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.The Paper Moon (Montalbano 9)

by: Andrea Camilleri

June 06, 2008
Montalbano is a wonderful invention - a human being, it would be hard not to like him. He adores good food and will travel out of his way to find it. He is infuriated by and infuriates his subordinates. He sits under his favourite olive tree to think, to find a solution to some vexing question. He wrestles with his work but he loves it. I've thoroughly enjoyed all the Montalbano series. Each one is like a good meal.
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.The Patience of the Spider (Montalbano 8)

by: Andrea Camilleri

June 20, 2008
Inspector Montalbano was wounded in Rounding the Mark, and The Patience of the Spider begins with Montalbano being on leave to recuperate. Livia has even returned to his side to take care of his, banishing the ministrations of his housekeeper and marvelous cook, Adelina Cirrincio. Montalbano is concerned that the doctors will find out that he has a heart condition, but that doesn't happen. Except for occasional love-making (which Livia isn't anxious for), Montalbano is leading a circumscribed life . . . even eating healthy, low-calorie foods. Bah!

Naturally, it is a relief when Montalbano is called temporarily back to duty as a kidnapping overwhelms the local force. But the case is not to be his; a colleague comes from a place where ... Read More:
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.The Girl of His Dreams

by: Donna Leon

April 03, 2008
Having waited keenly for the next 'Guido Brunetti' to appear, I read the dust cover summary and made a start soon after publication. 90 pages in, I was wondering if the publishers had made some sort of printing error - the dead girl had not yet been found in the Canal and the religious fraudster seemed to be going nowhere. It is only on page 100 that the real story begins and the original story is only mentioned again, as an apparent afterthought, towards the conclusion.
Ms Leon could have published the drowned girl tale as one of a series of a short stories(now there's an idea Donna!) and the previous reviewer's theory of a false start seems to be well founded. I wonder if Brunetti's career is coming to a close - maybe it's time for ... Read More:
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.Reasonable Doubts

by: Gianrico Carofiglio

July 02, 2007
This is the third book I've read by Carofiglio, and what you need to know is that, although not a lot 'happens' - we are defnitely not in plot-driven thriller territory here - the characters are so convincingly drawn that we get deeply involved, and care about them. For my money, Carofiglio is the outstanding 'crime' writer of today - and astonishingly, his subtleties have survived in the excellent translations.

If you like excellent writing, moral ambiguity and character led stories, go out and buy the whole series!
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.The Past Is a Foreign Country

by: Gianrico Carofiglio

July 01, 2008
I just couldn't warm to this one despite having read 3 of Carofiglio's books and being impressed with them all.

Giorgio, a trainee lawyer, relates his experiences in learning how to cheat at cards and dabbling in drugs and sexual adventures. All of this in association with his friend Francesco. In the meantime, a number of girls are being attacked and the carabinieri sets out to find who has been responsible for the attacks. Giorgio's story is told in the first person and the police investigations are related in the third person.

The novel is meant to be a psychological thriller, and perhaps it is, but I really felt it lacked depth. I would have thought you need richer characterisations in a novel which is psychological in nature, but I found most ... Read More:
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.End Games (Aurelio Zen Mystery)

by: Michael Dibdin

July 03, 2008
How sad to think that there will never be another Aurelio Zen novel, following the untimely death of Michael Dibdin. This is a fitting finale to the series, following the darker strain of Dibdin's writing rather than the often misunderstood wry humour. Zen is temporarily posted to Calabria, where even more than usual, he is made to feel an outsider. In a complex plot involving local myth and history, organised crime, rich American film-makers and plenty of brutality, Dibdin is on top form. The characters are typically well crafted, always interesting, rarely likeable or comfortable. Zen is clearly getting older and possibly even less tolerant; his instincts seem secure but as ever, his unorthodox methods cause much controversy.
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.Rounding the Mark (Montalbano 7)

by: Andrea Camilleri

January 04, 2008
I came late to the joys of the writing of Andrea Camilleri and his flawed and ageing Inspector Salvo Montalbano. Which is a tragedy for me since I dislike going back to earlier stories when I already know how the characters have evolved.

Fortunately, I came across 'The Scent of the Night' whilst on holiday so ordered this book ready for my return. I'm glad I did. This is the seventh in the series; I've no idea how many more can be created by the author but both books I've read are simply full of warmth in the writing, seriousness in the characterisation and, on top of all that, there is the added bonus of a good few snippets of Sicilian food recipes.

Camilleri, ably aided by his excellent translator, creates a picture of Sicily which you cannot help but ... Read More:
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.The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

by: Stieg Larsson

July 24, 2008
This book has sold 5 million copies. What makes a book sell 5 million copies? Judging by this, the formula is: a fairly mainstream plot, some mild sex, a so-so conspiracy, and a style of writing that neither jars nor excites.

Let me first say that there is nothing actually wrong with this book. Aside from being much too long - common and acceptable in a first novel - there is nothing that will make you throw this book across a room. Nor, in my view, will you be riveted. It is like a three-part thriller on television, where you'll watch the final part if you happen to be in the room, but you wouldn't break a hot date to see it.

Larsson does a fair job of dissecting and explaining the `corporate fraud' part of the storyline, but the main problem is that this ... Read More:
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.Involuntary Witness

by: Gianrico Carofiglio

July 21, 2005
I'm having a good run on Mediterranean crime fiction - having read everything by the excellent Massimo Carlotto, and hearing that Carofiglio is one of Carlotto's favourites I came to this.

Guido Guierri is a lawyer who finds himself representing a Senegalese beach trader accused of killing a 9-year old boy. And that's about it. To describe this as a thriller is a misnomer, as there are no thrills, no surprises, no switchbacks etc. It's also incorrect to describe it as a courtroom drama, as there is no drama! It's a simple linear description of a court case, with two sides, prosecution and defence. End of story.

I actually enjoyed the sub-plots much more than the main thrust. Guierri is recovering from a broken heart, and his meditations and slowly coming-back-to-life is ... Read More:
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.Carte Blanche (De Luca Trilogy 1)

by: Carlo Lucarelli

January 30, 2007
First Sentence: The bomb exploded suddenly, with a ferocious blast, right as the funeral procession was crossing the street.

It is April 1945, the final days before the Allies move into Italy. Those in power are desperately trying to find a way to survive the coming days.

In the midst of this, Commissario De Luca has been given "carte blanche" in his investigation of the murder and castration of Rehinard Vittorio, a member of the Fascist Republican Party. With a mix of female suspects, drugs, witchcraft and more bodies, De Luca is a policeman trying to solve a crime.

This was a fast, and absolutely captivating, book. Lucarelli's creation of time and place provided a sense of the confusion and conflicting forces at play during this time when the primary concern ... Read More:
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