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breazy_reader_724's review against another edition
4.0
Montalbano solves another case. The plots of these stories are clever, and I am thoroughly enjoying each one, and getting ready to cue up the next. The characters continue to develop in interesting ways, and the books are enjoyable, relatively quick reads.
raeerdna's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
marietta72_l's review against another edition
4.0
Ο Μονταλμπανο είναι ο αγαπημένος μου αστυνομικός γιατί είναι ο πιο ανθρώπινος. Η ιστορία ενδιαφέρουσα, η ατμόσφαιρα απολαυστική.
amelie5m's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
epictetsocrate's review against another edition
3.0
„Îi vom spânzura pe duşmanii poporului cu propriile lor cravate!”
„Băncile sunt bune doar ca să fie jefuite!”
Carlo Militello, supranumit Carlo Ciocanul – în primul rând pentru atitudinea sa suverană, de lider suprem, iar în al doilea rând pentru că, asupra adversarilor, vorbele sale cădeau ca nişte lovituri de ciocan, iar scatoalcele ca nişte lovituri de baros. Cel mai intransigent, cel mai inflexibil, atât de radical încât însuşi Ho Şi Min – atât de mult invocat pe atunci de demonstranţi – părea un social-democrat reformist. Îi obliga pe toţi să nu fumeze ţigări, ca să nu contribuie la îmbogăţirea Monopolului Statului; în schimb, joint-uri şi iarbă la discreţie, de voie. Susţinea că tovarăşul Stalin acţionase bine o singură dată în viaţă: atunci când devalizase băncile ca să finanţeze partidul. „Stat” era un cuvânt care le înfierbânta tuturor capetele, îi înfuria mai rău ca pe taurii zădărâţi cu basmale roşii. Din perioada acelor ani, Montalbano îşi amintea mai ales o poezie a lui Pasolini care lua apărarea poliţiştilor trimişi să le ţină piept studenţilor în Valle Giulia, la Roma. Toţi tovarăşii săi scuipaseră scârbiţi peste acele versuri, în vreme ce el încercase să le găsească o justificare: „Totuşi, e o poezie frumoasă” – spusese. De nu l-ar fi ţinut ceilalţi, Carlo Ciocanul i-ar fi fărâmat obrazul cu una dintre scatoalcele lui nimicitoare.
„Băncile sunt bune doar ca să fie jefuite!”
Carlo Militello, supranumit Carlo Ciocanul – în primul rând pentru atitudinea sa suverană, de lider suprem, iar în al doilea rând pentru că, asupra adversarilor, vorbele sale cădeau ca nişte lovituri de ciocan, iar scatoalcele ca nişte lovituri de baros. Cel mai intransigent, cel mai inflexibil, atât de radical încât însuşi Ho Şi Min – atât de mult invocat pe atunci de demonstranţi – părea un social-democrat reformist. Îi obliga pe toţi să nu fumeze ţigări, ca să nu contribuie la îmbogăţirea Monopolului Statului; în schimb, joint-uri şi iarbă la discreţie, de voie. Susţinea că tovarăşul Stalin acţionase bine o singură dată în viaţă: atunci când devalizase băncile ca să finanţeze partidul. „Stat” era un cuvânt care le înfierbânta tuturor capetele, îi înfuria mai rău ca pe taurii zădărâţi cu basmale roşii. Din perioada acelor ani, Montalbano îşi amintea mai ales o poezie a lui Pasolini care lua apărarea poliţiştilor trimişi să le ţină piept studenţilor în Valle Giulia, la Roma. Toţi tovarăşii săi scuipaseră scârbiţi peste acele versuri, în vreme ce el încercase să le găsească o justificare: „Totuşi, e o poezie frumoasă” – spusese. De nu l-ar fi ţinut ceilalţi, Carlo Ciocanul i-ar fi fărâmat obrazul cu una dintre scatoalcele lui nimicitoare.
tien's review against another edition
3.0
A quick & easy listening mystery novel set in Italy. Inspector Salvo Montalbano runs his team & office as he wants to run them to the dismay of his superiors. He has got a great team together despite each member's quirks, they get along & work well as a team. In this instalment, 2 seemingly separate incidents rolled into 1 big conspiracy involving the mafia and certain black marketing activities. Of course, Montalbano solved everything to his own satisfaction (his superiors can get stuffed!).
As a 50 year old confirmed bachelor and I think, he's a confirmed bachelor, really, even with his long-term long-distance relationship with Livia (again another thing that doesn't make sense to me), Montalbano is used to getting his own way and will, unashamedly, manipulate as circumstance will allow. His love for food along with his unpredictable temper provides alternatively cravings for Italian food and comic relief. I do believe all the food descriptions are what really pulled this series!
As a 50 year old confirmed bachelor and I think, he's a confirmed bachelor, really, even with his long-term long-distance relationship with Livia (again another thing that doesn't make sense to me), Montalbano is used to getting his own way and will, unashamedly, manipulate as circumstance will allow. His love for food along with his unpredictable temper provides alternatively cravings for Italian food and comic relief. I do believe all the food descriptions are what really pulled this series!
writerlibrarian's review against another edition
3.0
In this, we find Montalbano trying to keep one member of his team where he belong, trying to out smart (not hard to do) his boss, figuring out why a young man was killed with a bullet in the head and where an old couple ended up after vanishing from an bus excursion to Tindari. We have old mafia, new mafia, a young man that wrote burning love letters, had a collection of porno tapes and left an on going novel on his computer and an old couple who vanishes without a trace. Is everything connected or is it all just coincidences? Montalbano doesn't believe in coincidences. This is as good as The Shape of Water. The plot is solid, the character development is there for Montalbano and his crew. I'm warming up to Mimi and that poor policeman who loves computers, answers the phone but is cursed with not being able to communicate properly. A good, solid novel.
margardenlady's review against another edition
5.0
Camilleri has woven another tale with mastery. He tells about two incidents that are linked only by the victims' residences. Or is that all? A tale of ethics and human nature, told with humor.
crazygoangirl's review against another edition
2.0
I’ve read another Montalbano mystery some time ago and found it alright, so I thought I would give this one a try.
It’s not bad as mysteries go. In this one, the Inspector and his team must solve two crimes - a mafia-style hit on a young man and and the disappearance of an elderly couple. Nothing connects the two incidents other than the fact that those involved all lived in the same building. I couldn’t remember much about the Inspector or his team from my previous encounter (which in itself should have told me he isn’t the most memorable of characters!), but they were decent enough in the typical sort of way. The Inspector himself single but with a long distance girlfriend Livia, fond of good food (would have liked more detailed descriptions of that good Italian food😋) and drink, sharp, secretive and sarcastic, surrounded by a loyal, close knit team that would die for him as he would for them.
This would have been a 3-star book but for the fact that as we progressed toward the resolution, new characters entered the narrative randomly, foisted on the reader, in a attempt to solve the mystery and tie up loose ends. So although the crime was solved, it left me unsatisfied and somehow indifferent because the characters involved in the crimes seemed vague and flat as compared to the policemen who all seemed written in technicolor, if you know what I mean! Whether this is by author design I cannot say, but it bored me. I would have liked more local flavour, a faster paced narrative and better plotting.
Don’t think I’ll be continuing with the series. Perhaps reading them in proper order makes a difference? I don’t think I care enough to find out. This book did however lead me to Donna Leon’s Commissario Brunetti series also set in Italy. I’ve downloaded the first in the series and I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a better reading experience.
It’s not bad as mysteries go. In this one, the Inspector and his team must solve two crimes - a mafia-style hit on a young man and and the disappearance of an elderly couple. Nothing connects the two incidents other than the fact that those involved all lived in the same building. I couldn’t remember much about the Inspector or his team from my previous encounter (which in itself should have told me he isn’t the most memorable of characters!), but they were decent enough in the typical sort of way. The Inspector himself single but with a long distance girlfriend Livia, fond of good food (would have liked more detailed descriptions of that good Italian food😋) and drink, sharp, secretive and sarcastic, surrounded by a loyal, close knit team that would die for him as he would for them.
This would have been a 3-star book but for the fact that as we progressed toward the resolution, new characters entered the narrative randomly, foisted on the reader, in a attempt to solve the mystery and tie up loose ends. So although the crime was solved, it left me unsatisfied and somehow indifferent because the characters involved in the crimes seemed vague and flat as compared to the policemen who all seemed written in technicolor, if you know what I mean! Whether this is by author design I cannot say, but it bored me. I would have liked more local flavour, a faster paced narrative and better plotting.
Don’t think I’ll be continuing with the series. Perhaps reading them in proper order makes a difference? I don’t think I care enough to find out. This book did however lead me to Donna Leon’s Commissario Brunetti series also set in Italy. I’ve downloaded the first in the series and I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a better reading experience.