The Shape of Water - by Andrea Camilleri

Originally published in Italian in 1994 as La forma dell'acqua and translated into English in 2002, this novel is the first in the bestselling Inspector Montalbano series. Set in the fictional Sicilian town of Vigàta, it follows irascible detective Salvo Montalbano as he investigates the apparent heart attack death of Silvio Luparello, a prominent engineer and politician entangled in corruption and Mafia ties. What seems like a natural demise unravels into a web of sleaze, prostitution, and power struggles on the city's trash-strewn outskirts, blending wry humor, sharp social commentary, and Camilleri's love for Sicilian cuisine with a fast-paced crime plot.