Definitely 'The Name of the Rose'. It has been widely acclaimed not only for its detective elements but also for its in - depth exploration of philosophy, theology, and history. In terms of modern Italian detective novels, Antonio Manzini's 'Rocco Schiavone' series is also quite good. The main character is a complex and flawed detective, and the stories are set in the Alps, which gives a different Italian backdrop compared to the more common southern Italy settings.
Often, they have a gloomy atmosphere. The Swedish landscapes in these novels are sometimes depicted as cold and desolate, which adds to the mood of the mystery.
Arthur Conan Doyle is very famous for his Sherlock Holmes series. He created a character that has become an icon in detective fiction. Another is Agatha Christie. Her works like 'Murder on the Orient Express' are full of clever mysteries and detective work. And then there's Dashiell Hammett, who wrote 'The Maltese Falcon' and was a pioneer in the hard - boiled detective story genre.
One of the classic police detective novels is 'The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' by Arthur Conan Doyle. It features the brilliant detective Sherlock Holmes and his loyal friend Dr. Watson solving various mysteries. Another is 'The Maltese Falcon' by Dashiell Hammett, which is a hard - boiled detective story. And 'Silence of the Lambs' by Thomas Harris also belongs to this genre, with the FBI agent Clarice Starling hunting a serial killer with the help of the brilliant and terrifying Hannibal Lecter.
Well, one characteristic is that it can be very politically - minded. Given Italy's complex political history, many detective stories touch on political corruption, power struggles and the like. The writing style can also be quite lyrical at times, with beautiful descriptions of the Italian scenery and way of life. Also, family and social relationships are often central to the plots, as family is such an important part of Italian culture.
In Italian, 'detective novel' is typically 'romanzo d'indagine'. However, depending on the specific context or style of the writing, 'romanzo poliziesco' or 'romanzo giallo' could also be appropriate.
As far as I know, there are no extremely famous Italian detective novels that are widely known for featuring a terracotta dog. But that doesn't mean they don't exist in the vast realm of Italian detective literature.
For beginners, I'd recommend Andrea Camilleri's 'Inspector Montalbano' series. The language is relatively accessible and the stories are engaging. You get to follow the detective as he solves crimes in a small Sicilian town, and along the way, you learn a lot about Italian culture.
One popular one is 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' which features a strong female detective, Lisbeth Salander. She is highly intelligent and has a unique personality. Another is the Kinsey Millhone series by Sue Grafton. Kinsey is a private investigator with a lot of spunk.