Publishers Weekly
05/15/2017
That prosperous accountant Cosimo Barletta—the initial murder victim in bestseller Camilleri’s entertaining 21st mystery featuring Sicily’s Insp. Salvo Montalbano (after 2016’s A Voice in the Night)—was both shot and poisoned is only one of the troubling wrinkles in a case that pulls Montalbano in a little deeper than he expected. Revelations of Barletta’s ugly techniques for his womanizing, a trove of sleazy photographs of his conquests, a slew of business enemies, and two scheming adult children make for a long list of suspects, but long experience steers Montalbano to an especially upsetting solution in which Barletta is not the only victim. There are deft touches that make the inspector a winning lead, from his argumentative love life and his fixation with good food to his bemused observations on Sicilian speech and culture. Camilleri blends a locked-room mystery with a vivid sense of setting and an appealing cast of supporting characters. Agent: Donatella Barbieri, Agenzia Letteraria Internazionale (Italy). (Aug.)
From the Publisher
The mind games Montalbano plays with Giovanna will keep the pages turning... Expect the ending to make you squirm, though you have to admire Camilleri's ability to disarm horror with his particular charm; the town of Vigàta quietly soldiers on.”—Kirkus
Praise for Andrea Camilleri and the Montalbano Series
“The idiosyncratic Montalbano is totally endearing.”—The New York Times
“Camilleri is as crafty and charming a writer as his protagonist is an investigator.”—The Washington Post Book World
“Hailing from the land of Umberto Eco and La Cosa Nostra, Montalbano can discuss a pointy-headed book like Western Attitudes Toward Death as unflinchingly as he can pore over crime-scene snuff photos. He throws together an extemporaneous lunch of shrimp with lemon and oil as gracefully as he dodges advances from attractive women.”—Los Angeles Times
“[Camilleri’s mysteries] offer quirky characters, crisp dialogue, bright storytelling—and Salvo Montalbano, one of the most engaging protagonists in detective fiction…Montalbano is a delightful creation, an honest man on Siciliy’s mean streets.”—USA Today
“Camilleri is as crafty and charming a writer as his protagonist is an investigator.”—The Washington Post Book World
“Like Mike Hammer or Sam Spade, Montalbano is the kind of guy who can’t stay out of trouble…Still, deftly and lovingly translated by Stephen Sartarelli, Camilleri makes it abundantly clear that under the gruff, sardonic exterior our inspector has a heart of gold, and that any outburst, fumbles, or threats are made only in the name of pursuing truth.”—The Nation
“Camilleri can do a character’s whole backstory in half a paragraph.”—The New Yorker
“Subtle, sardonic, and molto simpatico: Montalbano is the Latin re-creation of Philip Marlowe, working in a place that manages to be both more and less civilized than chandler’ Los Angeles.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred)
“The novels of Andrea Camilleri breathe out the sense of place, the sense of humor, and the sense of despair that fills the air of Sicily."—Donna Leon
Kirkus Reviews
2017-05-15
When you're a loan shark with an open liking for younger women, the occasional death threat maybe isn't so alarming.After finding his father dead, Arturo Barletta is quick to open up about the late Cosimo Barletta's collection of enemies as well as young lovers. Which, to Inspector Montalbano's dismay, means that the list of potential murderers is a long one. Hacking away at that list should be top priority, but a man is only human, and distractions pile up for Montalbano: Cosimo's beautiful daughter, Giovanna, seems intent on gaining his full attention during the investigation, and, at home, a well-spoken vagabond with a mysterious past has made his acquaintance. Montalbano also makes the mistake of mentioning this man to his long-term partner, Livia, who insists on regular updates. A thorough search of Cosimo's home reveals that he enjoyed keeping records of death threats made against him as well as X-rated photographs of the women he slept with. When blonde hairs are found in Cosimo's bed, Montalbano hopes to use the photographs to find a match—and that leads him to Stella Lasorella. Of course, she insists she wasn't there the night of the murder. She also paints a very disturbing picture of her ex-lover—one of manipulation, blackmail, and worse. Cosimo might have felt rich and powerful enough to stay in control, but the details of his murder, as well as one intimate set of letters, suggest he had a weakness. The investigation is not without its humorous moments—the photographs have an overwhelming effect on the poor men who must study them—which are classic for Camilleri (The Revolution of the Moon, 2017, etc.), but it also brings out a vulnerable side to our steadfast investigator. The mind games Montalbano plays with Giovanna will keep the pages turning, and as the more disturbing layers of the case are revealed, even Montalbano is moved to introspection: "His was loneliness crowded by all his colleagues in the police department, but it was still loneliness." Expect the ending to make you squirm, though you have to admire Camilleri's ability to disarm horror with his particular charm; the town of Vigàta quietly soldiers on.
