Candida Martinelli's Italophile Site (Mystery books/Italy)

Gialli - Mystery Books and Police Thriller Series set in Italy

Piazza del Campidoglio in Rome, the seat of the Italian government and a setting that occurs from time to time in Pears' books'

Venice sitting on the water, the setting for vice-commissario Guido Brunetti's investigations

Carabinieri and their "Gazzella" and helicopter, like the ones used by Marshal Guarnaccia in Florence, click on the helicopter to go to the official Carabinieri site (in Italian).

Marshal Guarnaccia's office is part of Pitti Palace in Florence. It's the part protruding on the left, a Carabinieri office, in the books, I'm not sure in real life.

Images from "Il Commissario Montalbano", an Italian series of film-length episodes based on Andrea Camillieri's police procedural novels, several of which have been translated into English.

The Montalbano series is filmed on location in Sicily which brings stunning locations to the police-dramas. And they score it with Sicilian music for added flavor.

Dear to Montalbano's heart is eating, especially at his favorite restaurant with his favorite chef. He's known to lie to colleagues and girlfriend about his whereabouts to conceal his preference for eating over their company.

The series stars Luca Zingaretti and is a huge hit in Italy and Germany (a German actress plays his long-suffering girlfriend).

Also see my pages:

Thrillers set in Italy

Italian Bestselling Writers

Mysteries set in Ancient Rome

Non-fiction books about Italy

Romances set in Italy

Historical Novels set in Italy

If you're interested in books set in Italy, but not necessarily mysteries, you can use this Search tool to find what you are looking for from Amazon.com.

Just enter 'Books' in the 'Search' field, and something like 'thriller Italy' in the 'Keywords' field. Then click on the 'Go' button to see the list of thrillers set in Italy, or having to do with Italy.

You can combine 'Italy' with whatever genre interests you: biography, history, humor, inspirational...

Introduction

Edward Sklepowich and Urbino MacIntyre

Iain Pears and his Jonathan Argyll

Donna Leon and her Guido Brunetti

Magdalen Nabb and her Marshal Guarnaccia

Michael Dibdin and his Aurelio Zen

Andrea Camilleri and his Commissario Montalbano

Introduction

Giallo is Italian for the color yellow, and this was the color of the covers on police thrillers and mysteries printed in Italy for quite a long time. Since then, the book cover color has became the common name for a mystery or a police thriller in book and any other form.

Edward Sklepowich and his Urbino MacIntyre

Edward Sklepowich's detective is amateur sleuth and longtime Venice resident Urbino MacIntyre. MacIntyre is an ex-pat from the States and an author. His partners in sleuthing are an Italian Countess and Venice, both beautiful and glorious. Sklepowich uses a highly stylized for of storytelling that some would call gothic.

Here are direct links to the first and latest books in the series.

Iain Pears and his Jonathan Argyll

Iain Pears writes a series featuring art historian Jonathan Argyll and the woman who becomes his wife during the run of the series, Flavia di Stefano, a member of an Italian police squad that aims to prevent the theft of art from Italy's famous museums, private collections, and churches. Of all the series on this page, I have to admit this is my favorite, and I've read books from them all!

My list of this author's books at Amazon.com

Donna Leon and her Guido Brunetti

Donna Leon authors a police procedural series set in Venice and featuring Guido Brunetti, a vice-commissario of the Venice police. She gives the reader a real insight into what it would be like to live in the watery wonderland. To read more about Ms. Leon and her books, click here to link to a page with a biography, a review and a link to a British bookstore that features Ms. Leon's books.

My list of this author's books at Amazon.com

Magdalen Nabb and her Marshal Guarnaccia

British expatriate Magdalen Nabb writes a police procedural series set in her adopted hometown, Florence, featuring Marshal Guarnaccia of the Carabinieri. He's a modest, unambitious type who nevertheless succeeds with plodding police work, moments of inspiration, and deep compassion. To read more about Ms. Nabb and her books, click here to link to her page on a British mystery site.

My list of this author's books at Amazon.com

The Carabinieri are actually a branch of the Italian military that reports directly to the Italian head of state, the President. They were set up soon after Italian unification and patterned on the French Gendarmerie.

Michael Dibdin and his Aurelio Zen

Michael Dibdin has written several Aurelio Zen police procedurals set in various locations in Italy. To read more about Mr. Dibdin and his fictional police inspector Mr. Zen, click here. This links you to Mr. Dibdin's page on his publisher's site.

My list of this author's books at Amazon.com

Andrea Camilleri and his Commissario Montalbano

Andrea Camilleri is Italy's most famous writer of gialli. Before he wrote them, he produced them for television, making the acclaimed Maigret series.

But it's for his Commissario Montalbano that he's most famous. Montalbano works in Sicily, and when he's not solving crimes and arresting bad guys, he's enjoying the beaches, good wine, great food, and quirky inhabitants of the ancient island. Click here for a wonderful site dedicated to Mr. Camilleri.

My list of this author's books at Amazon.com