The Magus of Sicily. A gripping thriller set on Italy's most beautiful island - Philip Gwynne Jones

''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

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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?