a dark period that Montalbano is going through, especially for his stormy relationship with partner Livia, whom he has recently betrayed with another woman (in the previous episode). Moreover, his police work adds to the personal problems, with administrative frustrations (the precinct is running out of gasoline for their police cars, and there are no new supplies) and operational hindrances from his superiors.
So the usual phone call from Catarella is more than welcome, even though it inevitably comes when the inspector is in the shower. A girl's body has been found in a dump (on a beach in the TV episode), left there as waste to get rid of. Only one distinguishing sign: a sphinx butterfly tattooed on the shoulder. Coroner Pasquano is convinced the actual murder has taken place elsewhere, the day before.
Montalbano discovers that the girl, who emigrated to Italy from Russia with other young people like her, was hosted and assisted by a Catholic charity organisation that seems to have something to hide. What convinces Montalbano that things are as he suspects is the fact that the other girls came from the same country and have the same tattoo, and are now all sponsored by this Catholic charity. Naturally, his chief summons him and advises him to use the utmost caution, since important politicians and prelates are involved.
InspectorSalvo Montalbano is a fictional police chief who is a brilliant detective created by Italian writer Andrea Camilleri in a series of novels and short stories. The books were written in a mixture of Italian, strict Sicilian, and Sicilian Italian.
Katharina Böhm is a Swiss-born Austrian actress. Between 1999 and 2002 she played the role of Livia Burlando in the Italian TV series Il commissario Montalbano, based on the character Salvo Montalbano from the novels created by Andrea Camilleri.
The Shape of Water is a 1994 novel by Andrea Camilleri, translated into English in 2002 by Stephen Sartarelli.
The Terracotta Dog is a 1996 novel by Andrea Camilleri, translated into English in 2002 by Stephen Sartarelli.
The Snack Thief is a 1996 novel by Andrea Camilleri, translated into English in 2003 by Stephen Sartarelli.
The Voice of the Violin is a 1997 novel by Andrea Camilleri, translated into English in 2003 by Stephen Sartarelli.
Excursion to Tindari is a 2000 novel by Andrea Camilleri, translated into English in 2005 by Stephen Sartarelli.
The Scent of the Night is a 2001 novel by Andrea Camilleri, translated into English in 2005 by Stephen Sartarelli. It is the sixth novel in the internationally popular Inspector Montalbano series.
Rounding the Mark is a 2003 novel by Andrea Camilleri, translated into English in 2006 by Stephen Sartarelli. It is the seventh novel in the internationally popular Inspector Montalbano series.
The Patience of the Spider is a 2004 novel by Andrea Camilleri, translated into English in 2007 by Stephen Sartarelli. It is the eighth novel in the internationally popular Inspector Montalbano series.
The Paper Moon is a 2005 novel by Andrea Camilleri, translated into English in 2008 by Stephen Sartarelli. It is the ninth novel in the internationally popular Inspector Montalbano series.
August Heat is a 2006 novel by Andrea Camilleri, translated into English in 2009 by Stephen Sartarelli. It is the tenth novel in the internationally popular Inspector Montalbano series.
The Track of Sand is a 2007 novel by Andrea Camilleri, translated into English in 2010 by Stephen Sartarelli. It is the twelfth novel in the internationally popular Inspector Montalbano series.
The Potter's Field is a 2008 novel by Andrea Camilleri, translated into English in 2011 by Stephen Sartarelli. It is the thirteenth novel in the internationally popular Inspector Montalbano series.
The Inspector Montalbano television series are Italian police procedural stories. Based on Andrea Camilleri's detective novels, they are located in the imaginary town of Vigàta, Sicily, which is based on Camilleri's native Porto Empedocle. The series star Salvo Montalbano is the police chief, or commissario.
The Age of Doubt is a 2008 novel by Andrea Camilleri, translated into English in 2012 by Stephen Sartarelli. It is the fourteenth novel in the internationally popular Inspector Montalbano series.
Peppino Mazzotta is an Italian actor, known for playing police officer Giuseppe Fazio in Il commissario Montalbano mystery series based on the character and novels created by Andrea Camilleri. Mazzotta is a native of Domanico.
Angelo Russo is an Italian theatre and television actor, and native of Ragusa, Sicily.
The Young Montalbano is an Italian television spin-off produced and broadcast by Radiotelevisione Italiana (RAI) in 2012 and 2015. It is a prequel to the Inspector Montalbano series that are based on the detective novels of Andrea Camilleri. The setting is the fictional town of Vigàta, Sicily.
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