The Voice of the Violin

It is one of those black days that afflict Montalbano, who becomes intractable when the weather is bad. On his way to a funeral, Montalbano's driver avoids what seems to be a suicidal chicken, making the car skid and hitting another car parked in front of a villa. The inspector leaves a note under the windshield wiper of the damaged car to warn the owner. Since his colleague complains about the blow he received, the two go to the hospital. On the way back - it has now become too late for the funeral ceremony - the inspector notices that the damaged car has remained where he left it with the ticket still in the windshield wiper.

Finding the damaged car still where it was the next morning, Montalbano forces the door of the villa which has signs of being inhabited but appears deserted. He wanders through the various rooms until in a bedroom a gruesome scene appears in the eyes of the inspector: a young woman, blonde and beautiful, completely naked, lies dead in her bed.

• Salvo Montalbano, Vigàta's chief police station
• Domenico "Mimì" Augello, Montalbano's deputy and close friend
• Giuseppe Fazio, Montalbano's right-hand man
• Agatino Catarella, police officer
• Livia Burlando, Montalbano's eternal girlfriend
• Dr. Pasquano, Vigàta's local forensic pathologist
• Michela Licalzi, the dead woman
• Commissioner Luca Bonetti-Alderighi, Montalbano's new superior
• Maurizio Di Blasi, Michela's young secret lover
• Anna, Michela's attractive friend

Maxine Clark described the novel as "a perfect example of all that is good about this series. The plot is one of the stronger, leaner ones".[1]

It was first adapted for television by RAI with Luca Zingaretti in the TV series Inspector Montalbano. The episode was the second of the series and aired on 13 May 1999.[2]