The Day of the Owl

By Leonardo Sciascia
Translated from the Italian by Archibald Colquhoun and Anthony Oliver
Introduction by George Scialabba

A man is shot dead as he runs to catch the bus in the piazza of a small Sicilian town. Captain Bellodi, the detective on the case, is new to his job and determined to prove himself. Bellodi suspects the Mafia, and his suspicions grow when he finds himself up against an apparently unbreachable wall of silence. A surprise turn puts him on the track of a series of nasty crimes. But all the while Bellodi's investigation is being carefully monitored by a host of observers, near and far. They share a single concern: to keep the truth from coming out.

This short, beautifully paced novel is a mesmerizing description of the Mafia at work.

Read the introduction (PDF)

Reviews

The accessibility and beauty of Sciascia's prose suggest he wanted it to be an antidote to the silent complicity and self-deception confronting both him and his heroes. When he wrote about crime, he was also writing about truth, solitude and belonging.
— The Observer

Leonardo Sciascia is in the very first rank of Italian writers, and among Sicilian writers I think he is supreme. His books are both lucid and mysterious; they address complex, public subjects with clarity and elegance; they move with the pace of thrillers, and have the resonance of poetry.
— Philip Hensher, The Spectator

The most intelligent detective story I have ever read and the ideal introduction to Sciascia's brilliant but little-known oeuvre.
— Thomas Wright, Daily Telegraph

The best evocation of the mafia in its birthplace in Italy.
— Evening Standard

Only very rarely can we say of such works [crime novels] that they look at questions of social justice with the informed eye of the intelligent artist. We can, however, make that claim for the stories of Leonardo Sciascia.
— Frank Kermode

Also see:

To Each His Own By Leonardo Sciascia Translated from the Italian by Adrienne Foulke Introduction by W.S. Di Piero To Each His Own is one of the masterworks of the great Sicilian novelist Leonardo Sciascia—a gripping and unconventional detective story that is also an anatomy of a society founded on secrets, lies, collusion, and violence.

The Wine-Dark Sea By Leonardo Sciascia Translated from the Italian by Avril Bardoni Introduction by Albert Mobilio Sciascia examines the contradictions—sometimes comic, sometimes deadly, and sometimes both—of Sicily's turbulent history and day-to-day life.

Equal Danger By Leonardo Sciascia Translated from the Italian by Adrienne Foulke Introduction by Carlin Romano District Attorney Varga is shot dead. Then Judge Sanza is killed. Then Judge Azar. Are these random murders, or part of a conspiracy?

The Moro Affair By Leonardo Sciascia Translated from the Italian by Sacha Rabinovitch Introduction by Peter Robb The Moro Affair presents a chilling picture of how a secretive government and a ruthless terrorist faction help to keep each other in business.

Leonardo Sciascia Collection Get all five NYRB classics by Leonardo Sciascia.

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