The King of Ice Cream

The new novel by Cristina Cassar Scalia is a prequel to the series of investigations undertaken by deputy chief of police Giovanna “Vanina” Guarrasi, which first featured in the book “Sabbia nera” (Black Sand). Vanina has just been transferred to Catania after several years’ service in Milan and is investigating a curious situation: ice-cream maker and businessman Agostino Lomonaco, the owner of a chain of famous shops in the Sicilian city, has received multiple complaints of customers being poisoned, with pills found in his ice-creams. Initially, there doesn’t seem to be anything particularly concerning involved, but after the police visit the businessman he is found murdered. This triggers an investigation by Guarrasi’s team to discover the murderer; and her strong powers of intuition immediately lead her to distrust the most obvious angle. This short novel takes the reader back to Etna’s shadow, with a backdrop of culinary locations (an ever-present in Cassar Scalia’s books), car chases and mysteries to solve. Fans of the series will find familiar characters, such as former inspector Patané, Marta Bonazzoli, Tito Macchia and many more. A crime novel to read on a sunny afternoon while eating a nice Sicilian ice-cream, or a tasty granita with a brioche.  

Il re del gelato
Cristina Cassar Scalia
Einaudi, 2023