Books On Board
series Reading Order

Auntie Poldi Books in Order

4 Books
2015 – 2021 Published
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Reading order

Recommended Reading Order for Auntie Poldi

For the best experience, we recommend reading the Auntie Poldi books in order of their release. Because the character development, running jokes, and Poldi's relationship with Chief Inspector Vito Montana progress continuously across the novels, jumping ahead will spoil key plot points from earlier mysteries.

Here is the recommended reading path for English readers:

  1. Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions (2016)
  2. Auntie Poldi and the Vineyards of Etna (2018) – Also published under the title "Auntie Poldi and the Fruits of the Lord"
  3. Auntie Poldi and the Handsome Antonio (2020)
  4. Auntie Poldi and the Lost Madonna (2021)

Publication Order and Translation Caveats

If you are looking at the German release dates, the publication order looks slightly different because of the time it took to translate the books into English. Here is the publication order of the original German books alongside their English equivalents:

  • Tante Poldi und die sizilianischen Löwen (2015) / Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions (2016)
  • Tante Poldi und die Früchte des Herrn (2016) / Auntie Poldi and the Vineyards of Etna (2018)
  • Tante Poldi und der schöne Antonio (2018) / Auntie Poldi and the Handsome Antonio (2020)
  • Tante Poldi und die Schwarze Madonna (2019) / Auntie Poldi and the Lost Madonna (2021)

The Missing Fifth Book

In Germany, Mario Giordano published a fifth installment in the series titled Tante Poldi und der Gesang der Sirenen in 2020. As of mid-2026, an official English translation of this final chapter has not been released. Readers restricted to the English editions will have to pause their journey after the fourth book, Auntie Poldi and the Lost Madonna.

Where to Start Reading

You should absolutely start with the first novel, Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions. This book introduces Isolde Oberreiter (Auntie Poldi), a sixty-year-old Bavarian widow who moves to Torre Archirafi, Sicily, with the bizarre plan of drinking herself to death by the sea. Instead, the murder of her handyman drags her into a chaotic web of amateur investigation, setting up the entire cast of recurring characters and her love-hate dynamic with the local police force.

Spin-offs and Co-authored Works

There are no direct spin-offs or co-authored books set in the Auntie Poldi universe. Author Mario Giordano is highly prolific and has co-authored thriller/mystery collections in German (such as the Cotton FBI series) and wrote the screenplay for the film Das Experiment (based on his novel Black Box), but these works are completely separate from the cozy, sunny world of Sicilian mysteries.

Frequently Asked

QWhere should I start reading the Auntie Poldi series?

You should start with the first book, Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions. It establishes the premise of Poldi retiring to Sicily and introduces all major recurring characters.

QWhy does the second Auntie Poldi book have two different titles?

Depending on the publisher and edition, the second book is titled either Auntie Poldi and the Vineyards of Etna or Auntie Poldi and the Fruits of the Lord. Both refer to the exact same story.

QIs there a fifth Auntie Poldi book?

Yes, there is a fifth book titled Tante Poldi und der Gesang der Sirenen (2020), but it has not been translated into English as of mid-2026.

QDo I need to read the Auntie Poldi books in order?

Yes. Reading them in order is highly recommended because the relationships and overarching narrative develop continuously across the books.

QWho translated the Auntie Poldi books into English?

The English editions of the series were translated from the original German by John Brownjohn.

QAre there any spin-offs or co-authored Auntie Poldi stories?

No. The series has no spin-offs, side stories, or co-authored books. Mario Giordano's other projects are unrelated to Auntie Poldi.