Best Stephen Sartarelli Audiobooks

The best Stephen Sartarelli audiobooks — 18 titles ranked by listening experience across Mystery, averaging 3.96 ABR stars.

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Stephen Sartarelli is the translator who gave English-language readers one of crime fiction's great pleasures: Andrea Camilleri's Commissario Montalbano. Sartarelli's translations don't just convert Italian to English — they preserve the sun-drenched, sardonic texture of Camilleri's Sicily, the bureaucratic absurdity, the food-obsessed rhythms, the casual melancholy of a detective who'd rather be eating than solving murders. The result reads like something written in English from the start. From The Shape of Water to The Potter's Field, the Montalbano series has a wry, unhurried voice that Sartarelli renders with remarkable consistency across dozens of novels. Readers who love procedurals with genuine regional atmosphere — where place is as much a character as the detective — will find Sartarelli's work essential. He's the invisible hand behind one of translated crime fiction's most beloved franchises.

Stephen Sartarelli's highest-rated audiobook in our collection is Excursion to Tindari, narrated by Grover Gardner (4.1 ABR stars). Performed by Grover Gardner. Rankings here weight the listening experience — narrator performance and Audible ratings factor alongside reader scores.

Where to Start with Stephen Sartarelli

  1. 1
    Excursion to Tindari cover

    Excursion to Tindari

    Commissario Montalbano • Book 5

    by Andrea Camilleri, Stephen Sartarelli

    Narrated by Grover Gardner

    4.10 ABR Score (9.4K ratings)
    ★ 4.06 Goodreads (9.1K) ★ 4.55 Audible (291)
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    Montalbano investigates a triple murder connecting a slain playboy to two elderly victims who vanished en route to ancient Tindari. Grover Gardner captures the inspector's wit and Sicily's sun-soaked atmosphere.

  2. 2
    The Shape of Water cover

    The Shape of Water

    Commissario Montalbano • Book 1

    by Andrea Camilleri, Stephen Sartarelli

    Narrated by Grover Gardner

    3.58 ABR Score (27.2K ratings)
    ★ 3.74 Goodreads (26.5K) ★ 3.95 Audible (704)
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    Sicilian Inspector Montalbano investigates murders on a former dump turned red-light district. Gardner captures Camilleri's wry humor and the sun-baked atmosphere of Vigàta perfectly.

  3. 3
    The Terra-Cotta Dog cover

    The Terra-Cotta Dog

    Commissario Montalbano • Book 2

    by Andrea Camilleri, Stephen Sartarelli

    Narrated by Grover Gardner

    3.83 ABR Score (14.9K ratings)
    ★ 3.95 Goodreads (14.5K) ★ 4.17 Audible (458)
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    Inspector Montalbano discovers two lovers dead for fifty years in a secret cave, watched over by a terra-cotta dog. Sicily's sun-soaked atmosphere and the inspector's obsessive personality drive this Mediterranean mystery.

  4. 4
    The Snack Thief cover

    The Snack Thief

    Commissario Montalbano • Book 3

    by Andrea Camilleri, Stephen Sartarelli

    Narrated by Grover Gardner

    4.03 ABR Score (11.4K ratings)
    ★ 4.07 Goodreads (11.1K) ★ 4.41 Audible (322)
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    An elevator stabbing and a fishing boat machine-gunning off Sicily's coast seem unconnected until Montalbano uncovers government corruption and international intrigue in Camilleri's atmospheric mystery.

  5. 5
    Rounding the Mark cover

    Rounding the Mark

    Commissario Montalbano • Book 7

    by Andrea Camilleri, Stephen Sartarelli

    Narrated by Grover Gardner

    4.11 ABR Score (7.6K ratings)
    ★ 4.09 Goodreads (7.4K) ★ 4.57 Audible (257)
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    Two unconnected deaths lead Sicilian Inspector Montalbano into human trafficking networks that test his moral limits.

  6. 6
    The Smell of the Night cover

    The Smell of the Night

    Commissario Montalbano • Book 6

    by Andrea Camilleri, Stephen Sartarelli

    Narrated by Grover Gardner

    3.98 ABR Score (8.2K ratings)
    ★ 4.03 Goodreads (7.9K) ★ 4.39 Audible (283)
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    Half of Sicily's retirees lose their savings to a vanished financial schemer, and Montalbano must navigate both the labyrinthine fraud and his hostile superiors. Grover Gardner's narration captures the inspector's wit and frustration.

  7. 7
    The Patience of the Spider cover

    The Patience of the Spider

    Commissario Montalbano • Book 8

    by Andrea Camilleri, Stephen Sartarelli

    Narrated by Grover Gardner

    4.05 ABR Score (7.5K ratings)
    ★ 4.04 Goodreads (7.2K) ★ 4.53 Audible (236)
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    Inspector Montalbano faces his most personal challenge yet—aging—while investigating a kidnapping case that tests both his detective skills and endurance.

  8. 8
    The Potter's Field cover

    The Potter's Field

    Commissario Montalbano • Book 13

    by Andrea Camilleri, Stephen Sartarelli

    Narrated by Grover Gardner

    4.05 ABR Score (6.0K ratings)
    ★ 4.1 Goodreads (5.7K) ★ 4.5 Audible (232)
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    Inspector Montalbano investigates a body dismembered into 30 pieces and left in a potter's field, evoking biblical symbolism while dealing with his increasingly difficult deputy Augello.

  9. 9
    August Heat cover

    August Heat

    Commissario Montalbano • Book 10

    by Andrea Camilleri, Stephen Sartarelli

    Narrated by Grover Gardner

    4.04 ABR Score (7.4K ratings)
    ★ 4.01 Goodreads (7.2K) ★ 4.55 Audible (212)
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    Sicily's sweltering summer provides the backdrop as Montalbano's beach vacation turns dangerous when a child disappears into a hidden underground shaft.

  10. 10
    The Track of Sand cover

    The Track of Sand

    Commissario Montalbano • Book 12

    by Andrea Camilleri, Stephen Sartarelli

    Narrated by Grover Gardner

    3.97 ABR Score (5.2K ratings)
    ★ 3.93 Goodreads (5.0K) ★ 4.52 Audible (195)
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    Someone dumps a bludgeoned horse outside Montalbano's home, then the carcass vanishes, leaving only sand tracks and questions in this typically atmospheric Sicilian mystery.

  11. 11
    The Dance of the Seagull cover

    The Dance of the Seagull

    Commissario Montalbano • Book 15

    by Andrea Camilleri, Stephen Sartarelli

    Narrated by Grover Gardner

    3.99 ABR Score (5.3K ratings)
    ★ 3.98 Goodreads (5.1K) ★ 4.51 Audible (193)
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    Montalbano witnesses a seagull's death dance before discovering his trusted deputy Fazio has vanished — Gardner's familiar voice guides us through Camilleri's signature Sicilian atmosphere.

  12. 12
    The Age of Doubt cover

    The Age of Doubt

    Commissario Montalbano • Book 14

    by Andrea Camilleri, Stephen Sartarelli

    Narrated by Grover Gardner

    3.95 ABR Score (5.5K ratings)
    ★ 3.95 Goodreads (5.3K) ★ 4.46 Audible (200)
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    After a violent storm, Inspector Montalbano discovers a woman's body and a mysterious boat, launching another labyrinthine investigation. Grover Gardner's narration honors Camilleri's distinctive Sicilian atmosphere and Montalbano's contemplative detective work.

  13. 13
    The Wings of the Sphinx cover

    The Wings of the Sphinx

    Commissario Montalbano • Book 11

    by Andrea Camilleri, Stephen Sartarelli

    Narrated by Grover Gardner

    3.95 ABR Score (5.8K ratings)
    ★ 3.95 Goodreads (5.6K) ★ 4.44 Audible (204)
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    Montalbano faces mortality while investigating a woman found with half her face shot away. Grover Gardner captures the inspector's world-weariness perfectly.

  14. 14
    The Paper Moon cover

    The Paper Moon

    Commissario Montalbano • Book 9

    by Andrea Camilleri, Stephen Sartarelli

    Narrated by Grover Gardner

    3.88 ABR Score (7.3K ratings)
    ★ 4.02 Goodreads (7.0K) ★ 4.24 Audible (263)
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    Inspector Montalbano grapples with existential questions while solving his latest Sicilian mystery. Grover Gardner captures Camilleri's signature blend of philosophical reflection and dry Mediterranean humor across this compact investigation.

  15. 15
    The Pyramid of Mud cover

    The Pyramid of Mud

    Commissario Montalbano • Book 22

    by Andrea Camilleri, Stephen Sartarelli

    Narrated by Grover Gardner

    4.00 ABR Score (4.0K ratings)
    ★ 3.97 Goodreads (3.8K) ★ 4.6 Audible (168)
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    Inspector Montalbano returns to solve another Sicilian mystery in Andrea Camilleri's addictive series, where Grover Gardner's familiar voice guides us through every magical, oxygen-blast twist.

  16. 16
    Game of Mirrors cover

    Game of Mirrors

    Commissario Montalbano • Book 18

    by Andrea Camilleri, Stephen Sartarelli

    Narrated by Grover Gardner

    3.98 ABR Score (4.2K ratings)
    ★ 3.97 Goodreads (4.0K) ★ 4.54 Audible (178)
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    Two bombs outside empty warehouses plus a seductive woman trying to distract Montalbano — someone's playing games with Italy's favorite detective in this eighteenth mystery.

  17. 17
    Angelica's Smile cover

    Angelica's Smile

    Commissario Montalbano • Book 17

    by Andrea Camilleri, Stephen Sartarelli

    Narrated by Grover Gardner

    3.89 ABR Score (4.2K ratings)
    ★ 3.85 Goodreads (4.1K) ★ 4.44 Audible (186)
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    Montalbano investigates a puzzling rash of burglaries in seventeenth installment comfort food. Grover Gardner's narration feels like settling in with an old friend for another Sicilian mystery.

  18. 18
    A Nest of Vipers cover

    A Nest of Vipers

    Commissario Montalbano • Book 21

    by Andrea Camilleri, Stephen Sartarelli

    Narrated by Grover Gardner

    3.94 ABR Score (4.2K ratings)
    ★ 3.89 Goodreads (4.0K) ★ 4.53 Audible (165)
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    Wealthy accountant Cosimo Barletta's death opens a can of worms involving mistresses and family secrets. Another satisfying Montalbano mystery for series fans.

How We Rank Audiobooks

Rankings are driven by listener ratings and review counts from Audible and Goodreads. Books with high ratings across a large number of listeners rank higher — a 4.5 with 50,000 ratings says more than a 4.8 with 200.

Unlike most book lists, we weight audiobook-specific factors: narrator performance, production quality, and how well a story translates to audio. A great book with a poor narration isn't a great audiobook.

We don't accept paid placements or prioritize new releases. These rankings reflect what listeners actually enjoy, not what's being promoted.

Rankings update periodically as new ratings come in and new titles are added to the collection.

Read our full ranking methodology →