Inspector Salvatore Montalbano wakes from strange dreams to find a gruesomely bludgeoned horse carcass in front of his seaside home. When his men come to investigate, the carcass has disappeared, leaving only a trail in the sand. Then his home is ransacked, and the inspector is certain that the crimes are linked. As he negotiates both the glittering underworld of horseracing and the Mafia’s connection to it, Montalbano is aided by his illiterate housekeeper, Adelina, and a Proustian memory of linguate fritte. Longtime fans and new readers alike will be charmed by Montalbano’s blend of unorthodox methods, melancholy self-reflection, and love of good food.
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"These short mysteries, the series is set in Sicily and Inspector Montalbano is the very engaging main character, are clever and fun. And Montalbano is always stopping for deliciously described meals. " — Joey (4 out of 5 stars)
"These short mysteries, the series is set in Sicily and Inspector Montalbano is the very engaging main character, are clever and fun. And Montalbano is always stopping for deliciously described meals. "
“Montalbano uses some creative chicanery and tweaking of the law to provide a dramatic and satisfying conclusion.”
“This series is distinguished by Camilleri’s remarkable feel for tragicomedy, expertly mixing light and dark in the course of producing novels that are both comforting and disturbing.”
“The irascible police inspector Salvo Montalbano…is splendidly evoked by Grover Gardner…Italian accents do not rule Gardener’s narration, but the voices of the gruff Montalbano, his seductive female acquaintances, and his hard-pressed staff are all unique snapshots of character...Immensely entertaining.”
“Unlike Donna Leon’s Venice, with its constant drip-drip-drip of official corruption, Camilleri’s Sicily has long since surrendered to despairing ennui. Suave, resourceful Montalbano is both its perfect expression and its best hope for an antidote.”
“Teens and adults alike will enjoy this highly entertaining, humorous, full of local color, twelfth in the Inspector Montalbano series. Exerienced narrator Grover Gardner does a great job with Camilleri’s description of the Sicilian locale and characters. His treatment of spoken Italian dialogue enhances the humor of the story. The major characters, who are mostly professional and upper-class, speak straight English, no Italian accents. The regular policemen on the force, waiters, the housekeeper speak a ‘spoof’ Italian. This division of language treatment fits the ‘keystone cops,’ slapstick humor of the story, and makes the story laugh-out-loud funny.”
" charming, as usual. and, makes me want to eat sicilian food. fishes! "
" Camilleri never disappoints and Inspector Montalbano and his team of police officers are terrific characters. It makes one want to go to Sicily just to be in the presence of such a great cop. "
" Camilleri has fallen into self-parody, but once you accept that, the "mystery" is mildly diverting. "
" Another Montalbano mystery: entertaining, with some tart social commentary, and some (but not nearly enough) descriptions of mouth-watering Sicilian cuisine. "
Andrea Camilleri (1925–2019) wrote the internationally bestselling Inspector Montalbano mysteries as well as historical novels. His books have been made into television shows in Italy and translated into thirty-two languages. His thirteenth Montalbano novel, The Potter’s Field, won the Crime Writers’ Association International Dagger Award and was longlisted for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award.
Grover Gardner (a.k.a. Tom Parker) is an award-winning narrator with over a thousand titles to his credit. Named one of the “Best Voices of the Century” and a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine, he has won three prestigious Audie Awards, was chosen Narrator of the Year for 2005 by Publishers Weekly, and has earned more than thirty Earphones Awards.
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