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holtfan 's review for:
Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions
by Mario Giordano
Coincidentally, I too am an aunt. Obviously must read.
***
Well, let's address the elephant in the room. Despite our shared aunt-hood, I am nothing like Auntie Poldi.
But gosh darn it, I kind of want to be. She just rocket-launched onto my favorite characters list. I'm obsessed.
Where to begin with this gem of a book? I'm a little hazy on the exact definition of a cozy mystery but I think this counts as one. It is a lovely setting. The author conveys life in Sicily through quirky characters, beautiful descriptions, and odd jokes. The seaside town and the eccentric people who populate it make for a fun, endearing location.
Then there is the narrator of the piece, Auntie Poldi's nephew. He's a failed writer who pops in every now and then to make sure she doesn't drink herself to death. He does not take a main role; far from it, he is always away when any action goes down. But his dramatic descriptions, random interjections, and overall attitude really add another dimension. I credit him for the reason this book achieves five stars.
But of course, the real star of the story is Auntie Poldi herself. This is a rather light-hearted novel and yet it deals with surprisingly heavy topics via the main character. Auntie Poldi wants to drink herself to death. She is a severely depressed woman who lives off a pittance and longs for death. She experiences setbacks regularly. But she also is a loved woman. Her (ex?) in-laws watch out for her. They drop everything to come to her aid and endlessly discuss her love life. The people in the village accept her. She is nosy without being annoying; a woman with a past that adds humor and pizzazz without detracting from the present. Her random celebrity connections are funny.
She is an intriguing, vivacious, depressed, over-the-top 60-year-old woman. And it is hard to not love her. Think Agatha Raisin meets Phryne Fisher. But then add a host of relatives, alcoholism, and random tangents involving deaths and/or cyclops. It just works.
There are some fade to black scenes I did not super love but surprisingly didn't mind as much as I would expect.
The murderer is somewhat predictable. But...I'm not sure you read this for the murder or the romance. Oh, I suppose you do. It is, after all, a murder mystery. But there is more here. There are genuinely brilliant quotes and funny scenes and great characterizations.
I look forward to more in this series!
***
Well, let's address the elephant in the room. Despite our shared aunt-hood, I am nothing like Auntie Poldi.
But gosh darn it, I kind of want to be. She just rocket-launched onto my favorite characters list. I'm obsessed.
Where to begin with this gem of a book? I'm a little hazy on the exact definition of a cozy mystery but I think this counts as one. It is a lovely setting. The author conveys life in Sicily through quirky characters, beautiful descriptions, and odd jokes. The seaside town and the eccentric people who populate it make for a fun, endearing location.
Then there is the narrator of the piece, Auntie Poldi's nephew. He's a failed writer who pops in every now and then to make sure she doesn't drink herself to death. He does not take a main role; far from it, he is always away when any action goes down. But his dramatic descriptions, random interjections, and overall attitude really add another dimension. I credit him for the reason this book achieves five stars.
But of course, the real star of the story is Auntie Poldi herself. This is a rather light-hearted novel and yet it deals with surprisingly heavy topics via the main character. Auntie Poldi wants to drink herself to death. She is a severely depressed woman who lives off a pittance and longs for death. She experiences setbacks regularly. But she also is a loved woman. Her (ex?) in-laws watch out for her. They drop everything to come to her aid and endlessly discuss her love life. The people in the village accept her. She is nosy without being annoying; a woman with a past that adds humor and pizzazz without detracting from the present. Her random celebrity connections are funny.
She is an intriguing, vivacious, depressed, over-the-top 60-year-old woman. And it is hard to not love her. Think Agatha Raisin meets Phryne Fisher. But then add a host of relatives, alcoholism, and random tangents involving deaths and/or cyclops. It just works.
There are some fade to black scenes I did not super love but surprisingly didn't mind as much as I would expect.
The murderer is somewhat predictable. But...I'm not sure you read this for the murder or the romance. Oh, I suppose you do. It is, after all, a murder mystery. But there is more here. There are genuinely brilliant quotes and funny scenes and great characterizations.
I look forward to more in this series!