📖 About Inspector Montalbano

Inspector Montalbano is a series universe written by Andrea Camilleri. The complete collection runs to 30 books across 2 series, published between 1994 and 2021.

The main series is Publication Order of Inspector Montalbano Books with 30 books. It opens with The Shape of Water (1994) and currently runs to Riccardino (2021).

Series included on this page:

🎯 Where to Start with Inspector Montalbano

New readers should begin with the first book of the main series in publication order: The Shape of Water (1994), book 1 of Publication Order of Inspector Montalbano Books. Reading in publication order lets the world and characters develop the way the author intended, and it avoids spoilers that later books may contain.

If you would rather follow the story timeline instead of the release sequence, a chronological order is listed below. It begins with Montalbano's First Case and Other Stories (2013).

Each of the 2 series on this page is expandable — click a series heading to see every title it contains, in order, with a direct link to buy the book on Amazon.

📚 Inspector Montalbano Books in Order

Publication Order of Inspector Montalbano Books
30 books
1
The Shape of Water book cover1The Shape of Water1994Buy on Amazon
The Terra-Cotta Dog book cover2The Terra-Cotta Dog1996Buy on Amazon
The Snack Thief book cover3The Snack Thief1996Buy on Amazon
Voice of the Violin book cover4Voice of the Violin1997Buy on Amazon
Excursion to Tindari book cover5Excursion to Tindari2000Buy on Amazon
The Smell of the Night / Scent of the Night book cover6The Smell of the Night / Scent of the Night2001Buy on Amazon
Rounding the Mark book cover7Rounding the Mark2003Buy on Amazon
The Patience of the Spider book cover8The Patience of the Spider2004Buy on Amazon
The Paper Moon book cover9The Paper Moon2005Buy on Amazon
The Wings of the Sphinx book cover10The Wings of the Sphinx2006Buy on Amazon
August Heat book cover11August Heat2009Buy on Amazon
The Track of Sand book cover12The Track of Sand2010Buy on Amazon
The Potter's Field book cover13The Potter's Field2011Buy on Amazon
The Age of Doubt book cover14The Age of Doubt2012Buy on Amazon
The Dance of the Seagull book cover15The Dance of the Seagull2013Buy on Amazon
Treasure Hunt book cover16Treasure Hunt2013Buy on Amazon
Montalbano's First Case and Other Stories book cover17Montalbano's First Case and Other Stories2013Buy on Amazon
Angelica's Smile book cover18Angelica's Smile2014Buy on Amazon
Game of Mirrors book cover19Game of Mirrors2015Buy on Amazon
A Beam of Light / A Blade of Light book cover20A Beam of Light / A Blade of Light2015Buy on Amazon
A Voice in the Night book cover21A Voice in the Night2016Buy on Amazon
A Nest of Vipers book cover22A Nest of Vipers2017Buy on Amazon
The Pyramid of Mud book cover23The Pyramid of Mud2018Buy on Amazon
Death at Sea book cover24Death at Sea2018Buy on Amazon
The Overnight Kidnapper book cover25The Overnight Kidnapper2019Buy on Amazon
The Other End of the Line book cover26The Other End of the Line2019Buy on Amazon
The Safety Net book cover27The Safety Net2020Buy on Amazon
The Sicilian Method book cover28The Sicilian Method2020Buy on Amazon
The Cook of the Halcyon book cover29The Cook of the Halcyon2021Buy on Amazon
Riccardino book cover30Riccardino2021Buy on Amazon
Chronological Order of Inspector Montalbano Books
30 books
2
Montalbano's First Case and Other Stories book cover1Montalbano's First Case and Other Stories2013Buy on Amazon
Death at Sea book cover2Death at Sea2018Buy on Amazon
The Shape of Water book cover3The Shape of Water1994Buy on Amazon
The Terra-Cotta Dog book cover4The Terra-Cotta Dog1996Buy on Amazon
The Snack Thief book cover5The Snack Thief1996Buy on Amazon
Voice of the Violin book cover6Voice of the Violin1997Buy on Amazon
Excursion to Tindari book cover7Excursion to Tindari2000Buy on Amazon
The Smell of the Night / Scent of the Night book cover8The Smell of the Night / Scent of the Night2001Buy on Amazon
Rounding the Mark book cover9Rounding the Mark2003Buy on Amazon
The Patience of the Spider book cover10The Patience of the Spider2004Buy on Amazon
The Paper Moon book cover11The Paper Moon2005Buy on Amazon
August Heat book cover12August Heat2009Buy on Amazon
The Wings of the Sphinx book cover13The Wings of the Sphinx2006Buy on Amazon
The Track of Sand book cover14The Track of Sand2010Buy on Amazon
The Potter's Field book cover15The Potter's Field2011Buy on Amazon
The Age of Doubt book cover16The Age of Doubt2012Buy on Amazon
The Dance of the Seagull book cover17The Dance of the Seagull2013Buy on Amazon
Treasure Hunt book cover18Treasure Hunt2013Buy on Amazon
Angelica's Smile book cover19Angelica's Smile2014Buy on Amazon
Game of Mirrors book cover20Game of Mirrors2015Buy on Amazon
A Beam of Light / A Blade of Light book cover21A Beam of Light / A Blade of Light2015Buy on Amazon
A Voice in the Night book cover22A Voice in the Night2016Buy on Amazon
A Nest of Vipers book cover23A Nest of Vipers2017Buy on Amazon
The Pyramid of Mud book cover24The Pyramid of Mud2018Buy on Amazon
The Overnight Kidnapper book cover25The Overnight Kidnapper2019Buy on Amazon
The Other End of the Line book cover26The Other End of the Line2019Buy on Amazon
The Safety Net book cover27The Safety Net2020Buy on Amazon
The Sicilian Method book cover28The Sicilian Method2020Buy on Amazon
The Cook of the Halcyon book cover29The Cook of the Halcyon2021Buy on Amazon
Riccardino book cover30Riccardino2021Buy on Amazon

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How many Inspector Montalbano books are there?
There are 30 books in the Inspector Montalbano collection, organised into 2 series and published between 1994 and 2021.
What is the first Inspector Montalbano book?
The first book is The Shape of Water, published in 1994.
What order should I read the Inspector Montalbano books in?
Most readers use publication order, which is the order the books were originally released. A chronological order is also provided on this page for readers who prefer to follow the internal timeline of the story.
Who wrote the Inspector Montalbano books?
The Inspector Montalbano books were written by Andrea Camilleri.
Is the Inspector Montalbano series finished?
The main series, Publication Order of Inspector Montalbano Books, has 30 books so far. The most recent title listed on this page gives the current end point of the series.
When did the Inspector Montalbano series start?
The earliest title in this collection was published in 1994, and the most recent in 2021.