The Smell of the Night

October 24, 2005
An intricate plot and a large cast of memorable characters help lift the sixth Inspector Montalbano mystery from Camilleri (The Snack Thief
, etc.). When a ragioniere
(financier) disappears with millions of lire after defrauding many investors in a pyramid scheme, the middle-aged Sicilian detective uses both official and unofficial channels, as the mood takes him, to form, test and eventually prove his own theories. The fun is in the process, as Montalbano flouts the law on occasion, tweaks his superiors, badgers his associates and wheedles information from various sources. The endearing inspector is, by his own admission, both glutton and gourmand, and the meals prepared for him both at home and in restaurants are large, frequent and lavish. Sly humor, an eye for beauty, a disdain for clichés and fools plus a first-rate intelligence make him formidable both as a detective and as a companion.

December 1, 2005
When smooth-talking -financier - Emanuale Gargano disappears along with the pensioners' savings he's been investing, Sicilian inspector Salvo Montalbano ("The Snack Thief") figures Gargano is either lounging with beautiful women on a tropical isle or feeding the fishes, courtesy of the Mafia. But Gargano's young male associate also is missing, and the inspector learns that both men are gay. Meanwhile, pensioners clamor for their savings, and Montalbano outfoxes his supervising commissioner on a personal matter while bickering with his lover Livia by telephone. A crisp, sassy series, even laugh-out-loud funny at moments, with a grounding of humanity that shows particularly at the end; Montalbano is a character worth getting to know. Camilleri lives in Rome.

Copyright 2005 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2005
When Camilleri's Inspector Montalbano series made its U.S. debut in 2002, we noted that Montalbano put a comic face on the noir world, sorting through multiple layers of Sicilian corruption while still finding time for a good lunch. Things have changed a bit now that we're six novels into the series. Montalbano still finds time for a good lunch, but his world is growing steadily darker and more melancholy. This time, half the retirees in Vigata have been swindled out of their savings by the handsome, smooth-talking general manager of King Midas Associates, who may, in turn, have run afoul of the Mafia. Meanwhile, Montalbano's relationship with his lover, Livia, is disintegrating, as is the landscape of his beloved Sicily. It's all getting too much for the beleaguered Montalbano, and though he solves the case of the missing swindler, he is somehow diminished by everything around him. Camilleri's hero may be more vulnerable now, but the series is richer than ever, less smooth but with more bite, less Sangiovese and more Barolo.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2005, American Library Association.)