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3.36 AVERAGE
3.36 AVERAGE
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions is the first novel in a mystery series by author Mario Giordano. The titular character, Isolde Oberreider, aka Poldi, has retired from film/tv (where she was a costumer) to Sicily to drink, soak up sun, enjoy seeing attractive men in uniform and live out her twilight years whilst solving the occasional murder.
At 346 pages, it's a more substantial read than many contemporary procedurals or cozies. The length allowed the author to richly develop the setting and characters without suffering from book bloat at all. The plotting was tight and the pacing was perfect and never dragged for me.
Released 6th March, 2018 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, it's available in hardcover, paperback, ebook and audiobook formats.
This is a really charming book with very appealing and sympathetic characters written with humor and heart. I really cared about the characters. The narrator, Poldi's nephew, serves as Poldi's sounding board, along with three Italian aunties who serve as a Greek chorus for the narrative.
Originally released in German in 2015, the translation by John Brownjohn is seamless and nuanced and certainly doesn't seem to detract from story at all.
Poldi is smart and funny, quirky and outspoken and I adore her. I'm really looking forward to future installments (foreshadowed on the last page, and already released in German and coming soon in translation).
Five stars, really enjoyable read.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes
Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions is the first novel in a mystery series by author Mario Giordano. The titular character, Isolde Oberreider, aka Poldi, has retired from film/tv (where she was a costumer) to Sicily to drink, soak up sun, enjoy seeing attractive men in uniform and live out her twilight years whilst solving the occasional murder.
At 346 pages, it's a more substantial read than many contemporary procedurals or cozies. The length allowed the author to richly develop the setting and characters without suffering from book bloat at all. The plotting was tight and the pacing was perfect and never dragged for me.
Released 6th March, 2018 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, it's available in hardcover, paperback, ebook and audiobook formats.
This is a really charming book with very appealing and sympathetic characters written with humor and heart. I really cared about the characters. The narrator, Poldi's nephew, serves as Poldi's sounding board, along with three Italian aunties who serve as a Greek chorus for the narrative.
Originally released in German in 2015, the translation by John Brownjohn is seamless and nuanced and certainly doesn't seem to detract from story at all.
Poldi is smart and funny, quirky and outspoken and I adore her. I'm really looking forward to future installments (foreshadowed on the last page, and already released in German and coming soon in translation).
Five stars, really enjoyable read.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
I really enjoyed this mystery! It’s a little whimsical which I loved, and outrageous characters make it really fun. This was a treat to read.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Blood, Grief, Murder
Minor: Cursing, Drug use, Gun violence, Infidelity, Racism, Sexual content, Suicide, Vomit, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail
Add Auntie Poldi to your list of slightly past middle-aged lady badasses. She's smart, funny, and sexier than the world expects her to be. The writing is clever, the characters well-developed, the twists unexpected. Already downloaded book two.
Didn't really enjoy it that much. First DNF of the year.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death
Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions by Mario Giodano was a fun, captivating mystery. This novel was a good easy read that I enjoyed for the most part. There was a little too much back and forth for me at times, and the nephews telling of the story is really just unnecessary to me. I believe I would have enjoyed it a lot more if the entire story was told by Poldi from her point of view. I really liked Poldi's character being the over the top, eccentric aunt. There were a lot of really good twists and turns that you don't expect or see coming. I really enjoyed following all of the clues with Poldi to solve the mystery and would like to see what adventures she goes on next. Overall I liked this novel and would recommend if your looking for a new mystery.