A series of burglaries take place at the houses of wealthy Vigata residents. One of the victims is a beguiling young bank manager called Angelica, to whom Salvo finds he is soon attracted. As the investigationprogresses, Montalbano starts to suspect that the burglaries might be a cover for something rather more sinister.

A supermarket controlled by a Mafia family is robbed, setting off a chain of events in which the Mafia's political links start to transpire. Montalbano finds himself having to conduct his investigation usingeven more unconventional methods and this time he does something he's never done before.