From Booklist
Sicilian police inspector Salvo Montalbano has a way of finding himself in some truly oddball situations, but this time he outdoes himself, with the oddball gauge securely in the red zone from the get-go. It starts with a comical action scene: a crazed brother and sister open fire from their apartment window on the plaza below, prompting Montalbano to turn Spider-Man and scale the building, collaring the seventysomething snipers. The inspector’s unlikely heroics are heralded in the press, prompting a curious response: someone begins sending Salvo peculiar notes, in rhyme, demanding that he take part in a treasure hunt. The clues seem only eccentric in the beginning, but as Montalbano follows the paths they chart, he begins to sense a sinister undertone. Could the hunt possibly tie in to the disappearance of a local girl? As always, Camilleri expertly mixes comedy with serious crime, but this time the evil foreshadowings dominate the tone (harking back to the earlier volumes in the series). Salvo wears his melancholy well—musings on aging accentuate the dark direction of the plot—and the bittersweet ending hits just the right end note. --Bill Ott
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
Review
''Superlative . . . Once again, Camilleri's sardonic sense of humor distinguishes this Mediterranean crime novel from the pack.'' --
Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Praise for Andrea Camilleri and the Inspector Montalbano Series: ''Hailing from the land of Umberto Eco and La Casa 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 wedges 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 Sicily'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 See all Editorial Reviews