The Magus of Sicily
A gripping thriller set on Italy's most beautiful island
Published on 2. April 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
384 pages
978-1-4087-1997-8 (ISBN)
Description
'If this book is not popular with fans of The White Lotus, something is definitely awry . . . [a] sumptuously set mystery' Daily Mirror
'Invokes Italy's most exquisite island as a setting for myth and murder . . . Truly evocative' Financial Times
'Tension that keeps us rooted to the page' Daily Mail
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An island of myth, legend . . . and murder?
As the summer sun beats down on the ancient town of Acitrezza, a folk festival plays out in the picturesque harbour. Music, laughter and the aroma of local delicacies fill the air, and a traditional pantomime draws a crowd.
For rookie journalist Nedda Leonardi, it's just another day's reporting in a calendar of unremarkable events. Until that is, the performers dive in the sparkling Ionian Sea for their finale... and emerge with a corpse. Could this be Nedda's big break?
After one trick too many, Calogero Maugeri, self-styled Magus and con artist, is a wanted man. But his attempts to clean up his act and keep a low profile are thwarted when it's revealed he has a suspicious connection to the dead man pulled from the sea.
A young reporter keen for a scoop and a reformed swindler desperate to clear his name... can this improbable pair solve the most unusual of murders?
Discover the first mystery in your new favourite crime series set on Italy's most beautiful island: Sicily. A gripping and atmospheric page-turner, perfect for fans of Andrea Camilleri's Inspector Montalbano series.
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Praise for Philip Gwynne Jones:
'I devoured all Philip's novels' Val McDermid
'Clever and great fun' The Times
'An irresistible concoction of crime and culture' Daily Mail
'As delightful as a Spritz by the Rialto - a must for all Italy lovers' David Hewson
'Superb - always gripping, beautifully constructed and vivid' Stephen Glover
'Sinister and shimmering' L.S. Hilton, bestselling author of Maestra
'Vividly described' Literary Review
'The lively, colourful narrative scuds along as briskly as a water taxi...you'll enjoy the ride' Italia Magazine
'Invokes Italy's most exquisite island as a setting for myth and murder . . . Truly evocative' Financial Times
'Tension that keeps us rooted to the page' Daily Mail
------------
An island of myth, legend . . . and murder?
As the summer sun beats down on the ancient town of Acitrezza, a folk festival plays out in the picturesque harbour. Music, laughter and the aroma of local delicacies fill the air, and a traditional pantomime draws a crowd.
For rookie journalist Nedda Leonardi, it's just another day's reporting in a calendar of unremarkable events. Until that is, the performers dive in the sparkling Ionian Sea for their finale... and emerge with a corpse. Could this be Nedda's big break?
After one trick too many, Calogero Maugeri, self-styled Magus and con artist, is a wanted man. But his attempts to clean up his act and keep a low profile are thwarted when it's revealed he has a suspicious connection to the dead man pulled from the sea.
A young reporter keen for a scoop and a reformed swindler desperate to clear his name... can this improbable pair solve the most unusual of murders?
Discover the first mystery in your new favourite crime series set on Italy's most beautiful island: Sicily. A gripping and atmospheric page-turner, perfect for fans of Andrea Camilleri's Inspector Montalbano series.
------------
Praise for Philip Gwynne Jones:
'I devoured all Philip's novels' Val McDermid
'Clever and great fun' The Times
'An irresistible concoction of crime and culture' Daily Mail
'As delightful as a Spritz by the Rialto - a must for all Italy lovers' David Hewson
'Superb - always gripping, beautifully constructed and vivid' Stephen Glover
'Sinister and shimmering' L.S. Hilton, bestselling author of Maestra
'Vividly described' Literary Review
'The lively, colourful narrative scuds along as briskly as a water taxi...you'll enjoy the ride' Italia Magazine
Reviews / Votes
A murder mystery drenched in Sicily . . . If this book is not popular with fans of The White Lotus, something is definitely awry . . . [a] sumptuously set mystery * Daily Mirror * 'Philip Gwynne Jones is on a winning streak with his Italian mysteries ... there is no let-up in the tension that keeps us rooted to the page' * Daily Mail * The Magus of Sicily invokes Italy's most exquisite island as a setting for myth and murder . . . truly evocative * Financial Times * A delight * Peterborough Telegraph * If you enjoy Italy, either in reality or imagination, you couldn't help but enjoy Jones's books * Morning Star * Praise for Philip Gwynne Jones's other novels: I devoured all Philip's novels and felt transported to Venice with a new intimacy -- Val McDermid Clever and great fun * The Times * An irresistible concoction of crime and culture * Daily Mail * As delightful as a Spritz by the Rialto - a must for all Italy lovers -- David Hewson Superb - always gripping, beautifully constructed and vivid -- Stephen Glover Sinister and shimmering -- L.S. Hilton, bestselling author of MaestraMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Little, Brown Book Group
Dimensions
Height: 196 mm
Width: 130 mm
Thickness: 30 mm
Weight
265 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4087-1997-8 (9781408719978)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
07/2025
Constable
€0.99
Available for download
Person
Philip Gwynne Jones was born in South Wales in 1966, and lived and worked throughout Europe before settling in Scotland in the 1990s. He first came to Italy in 1994, when he spent some time working for the European Space Agency in Frascati, a job that proved to be less exciting than he had imagined.
He spent twenty years in the IT industry before realising he was congenitally unsuited to it. Furthermore, an attempt to find a secure, well-paid job with a proper pension had resulted in him finding himself in the IT department of a large Scottish bank during the global financial crisis.
Something, clearly, had to change. And so it was that - following a conversation with a man in a pub - Philip and Caroline left their jobs, sold their flat and moved to Venice in search of a better, simpler future. They were wrong about the 'simpler' bit . . .
Philip now works as a teacher, writer and translator, and lives in Venice with Caroline. He enjoys cooking, art, classical music and opera; and can occasionally be seen and heard singing bass with Cantori Veneziani and the Ensemble Vocale di Venezia.
He spent twenty years in the IT industry before realising he was congenitally unsuited to it. Furthermore, an attempt to find a secure, well-paid job with a proper pension had resulted in him finding himself in the IT department of a large Scottish bank during the global financial crisis.
Something, clearly, had to change. And so it was that - following a conversation with a man in a pub - Philip and Caroline left their jobs, sold their flat and moved to Venice in search of a better, simpler future. They were wrong about the 'simpler' bit . . .
Philip now works as a teacher, writer and translator, and lives in Venice with Caroline. He enjoys cooking, art, classical music and opera; and can occasionally be seen and heard singing bass with Cantori Veneziani and the Ensemble Vocale di Venezia.