Commissario Montalbano

Ein mysteriöser Todesfall an der Mànnara, einem verlassenen Industriegebiet, erschüttert die Bevölkerung der kleinen Küstenstadt Vigàta. Dort, in einer Art Bordell unter freiem Himmel, finden zwei Müllmänner den stadtbekannten Anwalt und Politiker Luparello tot in seinem Wagen auf – in einer eindeutig verfänglichen Position. Die ehrenwerte Persönlichkeit ist offensichtlich in der Gesellschaft einer Pros¬tituierten einem Herzanfall erlegen, von Gewalteinwirkung findet sich keine Spur. Deshalb und aufgrund der kompromittierenden Gerüchte, stellt die Obrigkeit nur allzu schnell eine „natürliche Todesursache“ fest.

Commissario Montalbano ist überrascht, als ihn der flüchtige Mafia-Killer Tano u Grecu um seine eigene Verhaftung bittet. Doch die Erklärung ist einleuchtend: Der berüchtigte Tano fürchtet seine Feinde in der Mafia inzwischen mehr als die Polizei. Mit Recht, wie sich herausstellt, denn wenig später wird er erschossen – ein typischer Rachemord. Doch vor seinem Tod kann er Montalbano, dessen Aufrichtigkeit und Fairness ihn sehr beeindruckt haben, noch einen wichtigen Hinweis geben. Dank Tanos Auskunft kommt Montalbano der Aufklärung mafiöser Waffengeschäfte, die die Polizei der gesamten Region in Atem halten, einen Schritt näher. Während seiner Ermittlungen stößt er auf ein weiteres Verbrechen. Durch einen Zufall entdeckt er in einer ehemaligen Schmuggler-Höhle die skelettierten Leichen eines Mannes und einer Frau, beide in inniger Umarmung.

Der umtriebige Sanfilippo wird erschossen vor seinem Haus aufgefunden. Neben Unmengen Videos seiner diversen amourösen Abenteuer fällt Montalbano der intensive Briefwechsel mit einer Unbekannten in die Hände. Als das benachbarte Ehepaar ebenfalls vermisst wird und der Commissario bei Nenè ein Manuskript entdeckt, daß Parallelen zu dem Fall erkennen lässt, fügt sich langsam ein schreckliches Puzzle zusammen.

Der querschnittsgelähmte Goldschmied Alberto Larussa wird tot in seiner Werkstatt aufgefunden – alles deutet auf einen bizarren Selbstmord hin. Salvo Montalbano aber geht seinen von der ersten Sekunde an gehegten Zweifeln nach. Ein zweiter Toter und ein gefälschtes Testament sind seine nächsten Spuren.

Ein alter, blinder Mann kommt ums Leben und alles sieht nach einem Unglück aus. Der Commissario aber wundert sich über das gesteigerte Interesse des Ingenieurs Di Stefano am Hund des Verstorbenen, den er zunächst mit zu sich nach Hause genommen hat. Ein Besuch bei der Schwester des Toten und eine zufällig aufgeschnappte Anekdote bringen einen riesigen Stein ins Rollen.

Ein Ehepaar kommt bei einem Verkehrsunfall ums Leben, außerhalb des Zuständigkeitsbereiches von Vigáta, trotzdem wird Montalbano hinzugerufen. Und tatsächlich sieht alles nicht nach einem normalen Unfall aus: Die Ehefrau war die Geliebte seines Kollegen und gleichzeitig zum Unfall wurde ins Landhaus des Ehepaares eingebrochen. Und warum wurden die Fingernägel der Opfer entfernt?

Börsenspekulationen, windige Geschäfte, Schmiergeld – in Sizilien geht es zu wie überall, wenn Geld gewittert wird. Ein zweifelhafter Star auf diesem Gebiet ist Emanuele Gargano, der „Magier der Finanzen“. Eines Tages verschwindet Gargano, ist wie vom Erdboden verschluckt und mit ihm das Geld seiner Anleger. So ziemlich jeder meint die Gründe zu kennen und will ihn finden, aber Montalbano ahnt, daß etwas ganz anderes dahinter steckt …

Im Einflussbereich der Polizei von Vigàta geschehen mehrere seltsame Überfälle. Ein schwarzgekleideter Mann auf einem Moped hat es auf die Handtaschen älterer Frauen abgesehen. Doch die Raubzüge lohnen sich nicht, denn die Handtaschen sind immer nur mit geringen Geldsummen gefüllt. Erst als das vierte Handtaschenopfer, die Frau des Anwalts Joppolo, erschossen wird, beginnt Montalbano diverse Zusammenhänge zu erahnen …

Eine Wasserleiche wird zum neuen Fall Commissario Montalbanos. Als sich herausstellt, dass der Mann ermordert wurde, stößt Montalbano im Zuge seiner Ermittlungen auf eine skrupellose Mafia-Organisation, die mit illegal eingewanderten Kindern das große Geld machen will …

Als Angelo Bonpensiero tot aufgefunden wird glauben zunächst alle an einen Krieg zwischen zwei mächtigen Mafia-Familien, die Sinagra-Familie soll Angelo getötet haben. Bald darauf stirbt auch ein Mitglied der Sinagras – und weitere Morde folgen. Doch Commissario Montalbano zweifelt daran, dass es sich um einen Zwist der Familien handelt. Und dann ist da noch das Verschwinden des ukrainischen Mädchens Eva …

Die Entführung von Susanna Mistretta gibt Commissario Montalbano und seinem Kollegen Fifí Valente Rätsel auf, denn ihr Vater Salvatore Mistretta hat bekanntermaßen kein Geld. Freunde und Studienkollegen der Vermissten warten ebenfalls mit sehr unterschiedlichen Theorien zum Verschwinden der jungen Frau auf. Und nach der vermeintlichen Freilassung wird der fall nur noch mysteriöser …

Als der geizige, alte Bauunternehmer Girolamo Cascio überfahren wird, glaubt man zunächst an einen Unfall. Doch dessen Buchhalter, Ciccio Monaco, macht Commissario Montalbano darauf aufmerksam, dass daran etwas nicht stimmen kann. Und Richter Scognamiglio weist darauf hin, dass es einen Zusammenhang mit dem Pennisi-Fall geben könnte, in dem mann den verurteilten gerade nach 20 Jahren Haft entlassen hat …

Als Montalbano Mimì und Beba Augello in ihrer Ferienvilla besucht, verschwindet plötzlich der kleine Salvo. Auf der Suche nach ihm entdeckt Montalbano eine zugemauerte Wohnung unter dem Haus – und darin eine Truhe mit einer Leiche. Der für den Schwarzbau verantwortliche Bauunternehmer hat ein Alibi, aber Montalbano versucht ihm mit Hilfe der Zwillingsschwester der Toten eine Falle zu stellen …

Am Strand von Sarsetto wird eine Frauenleiche gefunden, nur eine Tätowierung in Form eines (Sphinx-)Schmetterlings auf ihrer Schulter könnte bei der Identifizierung helfen. Montalbano lässt eine Zeichnung im TV veröffentlichen und ein alter Mann meldet sich, seine Pflegerin Katia hätte ein ebensolches Tattoo. Nach und nach stellt sich heraus, daß eine Organsation dahinterstecken könnte, die selbst die polizeiliche Chefetage nicht verärgern will.

Am Strand direkt vor Montalbanos Terrasse liegt ein erschlagenes Pferd – als er den Kadaver abholen lassen will, ist dieser plötzlich verschwunden. Wenig später meldet eine Freundin von Ingrid, die schöne Rachele Estermann, ihr wertvolles Rennpferd als gestohlen. Stallbesitzer Lo Duca vermutet Rache eines ehemaligen Mitarbeiters, doch so einfach ist der Fall nicht …

Kurz nachdem Michaela Pardo ihren Bruder, Pharmavertreter Angelo, als vermisst meldet, findet Montalbano dessen Leiche in seiner Terassenwohnung. Der Verdacht fällt auf Angelos Geliebte Elena, die nicht nur attraktiv und verheiratet ist, sondern offen zugibt kein Alibi zu haben. Plötzlich gibt es mehrere Drogentote und auf einmal scheint auch die Mafia eine Rolle in dem mysteriösen Fall zu spielen …

Als in einer alten Tongrube eine Leiche freigeschwemmt wird, deutet zunächst alles auf einen Mafia-Mord hin. Doch Commissario Montalbano ist misstrauisch. Sein Verdacht stützt sich auf das geheimnisvolle Verhalten einer Frau, die nicht nur ihren Mann als vermisst im Kommissariat meldet, sondern parallel dazu auch eine Liaison mit Montalbanos Vize Augello pflegt, der sich ausgesprochen stürmisch um die Übernahme der Mordermittlungen bemüht …

Der Tag beginnt merkwürdig. Zuerst sieht Commissario Montalbano eine sterbende Möwe, dann verschwindet Fazio. Auf einen Tipp hin lässt der Kommissar einen ausgetrockneten Brunnen untersuchen. Dort findet er zwei Männerleichen, von Fazio aber keine Spur. Kurz darauf taucht der gesuchte Fazio auf, doch er ist verletzt und kann sich an nichts erinnern. Bei den Ermittlungen erkennt Commissario Montalbano, dass die Mafia in die Morde involviert ist.

Zuerst muss Commissario Montalbano zwei greise, schießwütige Geschwister verhaften lassen, dann ermittelt er im Mordfall an einem belesenen Landstreicher. Ohne es zu ahnen, gerät er dabei, in eine seltsame Schatzjagd mit tödlichen Rätseln. Dahinter versteckt sich ein ungewöhnlicher Entführungsfall und ein vermeintlicher freiwilliger Helfer entpuppt sich zunehmend als Bösewicht.

Commissario Mopntalbano erlebt eine Midlife Crisis und träumt von seinem Begräbnis. Das ahre Leben sieht aber für den italienischen Kommissar nicht besser aus. Dann wird eine gesichtslose Leiche auf einem kleinen, dahin treibenden Boot gefunden. Laut Untersuchungsbericht wurde das Oper vergiftet, bevor das Gesicht demoliert wurde. Einziger Lichtblick bei den Ermittlungen ist das Treffen Montalbanos mit Leutnant Laura Belladonna.

During one night the house at sea and the villa of the spouses Carlo and Caterina Peritore are robbed; the prosperous couple had been asleep with gas, so that the thieves could calmly take possession of the objects in the house and the keys of the cottage. Montalbano realizes that the thieves had to know all the habits of the victims and easily managed to connect to this another theft just days ago, in the same way, by the Lojacono spouses. Investigating, it turns out that the two victims are acquaintances and part of a close circle of friends, who could therefore be all potential victims. The thieves do not seem to be local but, anyway, the excellent organization certainly needs a baseman, who is certainly also the head of the band and that, through an anonymous letter, launches a real challenge to the commissioner. In fact, the robberies continue. This time he was subjected to Angelica Cosulich, a manager from the local bank, of whom Montalbano remained entranced. In a moment of crisis with her Livia, a crisis due to the atrocious suspicion of a betrayal of her against him, the young woman brings to mind the futile infatuation of young for Angelica, the protagonist of the furious Orlando, by Ludovico Ariosto, and Montalbano, understood that the young woman reciprocates his interest, will face an inner crisis from which the winner will emerge with difficulty. The Commissioner and his colleagues draw up a list of possible future victims: while they are monitoring one of the suspicious houses, they leave the thieves to escape after a shoot-out. The circle of possible culprits narrows, and suspicions are concentrated around some friends belonging to this elite of wealthy people. In the meantime a corpse is found, and after this fact it is learned that the instigator of thefts decided to go and steal from his friends. The reason goes well beyond the act of taking possession of the stolen goods: the suspect and loan shark Pierrera is found deadly suicidal, and his killing proves to be connected to other facts. The investigations reveal that Angelica's parents had died many years earlier after failing to return a large sum of money and that the one who blackmailed them was Pierrera. Angelica and his cousin then, helped by some accomplices, have designed the series of thefts to cover their true intent, that of taking away from Pierrera the documentation relating to his activity as a loan shark and then to frame him. The woman, however, after regretting her gesture, will risk her life.

The quiet Vigata is shaken by the explosion of a paper bomb, detonated in front of an empty warehouse. Immediately we think of a warning but Commissioner Montalbano does not find the reasons. The owner, a certain Angelino Arnone, denies being the recipient of this warning, but returns to the police station, a few days later, with a threatening letter that denies his thesis. Sniffing the attempt at screening, the commissioner turns his attentions to the two tenants of the house located near the warehouse. One is Carlo Nicotra, a prejudiced and big piece of the Sinagra clan, for which the warnings were not due, he being the boss, and the other, Stefano Tallarita, a dealer in the service of Nicotra himself, in prison to serve a sentence . With the help of Pasquale, son of Adelina, Montalbano understands that the recipient of the attack could be the son of Stefano, Arturo Tallarita, as a retaliation for the rumors about an alleged collaboration of his father with the police. But even this will prove to be a false trail. Meanwhile, the commissioner is grappling with another mystery. Soccurrendo one of his neighbor remained in need of repair, Liliana Lombardo, wife of an IT engineer, representative of a large industry in the industry, discovers that the car was sabotaged and decides to accompany her to work every day to keep an eye on and understand what lies behind this matter. La Lombardo accuses a former lover, who uses these scars for childishness, but Montalbano realizes that the relationship between the two is still outstanding, and discovers that Liliana's lover is Arturo, son of Stefano Tallarita. Therefore, both cases are connected and Montalbano begins to draw conclusions, also reconstructing that the case found in the car door of his car had not ended there after a gun battle, but had been addressed to the Lombard, in one of their trips Coming back home.

On the day of his birthday, the commissioner is struggling with a combative pirate of the street, Giovanni Strangio, who turns out to be the scapular son of the President of the Province of Montelusa, Michele Strangio. Montalbano understands that he is facing serious trouble, especially when Strangio himself goes to the commissioner to denounce the discovery of his girlfriend's corpse, Mariangela Carlesimo. At the same time, in one of Vigata's largest supermarkets, a theft is discovered, which, however, shows strange inconsistencies. Montalbano, underestimating the case, entrusts it to his deputy, Augello, but this warehouse is, as known to all the commoners, attributable to the family Cuffaro, and on the board of directors of the same, over several figures of convenience, stands the honorable Mongibello . The manager of the supermarket, a certain Guido Nicotra, is found hanged in the aftermath of the complaint. Montalbano begins to suffer pressure from above, as the political exponents involved in the two cases are beginning to be annoyed by his attitudes and his investigations; he will therefore be forced to force his hand a little to solve these two cases, acting in a somewhat unusual way, which will cause him to reflect a lot.

Commissioner Montalbano has another strange dream: in the middle of a vast field, there is a coffin with a corpse. Agent Catarella, mumbling things in Latin, calls him to make him recognize the body, which will turn out to be that of the Questore Bonetti Alderighi. When he arrives at the police station, he presents the two cases to be solved. The first case concerns an alleged robbery suffered by Ms Loredana Di Marta; the husband goes to the police station in his stead to complain, but some details do not seem to square. When questioning the friend of the alleged victim, Valeria Bonifacio, one senses that the two women plot something and come out of strange loves, and old and new lovers of Di Marta herself, but all the tests fit her husband instead. The second case concerns the denunciation of an elderly peasant who has found a closed disused stable with strange doors and windows, works not commissioned by him or executed by the two Tunisian factors of origin of which the old man serves. Going to the place, the commissioner finds a different scene, where there is no comparison with what was declared by the elderly. Looking around, however, there are signs of recent activity and a large arsenal. Montalbano sends the residues found to the anti-terrorist unit but, despite being ordered to give up, the commissioner will conduct a small parallel investigation, which risks jumping because a third Tunisian, hitherto hidden by others, recognizes him. Meanwhile, the commissioner must also face a severe anxiety crisis that assaults his partner Livia, who begins to experience strange burdens and anxieties. When the hope of overcoming that moment begins to become strong, all their fears will become reality.

A seventy-year-old prostitute, strangely married also, is killed, carrying out her job in a warehouse. At first, Mimì Augello persuades himself that the killer was a certain Mimmo Tavano, a prostitute's client. Montalbano, however, with his intuition can find the solution.

The lifeless body of a man is found in the construction site where the new water supply of Vigata is built. The commissioner, noting that the man was in his undershirt and underpants, immediately sensed that the victim must have been surprised by his murderer in the night while he slept, and that for this reason he had to live nearby. Montalbano and the faithful Fazio check the houses nearby, and after a short search find his home and identify him. It is Gerardo Nicotra, accounting officer of the same construction company, of the yard where he died. The commissioner immediately tries to get in touch with his German wife Inge, but there is no trace of her. Meanwhile, the journalist Lucia Gambardella, who for years has been fighting against rigged contracts in Vigata, informs the commissioner that his informant, a certain Saverio Piscopo, was almost murdered, because he wanted to denounce a huge round of malfeasance and corruption among the various construction companies in the province. Montalbano, after taking charge of the safety of Piscopo, continues to investigate the life of Nicotra. And after a series of misdirections and lies, he senses that the death of Nicotra and the wounding of Piscopo are connected by a large round of malaffare, concerning public tenders ....

The entrepreneur Cosimo Barletta is killed by a gunshot to the head while he is having breakfast in the morning in his own house by the sea. During the investigations are discovered about twenty envelopes containing photographs of young naked girls taken during the relations with Barletta. The victim was also a known loan shark and had many enemies in Vigata. The results of the autopsy on the corpse are a real twist: Barletta was actually poisoned with a powerful medicine dissolved in the coffee, while the shot happened at a later time. Montalbano senses that the crime was committed by two different murderers, who acted almost simultaneously but unbeknownst to each other. Initially, the investigations focus on the girls blackmailed by the victim, but they all have unassailable alibis. In the last month, however, Barletta had fallen in love with a new girl, to whom he had donated a large sum of money, a house and was in the process - just the morning of the murder - to change his will, to allocate all the own assets. Finally, Montalbano will discover that the shot was fired by Arturo Barletta, the victim's disinherited son with serious financial problems, while the poisoning was caused by his daughter Giovanna, who had long held an incestuous relationship with her father and was therefore jealous of the new girlfriend , besides fearful of losing too much of the inheritance. To confirm the suspicions, the vagabond Camastra, become a friend of Montalbano and Livia, tells of having witnessed the suicide of the wife of Barletta, thrown into the sea after discovering the affair between her husband and daughter. Shortly before the arrest, Giovanna commits suicide with the same poison used for her father and leaving a letter.

Montalbano investigates the crime of a young woman, whose corpse is found naked in a cloth bathed in blood, a sign of a brutal crime committed with unspeakable violence, in the entrance hall of a building. Trying to understand what drove her to drag herself there, right in that building, Montalbano suspects that the woman is a prostitute in Eastern Europe, and speculates that responsible for his death is the clan of Cuffaro, which manages the market of prostitution . But the story is complicated and the commissioner himself becomes the object of an attack that fortunately escapes. Investigating the murderer, find an accomplice among the condominiums who resumed the party, with politicians and notables of the country, in which the girl died. This investigation is also intertwined with the knowledge of an elderly retired judge, obsessed with the review of all the processes he has celebrated, to be sure that he has never been conditioned by his own personal problems. A disturbing meeting, which leaves Montalbano with many questions about the commitment and the weight of searching for the truth and judging it.

Montalbano must solve two intricate cases: the disappearance of a merchant who apparently refused to pay for lace and a series of mysterious sequestrations. An antiques shop has been the subject of arson and Marcello Di Carlo, the owner of the store, a mature spendboy playboy, has disappeared. Montalbano begins to investigate, but the mystery of this disappearance seems to become increasingly elusive. At the same time something very strange happens: a kidnapper stops some girls with deception, seizes them for a few hours and then releases them to the countryside without making them violent or robbing them. These abduction-flashes seem incomprehensible but Montalbano understands that the two apparently very different cases are in fact linked, and above all realizes that to come to the head of this complex investigation will have to find out who is the last flame of the trader (Daniela), the girl with whom he recently spent a holiday in the Canaries and who has not presented to anyone. Besides discovering her identity she must also find out where she is and if something has not happened to her. The investigations are complicated by a series of misunderstandings and the same commissioner is likely to follow a wrong track prepared with care by the assassin but, as usual, will not fail to live up to his reputation.

The disappearance of a beautiful girl (Michela) puts a strain on Montalbano's ability to extricate himself in the labyrinths of complexity and the fatal deceits of loving sentiment. Michela is a girl with a troubled past: leaving the family at a very young age, she met wrong men who used her and led her to prostitution. With great willpower she was able to recover from that tragic condition, she rebuilt her life and found love in a boyfriend, Saverio, with whom he now lives and totally reciprocates his love. But just when he seems to have found a decent accommodation, Michela mysteriously disappears. Many think that, having had so many lovers, he simply abandoned Saverio and escaped with another man but Montalbano soon realized that this did not happen and that something serious happened to the poor girl if she was not even killed. To solve this mystery, to discover the motive and the killer contributes decisively to the meeting with two elderly actors of the theater, the Di Giovanni spouses. Montalbano, through their story, strange and touching, and also thanks to a renewed feeling of jealousy towards Livia, understands that the disappearance of Michela is the result of a mad, impossible and tragic love.