Cathy C. (cathyskye) -
I needed a little pick-me-up when I began reading Angelica's Smile, and Camilleri had me laughing within the first twenty-five pages. The comedy team of Montalbano and Catarella is pure magic.
But this seventeenth book in the series isn't all slapstick comedy played for laughs. Unfortunately, Montalbano's lover Livia makes an appearance, and since she's the type of woman who lives to play the diva and to fight and argue I always pout when she shows up. I am thrilled to report that I didn't pout for very long.
While I'm immersing myself in the wonderful food and the brilliant characters of Camilleri's series, I'm also learning things-- like why prosecutors in Italy are against tapping telephones. Then there are the ingenious burglaries to be enjoyed, and they weren't resolved in the manner that I thought they would be, so that was icing on the literary cake.
It's always a pleasure to spend time with this aging inspector. Readers are guaranteed mouth-watering meals, plenty of laughs, mind-boggling crimes to solve, and Montalbano himself-- the all-too-human man of dreams whose head can be turned by a pretty face. This character is so real that, if I ever found myself in Sicily, I'd have to resist the temptation to look him up to ask for restaurant recommendations. Long live Camilleri! Long live Montalbano!
But this seventeenth book in the series isn't all slapstick comedy played for laughs. Unfortunately, Montalbano's lover Livia makes an appearance, and since she's the type of woman who lives to play the diva and to fight and argue I always pout when she shows up. I am thrilled to report that I didn't pout for very long.
While I'm immersing myself in the wonderful food and the brilliant characters of Camilleri's series, I'm also learning things-- like why prosecutors in Italy are against tapping telephones. Then there are the ingenious burglaries to be enjoyed, and they weren't resolved in the manner that I thought they would be, so that was icing on the literary cake.
It's always a pleasure to spend time with this aging inspector. Readers are guaranteed mouth-watering meals, plenty of laughs, mind-boggling crimes to solve, and Montalbano himself-- the all-too-human man of dreams whose head can be turned by a pretty face. This character is so real that, if I ever found myself in Sicily, I'd have to resist the temptation to look him up to ask for restaurant recommendations. Long live Camilleri! Long live Montalbano!
