Andrea Camilleri (1925–2019)

Oh good old Inspector Montalbano. Just the man for a good old holiday read. Irascible, greedy, but highly intelliigent and with a great team of side-kicks: fellow-detective Mimi, consciencious gopher Fazio, Montalbano's adventures are real page-turners. This time we have the murder of an Eastern European girl, a kidnapping that wasn't a kidnapping, and a shady lot of successful businessmen masquerading as devout and caring Catholics. A good yarn, but one which Montalbano's long-suffering girlfriend Livia does not seem to appreciate....… (mer)

Despite the fact that as a detective series, which therefore concerns murder and other crimes, the Inspector Montalbano books are ones I turn to when I need a bit of relief from weightier tomes. I love to meet the people Camilleri describes. I like to accompany Montalbano as he seeks out delicious meals at home or at neighbourhood restaurants. And I like to observe his relationships with his colleagues. This book doesn't disappoint. It's about a murder which might have taken a very long time to have come to light if the police car in which Montalbano was a passenger hadn't careered into a car parked outside a villa.... And in due course, Montalbano's curiosity is piqued ... He finds a body, of course. And up to five people might be responsible for the gruesome murder. But who? And you'll need to read this book to find out why the title it's been given is so apposite.… (mer)