The Magus of Sicily

''Truly evocative'' Financial Times ''If this book is not popular with fans of The White Lotus, something is definitely awry . . . [a] sumptuously set mystery'' Daily Mirror ------------ An island of myth, legend . . . and murder? As the summer sun beats down on the ancient town of Acitrezza, a folk festival plays out in the picturesque harbour. Music, laughter and the aroma of local delicacies fill the air, and a traditional pantomime draws a crowd. For rookie journalist Nedda Leonardi, it''s just another day''s reporting in a calendar of unremarkable events. Until that is, the performers dive in the sparkling Ionian Sea for their finale... and emerge with a corpse. Could this be Nedda''s big break? After one trick too many, Calogero Maugeri, self-styled Magus and con artist, is a wanted man. But his attempts to clean up his act and keep a low profile are thwarted when it''s revealed he has a suspicious connection to the dead man pulled from the sea. A young reporter keen for a scoop and a reformed swindler desperate to clear his name... can this improbable pair solve the most unusual of murders? ''Truly evocative'' Financial Times ''If this book is not popular with fans of The White Lotus, something is definitely awry . . . [a] sumptuously set mystery'' Daily Mirror ------------ An island of myth, legend . . . and murder? As the summer sun beats down on the ancient town of Acitrezza, a folk festival plays out in the picturesque harbour. Music, laughter and the aroma of local delicacies fill the air, and a traditional pantomime draws a crowd. For rookie journalist Nedda Leonardi, it''s just another day''s reporting in a calendar of unremarkable events. Until that is, the performers dive in the sparkling Ionian Sea for their finale... and emerge with a corpse. Could this be Nedda''s big break? After one trick too many, Calogero Maugeri, self-styled Magus and con artist, is a wanted man. But his attempts to clean up his act and keep a low profile are thwarted when it''s revealed he has a suspicious connection to the dead man pulled from the sea. A young reporter keen for a scoop and a reformed swindler desperate to clear his name... can this improbable pair solve the most unusual of murders?