In this latest novel from bestselling author John Verdon, ingenious puzzle solver Dave Gurney puts under the magnifying glass a notorious serial murder case – one whose motives have been enshrined as law-enforcement dogma - and discovers that everyone has it wrong. The most decorated homicide detective in NYPD history, Dave Gurney is still trying to adjust to his life of quasi-retirement in upstate New York when a young woman who is producing a documentary on a notorious murder spree seeks his counsel. Soon after, Gurney begins feeling threatened: a razor-sharp hunting arrow lands in his yard, and he narrowly escapes serious injury in a booby-trapped basement. As things grow more bizarre, he finds himself reexamining the case of The Good Shepherd, which ten years before involved a series of roadside shootings and a rage-against-the-rich manifesto. The killings ceased, and a cult of analysis grew up around the case with a consensus opinion that no one would dream of challenging -- no one, that is, but Dave Gurney. Mocked even by some who'd been his supporters in previous investigations, Dave realizes that the killer is too clever to ever be found. The only gambit that may make sense is also the most dangerous – to make himself a target and get the killer to come to him. To survive, Gurney must rely on three allies: his beloved wife Madeleine, impressively intuitive and a beacon of light in the gathering darkness; his de-facto investigative “partner” Jack Hardwick, always ready to spit in authority's face but wily when it counts; and his son Kyle, who has come back into Gurney's life with surprising force, love and loyalty. Displaying all the hallmarks for which the Dave Gurney series is lauded -- well-etched characters, deft black humor, and ingenious deduction that ends in a climactic showdown – Let the Devil Sleep is something more: a reminder of the power of self-belief in a world that contains too little of it.

The Cook of the Halcyon (An Inspector Montalbano Mystery)

Andrea Camilleri, Stephen Sartarelli

Camilleri, Andrea

Penguin Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC

Golden Books Publishing Company, Incorporated

Random House, Incorporated

Ladybird Books Ltd

Penguin Books Ltd

Vintage Books

An Inspector Montalbano Mystery, New York, USA, Mar 16, 2021

Penguin mystery original, New York, New York, 2021

United Kingdom and Ireland, United Kingdom

Penguin Random House LLC, New York, 2012

First Printing, First Edition, PS, 2012

United States, United States of America

Penguin Random House LLC, [N.p.], 2021

Dave Gurney, 1st ed, New York, 2012

New York. NY, 2012

2021-03-16

Source title: The Cook of the Halcyon (An Inspector Montalbano Mystery)

<p><b>In this latest novel from bestselling author John Verdon, ingenious puzzle solver Dave Gurney puts under the magnifying glass a notorious serial murder&nbsp;case – one whose motives have been enshrined as law-enforcement dogma - and discovers that everyone has it wrong.</b><br>
<b>&nbsp;</b><br>
The most decorated homicide detective in NYPD history, Dave Gurney is still trying to adjust to his life of quasi-retirement in upstate New York when a young woman who is producing a documentary on a notorious murder spree seeks his counsel.&nbsp; Soon after, Gurney begins feeling threatened: a razor-sharp hunting arrow lands in his yard, and he narrowly escapes serious injury in a booby-trapped basement.&nbsp; As things grow more bizarre, he finds himself reexamining the case of The Good Shepherd, which ten years before involved a series of roadside shootings and a rage-against-the-rich manifesto.&nbsp; The killings ceased, and a cult of analysis grew up around the case with a consensus opinion that no one would dream of challenging&nbsp; — no one, that is, but Dave Gurney.&nbsp;<br>
&nbsp;<br>
Mocked even by some who’d been his supporters in previous investigations, Dave realizes that the killer is too clever to ever be found.&nbsp; The only gambit that may make sense is also the most dangerous – to make <i>himself</i> a target and get the killer to come to him.<br>
&nbsp;<br>
To survive, Gurney must rely on three allies: his beloved wife Madeleine, impressively intuitive and a beacon of light in the gathering darkness; his de-facto investigative “partner” Jack Hardwick, always ready to spit in authority’s face but wily when it counts; and his son Kyle, who has come back into Gurney’s life with surprising force, love and loyalty.<br>
&nbsp;<br>
Displaying all the hallmarks for which the Dave Gurney series is lauded — well-etched characters, deft black humor, and ingenious deduction that ends in a climactic showdown – <i>Let the Devil Sleep</i> is something more: a reminder of the power of self-belief in a world that contains too little of it.</p>

"The new novel in the transporting New York Times bestselling Inspector Montalbano mystery series. Two deaths, the suicide a newly laid-off worker and an unscrupulous businessman found murdered, leads Inspector Montalbano to inspect the Halcyon, a nearly abandoned mysterious ship with no passengers. CONTINUES TO HOOK NEW READERS: Each book is a welcome invitation for new readers to the ever popular and growing series. IMPRESSIVE SALES TRACK: Five of the Montalbano books have hit the New York Times bestseller list and the series continues to reorder and bring in consistent sales with each new book. We have sold over 700,000 Montalbano books in all formats. Camilleri continues to be a mega-bestseller in Italy. Today, the Inspector Montalbano series has sold over 10 million copies worldwide, and has been translated into over 32 languages. ESCAPE INTO SICILY: Camilleri's Inspector Montalbano series has always been greatly praised for its atmospheric, sensual descriptions of Sicily, with its cool beaches and rustic delicacies, it's pure escapism"-- Provided by publisher

"The new novel in the transporting New York Times bestselling Inspector Montalbano mystery series. Two deaths, the suicide of a newly laid-off worker and an unscrupulous businessman found murdered, leads Inspector Montalbano to inspect the Halcyon, a nearly abandoned mysterious ship with no passengers. Giovanni Trincanato has brought ruin to the shipyard he inherited from his father and when a worker he fires hangs himself on the construction site, Inspector Montalbano is called to the scene. In short order, the inspector loses his temper with the crass Giovanni, delivers a slap to his face, and unfortunately, it won't be the last he sees of Trincanato. Meanwhile, a mysterious schooner called Halcyon shows up in the harbor, seemingly deserted except for just one man. With its presence comes even more mysteries, another death, and the arrival of the FBI. Alongside Sicilian-American Agent Pennisi, Montalbano and his team must attempt a suspenseful infiltration operation in this new, page-turning Inspector Montalbano mystery." -- Provided by publisher

Dave Gurney is still trying to adjust to his life of quasi-retirement in upstate New York when a young woman who is producing a documentary on a notorious murder spree seeks his counsel, soon after, Gurney begins feeling threatened and reexamines the case of The Good Shepherd, which ten years before involved a series of roadside shootings and a rage-against-the-rich manifesto

There's a murder, but Montalbano seems more interested in funny business around a yacht. Meanwhile, the commissioner launches an all-out bureaucratic assault on Montalbano and crew. Eventually everything gets wrapped up in a sea-going meeting of drug lords.

He was dancing a waltz at the edge of a swimming pool, all pomaded and fragrant, and he know that the woman in his arms was Livia, who just a few hours earlier had become his wife.

2021-03-16