Menu

Archives

The Dance of the Seagull by Andrea Camilleri

by
The Dance of the Seagull by Andrea Camilleri The Dance of the Seagull by Andrea Camilleri
Narrator: Grover Gardner
Series: Commissario Montalbano #15
Published by Blackstone Audio on February 26, 2013
Source: Library
Genres: Mystery
Length: 5 hrs 44 mins
Format: Audiobook
Buy on Amazon or Audible
Add on Goodreads

Before leaving for vacation with Livia, Montalbano witnesses a seagull doing an odd dance on the beach outside his home - and then the bird suddenly drops dead. Stopping in at his office for a quick check before heading off, he notices that Fazio is nowhere to be found and soon learns that he was last seen on the docks, secretly working on a case. Montalbano sets out to find him and discovers that the seagull's dance of death may provide the key to understanding a macabre world of sadism, extortion, and murder.

I’m not sure how many Montalbano mysteries I’ve listened to/read now. They start to run together a little. This one opens with a seagull dying on a beach. This scene comes back later as a kind of vision that helps Montalbano solve the case – which is odd and doesn’t feel like it fits with the series. Also out of character is that Montalbano refers  to “that television series” and later the comment “Little surprise that Montalbano couldn’t tell Camilleri how the story would end.” I don’t want my mysteries to be that aware of themselves as fiction, but maybe that’s just me.

Aside from that, the book was fine. It’s been a little while since I finished listening to it and that part that I remember the best is how concerned Montalbano was with finding Fazio, how important it was. And once Fazio’s found, keeping him safe becomes important. Montalbano forgets all about Livia, his long-time lover, coming in for a planned visit, but that’s not really surprising. Livia is rarely top in his mind.

I don’t really remember much about the mystery itself. It was a complicated, there was a cross-dresser, the Mafia of course, lots of food. Montalbano’s grumbly and talks to himself a lot. Not my favorite of the series, but not terrible either.

I put the first 3 episodes of the tv series on hold at the library. I haven’t seen any of them, but it might translate really well to tv.

About Andrea Camilleri

Andrea Camilleri (born September 6, 1925 in Porto Empedocle) is an Italian writer. He is considered one of the greatest Italian writers of both 20th and 21st centuries. Camilleri lives in Rome where he works as a TV and theatre director. About 10 million copies of his novels have been sold to date, and are becoming increasingly popular in the UK and North America.

Facebook

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

A Voice in the Night by Andrea Camilleri

by
A Voice in the Night by Andrea Camilleri A Voice in the Night by Andrea Camilleri
Narrator: Grover Gardner
Series: Commissario Montalbano #20
Published by Blackstone Audio on November 15, 2016
Source: Library
Genres: Mystery
Length: 6 hrs 18 mins
Format: Audiobook
Buy on Amazon or Audible
Add on Goodreads

Montalbano investigates a robbery at a supermarket, a standard case that takes a spin when manager Guido Borsellino is later found hanging in his office. Was it a suicide? Inspector Montalbano and the coroner have their doubts, and further investigation leads to the director of a powerful local company.

Meanwhile, a girl is found brutally murdered in Giovanni Strangio's apartment - Giovanni has a flawless alibi, and it's no coincidence that Michel Strangio, president of the province, is his father. Weaving together these two crimes, Montalbano realizes that he's in a difficult spot where political power is enmeshed with the Mafia underworld.

I’ve read/listened to several Montalbano mysteries. In A Voice in the Night we’ve got several of the series standards – corrupt politicians, police who are being pressured for certain results,  good food. Montalbano is a good cop, in that he’s not in the mafia’s pocket and is not afraid to go against the politicians. He doesn’t always stick to the law, though.

Both of the mysteries have their twists and turns. I especially liked how the young woman’s murder was plotted, even though I felt bad for the boyfriend. As always, I find Salvo amusing and interesting. The title is perfect, it pulls from a pivotal part of the story, one that may not actually put Montalbano in the best light, but does highlight his need to find the real culprit, not just accept what “they” want.

I’ll definitely read more in the series, but they’re not gripping enough to buy; I always borrow them from the library. They are consistent though – light, pretty short, decent mysteries and characters who are pretty consistent over the series. I know what I’m getting when I pick up a Montalbano story and I’m rarely disappointed. I’m also rarely astounded.

About Andrea Camilleri

Andrea Camilleri (born September 6, 1925 in Porto Empedocle) is an Italian writer. He is considered one of the greatest Italian writers of both 20th and 21st centuries. Camilleri lives in Rome where he works as a TV and theatre director. About 10 million copies of his novels have been sold to date, and are becoming increasingly popular in the UK and North America.

Facebook

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

The Patience of the Spider by Andrea Camilleri

by
The Patience of the Spider by Andrea Camilleri The Patience of the Spider by Andrea Camilleri
Narrator: Grover Gardner
Series: Commissario Montalbano #8
Published by Blackstone Audiobooks on March 1, 2010 (first published 2004)
Source: Library
Genres: Mystery
Length: 5 hrs 42 mins
Format: Audiobook
Buy on Amazon or Audible
Add on Goodreads

Winning fans in Europe and America for their dark sophistication and dry humor, Andrea Camilleri's crime novels are classics of the genre. Set once again in Sicily, The Patience of the Spider pits Inspector Montalbano against his greatest foe yet: the weight of his own years. Still recovering from the gunshot wound he suffered in Rounding the Mark, he must overcome self-imposed seclusion and waxing self-doubt to penetrate a web of hatred and secrets in pursuit of the strangest culprit he's ever hunted.

The kidnapping of a beautiful young university student, Susanna Mistretta, rocks the community of Vigàta. Distrusting of his colleagues' ability to solve the case, Montalbano jumps in, his accute senses picking up on the subtleties that will leading his investigation on a winding trail of provincial politics, odious journalists, and delicious Italian food.

This is the second Montalbano mystery I’ve listened to in a row. To some extent, I could just copy the review from the last, Game of Mirrors; Montalbano and his circle just don’t change that much from book to book. For the most part, it’s only the plots that vary. But they’re easy, enjoyable listens, and usually available from the library, so I keep coming back to them.

This time, it’s a kidnapping, but the family clearly does not have enough money to pay a ransom, so who could possibly have kidnapped Susanna? An outsider who doesn’t know the family’s financial standing, or was she kidnapped for some other reason? The girl has a worried boyfriend and a father who would do anything to have her back. Her mother is on her deathbed and her uncle is doing all he can to help the family. I guessed most of the answer early on, although one piece took me longer.

Overall, it’s a good story. Camilleri really gives a feeling of the place and especially the people of both Sicily in general and Montalbano’s acquaintances. We do see a lot of his girlfriend this time around, and I’m not much of a fan of hers. There were several funny spots though and I found myself walking around the house repeating some of the Italian names and foods, one of the dangers of listening to a book like this on audio.

About Andrea Camilleri

Andrea Camilleri (born September 6, 1925 in Porto Empedocle) is an Italian writer. He is considered one of the greatest Italian writers of both 20th and 21st centuries. Camilleri lives in Rome where he works as a TV and theatre director. About 10 million copies of his novels have been sold to date, and are becoming increasingly popular in the UK and North America.

Facebook

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

%d bloggers like this: