The Age of Doubt (Inspector Montalbano)

The Age of Doubt is one of Andrea Camilleri's most enjoyable mysteries featuring the irascible Inspector Salvo Montalbano. Someone successfully cons him which simultaneously alarms and amuses him. He has a tough time identifying the dead man brought in on the yacht. And a good mind for geography is needed to piece together what those two vessels are doing in the harbor at Vigáta. It's all enough to make Montalbano doubt his abilities-- especially when he starts speaking in clichés.

The book also has Camilleri's trademark humor that can easily have me laughing out loud, as in scenes when Montalbano is desperately trying to get something done and no one cooperates. One can never say enough about Stephen Sartarelli's superb translations show more of these books, and the food? When's the next plane to Sicily-- I'm starving! There was only one small blighted spot in The Age of Doubt concerning something that is expected of Montalbano's married detective, but it's not about to spoil my enjoyment of wonderful series. Long live Salvo Montabano! show less

Escape to Sicily and the utter nonsense of Salvo Montalbano's middle-aged loved life, interspersed with a moider or two. As usual, Enzo and Adelina are feeding Salvo mouthwatering concoctions featuring the fruits of the sea, Catarella is mauling the language, the C'mishner is annoyingly clueless, and Salvo can't figure out who he's in love with. A bit more actual detective work, poissonal danger, and real emotion in this one than sometimes. JUST what the doctor ordered after a few less than satisfying reads from other favorite authors.

I didn't realize that this was one of the newest in the Montalbano series, so I was disconcerted by his bemoaning his age. The all-too-personal aspects were probably more suited to a romance, or the familiar aspects of *midlife crisis* in the male, but that did not really diminish the enjoyment. It's always fun to try to anticipate the validity of the next clue or the more real identity of a new character. The recurrent members of the force continue to entertain even as they demonstrate personal growth. And Montalbano's ongoing skirmishes with whatever bureaucrat is plaguing him are always entertaining. I think that this tale had me smirking and guffawing even more that some of the others. No plot spoilers here. I do want to mention show more thanks to Stephen Santarelli for a comfortable translation, and Grover Gardner for providing such excellent audio performances! show less

Warning: the following contains more than my average rambling.

I liked The Age of Doubt a little more than your average Andrea Camilleri. And I got to wondering whether if you were Sicilian, or hailed from southern Italy, or at least had good familiarity with the place and culture, that these Inspector Salvo Montalbano books would be better appreciated. In any case, I mostly liked the book, but hated the ending. Really hated the ending. Why do you do that to me!

I also think that Camilleri is one of those authors that make a case opaque for no real good reason; one where connecting the dots is harder than it should be. Like if Montalbano was an inspector of food then case would be solved in a couple of pages, but as an inspector of humans show more these book can go on forever, or until the author decides to wrap it up.

I had a Laura once, but while the questions were the same, I didn't quite follow all the antics in the book; they seemed to be too much. But I guess that there is no rule book. However, I still think at some point – and we're talking two, mature adults – you realize that life is short, and that there are no second chances. Again, per warning above, I ran across a subreddit the other day, r/lastimages. It sounds kind of ghoulish, but it is really quite nice as well as sobering; I applaud the people that submit photos of those they love.

Otherwise, I think that I am finally getting used to Catarella, he's become slightly less annoying to me. The other characters in this story I liked. Inspector Montalbano is his usual big cog in the giant bureaucratic machine, and he does extremely well in this book; I liked the story even if he had difficulties seeing the forest for the trees. I particularly liked our mysterious Vanna Digiulio / Roberta Rollo, and the coroner Dr. Pasquano was exceptional in this one. show less

It is always a treat to have a new Chief Inspector Salvo Montalbano novel to devour, and The Age of Doubt, the 14th in the series by Andrea Camilleri, is no exception. After an unsettling dream in which Montalbano is dead but Livia can't make it to the funeral, our Chief Inspector is summoned to the port, because a body in a dinghy has been towed in by a visiting yacht. At the same time, a cruiser is pulling in to port because of engine trouble, and the crew of that cruiser seems a bit...odd. The body intrigues, the yacht's owner is voracious, and the Navy officer in charge of the port, Lieutenant Belladonna, is the most beautiful woman Montalbano has ever seen - and she seems to like him, too! Or maybe she doesn't; she seems to blow show more hot and cold, and Montalbano is helpless in responding to her moods. But there is serious business going on here, one murder and then another, and although they seem unrelated, there must be a connection, if only Montalbano can find it in time.... I've always enjoyed Camilleri's books, they are terrific windows into Sicilian life (and food; he's an author who loves describing the food that Montalbano loves to eat). I enjoyed this one too, although I found Montalbano being a bit more baffoonish than usual, a little bit more, well, comedic I suppose. His attitudes toward women have always leaned more toward the neanderthal than the modern, but here I found the women's reactions to him just a bit less believable than usual. So I'm a little conflicted with this entry into the series; overall, I love the Montalbano books immensely; this particular one is not the best among them, though. I would recommend any reader who hasn't met Chief Inspector Montalbano yet to start with the first novel (The Shape of Water) and proceed from there; and I would recommend any long-time reader to, of course, read this one too, but possibly with a slightly jaded eye. show less

An outing with Inspector Salvo Montalbano is always enjoyable, always laugh-out-loud funny. However, the good inspector is becoming more and more curmudgeonly and his treatment of his long-suffering long-distance girlfriend, Livia -- Madre Santa! -- grows more and more despicable.

Despite these flaws and the unrealistically sentimentalized ending, I'm glad I read The Age of Doubt, and I'm hoping translator Stephen Sartorelli hurries up to translate the backlog of Andrea Camilleri's novels.

Salvo Montalbano is now 58 years old and beginning to wonder if he's going to live to be 59.  Bones creak, he forgets things, and his wonderfully irascible personality is becoming even more crusty.  In this 14th episode of Camilleri's amusing, entertaining and well-written series about crime in Sicily, Salvo finds himself totally head over heels enamored (he would never admit to LOVE!!!) of a young naval lieutenant as they work together to solve the murder of a washed up body.  In addition, there's a huge and luxurious pleasure yacht tied up at the town pier with an elegant and notoriously promiscuous owner aboard and Montalbano smells a rat.  The crime solving evolves with the usual antics from Fazzio, Catarella, Mimi Auguello, and show more the gang.  Several times, the Inspector even takes exceptional  risks that appear somewhat out of character.  His temper often gets the better of him, and he's not having much luck with the famous Sicilian cuisine either. 
The missing link in this one is Livia. Although by now, readers of the series are becoming used to her cameo appearances by phone from Genoa, they are few and far between in this one.  Salvo spends a lot of time and energy on his new infatuation, and Livia looks like she's going to get short shrift.

NO SPOILERS......you'll have to read this one on your own.  Like all the books in this series, it is a quick enjoyable, well-crafted mystery with a carefully developed cast of characters, a heavenly setting, and plots that keep us guessing.  The translations by Steven Sartarelli are spot on, evoking all the passion and nuance of the original Italian. The audios of this series are incredibly fun listening.  I've gotten through many a water-aerobics session painlessly because I had these enjoyable stories to accompany me. show less