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Inspector Montalbano Books in Order
Below you'll find the complete list of Inspector Montalbano books in publication order. This is generally the recommended reading order for the series.
Reading order verified: March 2026
Quick Answer
What order should I read the Inspector Montalbano series? Start with "The Shape of Water" (1994) and follow publication order through all 50 books.
The complete Inspector Montalbano reading order is listed below in publication sequence.
Publication Order
The Shape of Water
1994
The Terra-Cotta Dog
1996
The Snack Thief
1996
Voice of the Violin
1997
Excursion to Tindari
2000
The Smell of the Night / Scent of the Night
2001
Rounding the Mark
2003
The Patience of the Spider
2004
The Paper Moon
2005
The Wings of the Sphinx
2006
August Heat
2009
The Track of Sand
2010
The Potter's Field
2011
The Age of Doubt
2012
The Dance of the Seagull
2013
Treasure Hunt
2013
Montalbano's First Case and Other Stories
2013
Angelica's Smile
2014
Game of Mirrors
2015
A Beam of Light / A Blade of Light
2015
A Voice in the Night
2016
A Nest of Vipers
2017
The Pyramid of Mud
2018
Death at Sea
2018
The Overnight Kidnapper
2019
The Other End of the Line
2019
The Safety Net
2020
The Sicilian Method
2020
The Cook of the Halcyon
2021
Riccardino
2021
The Artist’s Touch
1998
Catarella Solves a Case
1999
Montalbano Afraid
2002
Montalbano’s First Case
2013
Fifty Pairs of Hobnailed Boots
2013
Neck and Neck
2013
Fellow Traveler
2013
Dress Rehearsal
2013
Amore
2013
Montalbano’s Rice Balls
2013
As Alice Did
2013
The Pact
2013
Mortally Wounded
2013
Being Here . . .
2013
Seven Mondays
2013
Pessoa Maintains
2013
The Cat and the Goldfinch
2013
Montalbano Says No
2013
A Kidnapping
2013
Better the Darkness
2013
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