In the third book in Andrea Camilleris Inspector Montalbano series, the urbane and perceptive Sicilian detective exposes a vipers nest of government corruption and international intrigue in a compelling new case. When an elderly man is stabbed to death in an elevator and a crewman on an Italian fishing trawler is machine-gunned by a Tunisian patrol boat off Sicilys coast, only Montalbano suspects the link between the two incidents. His investigation leads to the beautiful Karima, an impoverished housecleaner and sometime prostitute, whose young son steals other schoolchildrens midmorning snacks. But Karima disappears, and the young snack thiefs life as well as Montalbanos is on the line...