This is the fifth book in the Inspector Montalbano series. It’s not essential to have read any of the previous books to understand what is happening, but I would recommend it, as the characters have been developed over the series.

In this installment, Police Inspector Montalbano finds himself heading up an investigation into a young playboy. At the same time he finds himself dealing with the disappearance of an elderly couple. Initially there appears to be no connection between the two crimes, but when it discovered that all three people lived in the same apartment block, Montalbano’s suspicions become aroused. His investigation takes him and his team into dangerous territory involving the Sicilian Mafia.

As is the case with all of the books I have read in this series (so far), the case is interesting, but it takes a back seat to the interaction between the various characters. Salvo Montalbano is an irritable, grumpy man who feels that he is being left behind in a word where technology is taking over. However, he has amazing intuition and a terrific sense of humour, as well as a deep sense of honour. His interactions with his detective team - particularly the hapless Catarella and the smart Augello - are amusing and believeable.

The book (and indeed the series) also paints a vivid picture of Sicilian life and culture. It’s a light read, but an interesting one. This series has not disappointed me yet! ( )

Fifth in the Italian police procedural series set in Sicily and featuring Salvo Montalbano, epitome of the grumpy inspector. But you gotta love the guy despite his less-than-sweet disposition. In this episode, Montalbano and crew are investigating two crimes—the disappearance of a reserved, quiet elderly couple, reported missing by their son, and the murder of a young twenty-something man with no visible means of support, yet who manages to live in relative style. Drug money? Or something else? And as he lives in the same apartment building as the elderly couple, is there some connection between them despite all evidence to the contrary? I absolutely love this series and hope the author keeps writing them for a long, long time. Montalbano is a complex character and the supporting cast is also well-fleshed and interesting. Catarella’s goofy speech never fails to make me laugh, and I think I want to marry Montalbano’s mostly-absent housekeeper, who prepares the most mouth-watering meals for him! LOL Anyway, another stellar entry in a wonderful series. ( )

5th in the Inspector Montalbano series.

A young punk with a taste for women and more money than can really be accounted for is murdered at his front door. At the same time, an elderly couple that was part of an excursion to the shrine at Tindari is missing, leaving a middle-aged son frantic with worry. Seemingly unrelated cases—except that the young man and the elderly couple lived in the same building which, of course, it too much for Montalbano to dismiss. In addition, Livia is throwing temper tantrums, and Augello is trying to transfer to Pavia in order to be with his new fiancée, throwing Montalbano into a panic at the thought of losing a member of his precious Vigáta team.

And so starts the 5th installment that includes all the well-known and eagerly awaited characters in Vigáta and outside it. Fans of the series will not be disappointed. Montalbano, thank God, hasn’t changed, and the rest of his world stars in support but with well-defined and lovingly drawn personalities of their own. The humor is still there, the plotting is still good, and the food is still mouth-watering.

Highly recommended. ( )

My first encounter with Andrea Camilliri, and while I'm not a fanatic about mysteries, this one got me -- for the often coarse and pungent dialogs, the sense of irony that infuses almost all the characters (very Italian?), and some insights into what makes Italy work despite all its problems. ( )