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Barcelona: Edicions 62, 2009 (2a ed., 2009), 245 p. (El Balancí; 605)
Description
When a colleague extends his summer vacation, Inspector Salvo Montalbano is forced to stay in VigA ta and endure the August heat. Montalbanoas long-suffering girlfriend, Livia, joins him with a friendahusband and young son in towato keep her company during these dog days of summer. But when the boy suddenly disappears into a narrow shaft hidden under the familyas beach rental, Montalbano, in pursuit of the child, uncovers something terribly sinister. As the inspector spends the summer trying to solve this perplexing case, Livia refuses to answer his callsaand Montalbano is left to take a plunge that will affect the rest of his life. Fans of the Sicilian inspector as well as readers new to this increasingly popular series will enjoy following the melancholy but unflinchingly moral Montalbano as he undertakes one of the most shocking investigations of his career.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member gaskella
This is the third of Camilleri’s novels that I’ve read, the tenth in the popular series featuring Inspector Salvo Montalbano, and it was the most enjoyable yet.
It’s nearing the middle of August and the heat in Sicily is getting unbearable. Montalbano’s girlfriend Livia is arriving soon with
Livia and her friends flee back home, leaving Salvo to suffer in the searing heat and conduct a murder investigation without a fan in his office. Added to that, the builders are obviously crooked and covering up for each other. The normally dapper and gourmet inspector can hardly bear to do anything, it’s so hot. Eating hot food is out, and he’s spending half his time in the shower or sitting in his office in his underpants and missing Livia – this story is suffused with heat, humidity and sweat! But we know that Salvo will get his man, loyally supported by the ever trusty Fazio, even though he nearly gets distracted by a pretty girl on this case…
I love Montalbano, the fifty-something batchelor with his long-distance girlfriend. Like all the best literary detectives, he has a healthy dose of disrespect for bureaucracy and his deskbound superiors and is not afraid to tear up the rulebook when needed. The Italian way of doing things and Mediterranean location make for interesting plots. There is a good dose of humour in these novels too, giving light and enjoyable reads. I remember when I read the first in the series (The Shape of Water), I found the translation rather cool and dry, but like the heat in this novel, Sartarelli’s translation is thoroughly warmed up by now! He adds some useful pages of notes about various Italianisms and background stories at the end too which are better than footnotes. (Book requested from the Amazon Vine programme, 8/10)
It’s nearing the middle of August and the heat in Sicily is getting unbearable. Montalbano’s girlfriend Livia is arriving soon with
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friends to stay in a villa he’s found for them. Salvo is looking forward to some quality time with Livia. The villa looks perfect, but they are plagued by cockroaches and mice, then Bruno, Livia’s friend’s son goes missing. He is discovered down in an illegal basement buried below the house – empty for years – except for a trunk – with a body in it!Livia and her friends flee back home, leaving Salvo to suffer in the searing heat and conduct a murder investigation without a fan in his office. Added to that, the builders are obviously crooked and covering up for each other. The normally dapper and gourmet inspector can hardly bear to do anything, it’s so hot. Eating hot food is out, and he’s spending half his time in the shower or sitting in his office in his underpants and missing Livia – this story is suffused with heat, humidity and sweat! But we know that Salvo will get his man, loyally supported by the ever trusty Fazio, even though he nearly gets distracted by a pretty girl on this case…
I love Montalbano, the fifty-something batchelor with his long-distance girlfriend. Like all the best literary detectives, he has a healthy dose of disrespect for bureaucracy and his deskbound superiors and is not afraid to tear up the rulebook when needed. The Italian way of doing things and Mediterranean location make for interesting plots. There is a good dose of humour in these novels too, giving light and enjoyable reads. I remember when I read the first in the series (The Shape of Water), I found the translation rather cool and dry, but like the heat in this novel, Sartarelli’s translation is thoroughly warmed up by now! He adds some useful pages of notes about various Italianisms and background stories at the end too which are better than footnotes. (Book requested from the Amazon Vine programme, 8/10)
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LibraryThing member bsquaredinoz
It’s August and Inspector Salvo Montalbano of the fictional Vigata police force (in the very real Sicily) is due to be joined by his girlfriend for a summer holiday. Knowing that he is often caught up with an investigation Livia demands that he finds a rental house for some friends of hers so
When they talk of this series most people talk of two things, the first being the characters. They certainly are terrific. I found Montalbano funny, nicely odd and a bit annoying at times but that did seem to make him more realistic that if he’d been entirely quirky and lovable. His penchant for stripping down to his swimming trunks at every available opportunity and his quest for a decent meal mostly made up for the somewhat tiresome ageing-related angst. The other characters that I assume are regulars, such as his intelligent offsider Fazio and the devoted if fairly incompetent Catarella, provided good contrast and most of the laughs. It is here too that Stephen Sartarelli’s translation kicks up a notch (from a starting point of excellent) to deftly show the divergent linguistic styles of the players. I did find the female characters a bit more stereotypical, and therefore far less interesting, than the men but it’s a minor point.
The other aspect of these books that is always talked about is the depiction of Sicilian life and that was the standout feature for me. Of course there is the ever-present influence of the Mafia and the creative mechanisms the Police have to devise to thwart the institutionalised corruption but there are wonderful small details as well. Surely there’s nowhere else in the world that a suspect who felt a bit faint would be treated to a cognac? The August heat of the setting was also quite brilliantly depicted, though I thought they all needed to toughen up a bit but I admit I am a bit biased living in a place which endures many months of such heatwaves every year.
I’m afraid I didn’t find the plot completely riveting though. For the first half it was decent enough but it really did become predictable and silly and Montalbano’s actions at the end were quite daft. Overall though it was a particularly fast book to read and I did have a smile on my face for a jolly good portion of it. I did enjoy the humour and the characterisations of both the people and the place and I will seek out at least one of the earlier books in this series before making a final judgment on the canon.
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that she won’t be bored while he works. Given the time of year he is very lucky to find something but it turns out to be a bit of a horror house. The family is treated to several infestations of creepy-crawlies and then their young son disappears. This leads to uncovering corruption in the local building industry and finding a hidden dead body.When they talk of this series most people talk of two things, the first being the characters. They certainly are terrific. I found Montalbano funny, nicely odd and a bit annoying at times but that did seem to make him more realistic that if he’d been entirely quirky and lovable. His penchant for stripping down to his swimming trunks at every available opportunity and his quest for a decent meal mostly made up for the somewhat tiresome ageing-related angst. The other characters that I assume are regulars, such as his intelligent offsider Fazio and the devoted if fairly incompetent Catarella, provided good contrast and most of the laughs. It is here too that Stephen Sartarelli’s translation kicks up a notch (from a starting point of excellent) to deftly show the divergent linguistic styles of the players. I did find the female characters a bit more stereotypical, and therefore far less interesting, than the men but it’s a minor point.
The other aspect of these books that is always talked about is the depiction of Sicilian life and that was the standout feature for me. Of course there is the ever-present influence of the Mafia and the creative mechanisms the Police have to devise to thwart the institutionalised corruption but there are wonderful small details as well. Surely there’s nowhere else in the world that a suspect who felt a bit faint would be treated to a cognac? The August heat of the setting was also quite brilliantly depicted, though I thought they all needed to toughen up a bit but I admit I am a bit biased living in a place which endures many months of such heatwaves every year.
I’m afraid I didn’t find the plot completely riveting though. For the first half it was decent enough but it really did become predictable and silly and Montalbano’s actions at the end were quite daft. Overall though it was a particularly fast book to read and I did have a smile on my face for a jolly good portion of it. I did enjoy the humour and the characterisations of both the people and the place and I will seek out at least one of the earlier books in this series before making a final judgment on the canon.
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LibraryThing member smik
August is not the month to be working in Sicily. The heat is oppressive, sweat-drenching, and, if you have no airconditioning, almost unbearable. Inspector Salva Montalbano had intended to leave Vigata to spend the holiday season with his girlfriend Livia, somewhere cooler.
When Salva has to work
The troubles at the beachside house begin on the morning of the third day with an invasion of an army of black cockroaches. On the fifth day it is mice, and then on the eighth, spiders. On the eleventh day 3 year old Bruno, the son of Livia's friends, disappears. Montalbano discovers that he has slipped down a narrow shaft leading under the house. In rescuing Bruno, Montalbano uncovers a six-year old murder.
AUGUST HEAT is one of those novels where the weather, the almost unrelenting and palpable heat, becomes one of the cast of characters. Livia and her friends leave after the discovery of the body and so Montalbano doesn't even have her as a distraction.
Reconstructing events that are dead cold is never easy. People's memories are less than precise, witnesses are no longer available, and murderers cover their tracks. Montalbano's peeling back the layers is what makes AUGUST HEAT good reading.
It seems that in the original Italian Camilleri attempted to reproduce the sounds of speech of Montalbano's assistant Catarella. The results of the translation into English are almost comic, and had me reading Catarella's utterances very carefully.
"Catarella? Montalbano here"
"I already rec'nize ya inasmuch as yer voice is all yours, Chief."
AUGUST HEAT is #10 in Andrea Camilleri's Inspector Montalbano series. I have only read one or two others, but was able to enjoy this title almost as a stand-alone.
When Salva has to work
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after all, Livia decides to rent a house by the sea near Vigata. She brings the family of her dearest friend with her. The house has been a summer rental for the past six years ever since its German owner died and his stepson mysteriously disappeared.The troubles at the beachside house begin on the morning of the third day with an invasion of an army of black cockroaches. On the fifth day it is mice, and then on the eighth, spiders. On the eleventh day 3 year old Bruno, the son of Livia's friends, disappears. Montalbano discovers that he has slipped down a narrow shaft leading under the house. In rescuing Bruno, Montalbano uncovers a six-year old murder.
AUGUST HEAT is one of those novels where the weather, the almost unrelenting and palpable heat, becomes one of the cast of characters. Livia and her friends leave after the discovery of the body and so Montalbano doesn't even have her as a distraction.
Reconstructing events that are dead cold is never easy. People's memories are less than precise, witnesses are no longer available, and murderers cover their tracks. Montalbano's peeling back the layers is what makes AUGUST HEAT good reading.
It seems that in the original Italian Camilleri attempted to reproduce the sounds of speech of Montalbano's assistant Catarella. The results of the translation into English are almost comic, and had me reading Catarella's utterances very carefully.
"Catarella? Montalbano here"
"I already rec'nize ya inasmuch as yer voice is all yours, Chief."
AUGUST HEAT is #10 in Andrea Camilleri's Inspector Montalbano series. I have only read one or two others, but was able to enjoy this title almost as a stand-alone.
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LibraryThing member devenish
In this 10th book in his Inspector Montalbano series,Andrea Camilleri invokes an almost tangible feeling of overwhelming heat. We begin with the Inspector being harried by his girlfriend to find a holiday home for them and her friends. He manages too do so,with seemingly the perfect property in the
An entertaining series with some endearing characters.
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perfect situation. When a series of mishaps,which could almost be likened to the 'plagues of Egypt' occur,the inhabitants of the villa swiftly change their minds. The final straw is that the youngest member of the group vanishes together with the cat Ruggero and a body wrapped in plastic is found beneath the house.An entertaining series with some endearing characters.
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LibraryThing member tututhefirst
The 10th in the Inspector Montalbano detective series, this was the perfect book to read in August. The scorching searing heat of Siciliy in the summer is something I've experienced first hand (twice!) and although Sicily is a spectacular vacation venue, I'm not going to plan my next trip in the
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summer months. Montalbano locates a beautiful seaside villa for a friend coming down from northern Italy, only to have the family discover that there are some serious defects in the building (like a dead body to begin with). His girlfriend Livia, as usual, becomes upset and goes home. Montalbano battles the heat, tries to solve the mystery of why the house is as it is (it's hard to describe the mysterious happenings without spoiling the story) and in the end detects the true culprit. His sidekick Catarella provides just the right touch of comic relief to make the book not only a good who dunnit, but an enjoyable and amusing read. Show Less
LibraryThing member cathyskye
First Line: He was sleeping so soundly that not even cannon fire could have woken him.
One of Inspector Montalbano's co-workers has extended his summer vacation, forcing Salvo to stay home and endure the August heat. Livia, Montalbano's girlfriend, joins him, bringing along a friend and the friend's
Unfortunately the house he found for the family to rent turns out to be a horror of biblical proportions-- with plagues of cockroaches, mice, spiders, and rain. The rain causes the ground to settle and a huge fissure to form. The couple's young boy goes exploring, gets caught down in the fissure and must be rescued. During the rescue, the body of a young girl is found. When Montalbano focuses on the the murder, Livia takes her friends and leaves Montalbano to his own devices. After the first few hours, I don't think he missed any of them.
Once again, Montalbano seems intent on his own mortality. August Heat shows him at times lethargic, at times lustful, as he tracks down leads and interviews people. Most of the humor is in the first quarter of the book, and while I learned a lot about the building codes and construction companies of Sicily, the alibi of one of the main suspects was all too easily picked apart.
Montalbano's gloom over the fact of his aging and his being led astray-- once again-- by a pretty woman is becoming tiresome old news. This is definitely not one of the best books in the series, but that's okay. A less than stellar outing by Andrea Camilleri is still miles above many other authors in the genre. He has created a landscape we can see, food that we can smell and taste, and people that we have come to care about as if they are members of our own families.
Not every day is perfect for any person, real or imagined. It was August. It was miserably hot. It just wasn't one of Montalbano's better investigations. But a new day-- and new books-- are just over the horizon.
One of Inspector Montalbano's co-workers has extended his summer vacation, forcing Salvo to stay home and endure the August heat. Livia, Montalbano's girlfriend, joins him, bringing along a friend and the friend's
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husband and young son. Montalbano finds them a place on the beach and looks forward to lazy days at the office and lots of quality time with Livia.Unfortunately the house he found for the family to rent turns out to be a horror of biblical proportions-- with plagues of cockroaches, mice, spiders, and rain. The rain causes the ground to settle and a huge fissure to form. The couple's young boy goes exploring, gets caught down in the fissure and must be rescued. During the rescue, the body of a young girl is found. When Montalbano focuses on the the murder, Livia takes her friends and leaves Montalbano to his own devices. After the first few hours, I don't think he missed any of them.
Once again, Montalbano seems intent on his own mortality. August Heat shows him at times lethargic, at times lustful, as he tracks down leads and interviews people. Most of the humor is in the first quarter of the book, and while I learned a lot about the building codes and construction companies of Sicily, the alibi of one of the main suspects was all too easily picked apart.
Montalbano's gloom over the fact of his aging and his being led astray-- once again-- by a pretty woman is becoming tiresome old news. This is definitely not one of the best books in the series, but that's okay. A less than stellar outing by Andrea Camilleri is still miles above many other authors in the genre. He has created a landscape we can see, food that we can smell and taste, and people that we have come to care about as if they are members of our own families.
Not every day is perfect for any person, real or imagined. It was August. It was miserably hot. It just wasn't one of Montalbano's better investigations. But a new day-- and new books-- are just over the horizon.
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LibraryThing member ffortsa
Ah, the series is back in form. Crisp comedy had me laughing out loud over my lunch, but the denoument was much more nuanced and human and touching. 4 1/2 stars,
LibraryThing member lkernagh
This installment started out with a rather interesting twist on the idea of a vacation rental nightmare. I was started to get all geared up for a Sicilian vacation version of the seven plagues of the apocalypse but we do finally get to what I will categorize as the main crime... the discovery of a
An alright story with an interesting crime to solve and a, surprisingly, rather good ending.
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body. Back on sure footing once again - or so I thought - I settled in to see how the peripheral crimes in the story tie in with this discovery. As with previous installments, this one was an interesting blending of police procedural crime fiction with a more personal, introspective and life evaluating story as Montalbano continues to deal with relationship issues and coming to terms with growing older. This story had a bit more of a soap opera feel to in than previous ones, more so for the nature of the entanglement Montalbano finds himself in and his internal conflict. At this stage in the series, Camilleri assumes all of his readers are up the speed with the various personalities of his characters, so anyone who thinks this is a good time to jump into the series will not understand the character dynamics. An alright story with an interesting crime to solve and a, surprisingly, rather good ending.
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LibraryThing member idiotgirl
Recommended by a friend who noticed my interest in global thriller/ detective. Italian. I liked the humor and modesty of this book. Liked the hero Would probably read more in the series. Not sure how to rate so I won't. I finished. I'd read another in the right mood. No huge missteps for what it
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is. Didn't knock my socks off. . . . Show Less
LibraryThing member mikedraper
Inspector Muntalbano's girlfriend asks him to find a summer home for her girlfriend and family.
He finds a rental in the beach toen of Pizzo.
Once the family moves in, the home turns into the rental from hell. There are cockroach infestations, spider and mice infestations and worse a body is found in
Camilleri writes an amusing tale, it's not quite Inspector Clouseau but they could have been friends in a different life.
He finds a rental in the beach toen of Pizzo.
Once the family moves in, the home turns into the rental from hell. There are cockroach infestations, spider and mice infestations and worse a body is found in
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the basement.Camilleri writes an amusing tale, it's not quite Inspector Clouseau but they could have been friends in a different life.
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LibraryThing member TheBookJunky
This was great, the first one I've read by this author. I've never even heard of this famous series of Montalbano detective stories. There's even a tv series apparently. I am so out of touch.
But these are the best kind of books, the ones that you discover blind. This was bought at a used book sale
Although the plot is standard fare, a few mild twists and turns, good police work, dogged persistence of the "hunch", etc., the best thing I liked about it was the atmosphere. It felt like a glimpse into everyday life of Italy (not the murder of course). The attitudes toward work, police, the Mafia, and how this microcosm deals with those influences, were all fascinating. The casual descriptions of the kinds of Italian food being eaten made me hungry. There were frequent odd occasions of stripping off the clothes publicly. It happened so often in such unusual situations that it no longer felt unusual, just a bit distracting. The writing has a light touch, and is wryly humourous.
I will look for more in this series, starting first at the local used bookstores.
But these are the best kind of books, the ones that you discover blind. This was bought at a used book sale
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for $2, as a complete unknown for me. An Italian murder mystery, in translation -- it's gotta be different than the usual North American kind so let's take a flyer, it's only two bucks. When the gamble has paid off, it is extra sweet somehow. Although the plot is standard fare, a few mild twists and turns, good police work, dogged persistence of the "hunch", etc., the best thing I liked about it was the atmosphere. It felt like a glimpse into everyday life of Italy (not the murder of course). The attitudes toward work, police, the Mafia, and how this microcosm deals with those influences, were all fascinating. The casual descriptions of the kinds of Italian food being eaten made me hungry. There were frequent odd occasions of stripping off the clothes publicly. It happened so often in such unusual situations that it no longer felt unusual, just a bit distracting. The writing has a light touch, and is wryly humourous.
I will look for more in this series, starting first at the local used bookstores.
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LibraryThing member JBarringer
So far this is my favorite Camilleri novel. The characters are still not very realistic, more caricature than I prefer, and with an element of comedy I'm used to seeing in noisy old movies, not really my thing. This book is shorter than most of the others I've read so far, which may help, but it
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also seemed better paced and less reliant on sexist diversions. I've read worse, but I don't think Camilleri is ever going to rank in my top ten for mystery series writers. Show Less
LibraryThing member FAR2MANYBOOKS
First, my compliments to Stephen Sartarelli on his translation and notes compiled for the reader to understand every nuance of Camilleri's written word.
Some say that the pace of the book is slow, but, I enjoyed this differing flavor on a detective novel. Camilleri is able to immerse us in the world
Some say that the pace of the book is slow, but, I enjoyed this differing flavor on a detective novel. Camilleri is able to immerse us in the world
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of Inspector Montalbano: his love and enjoyment of mediterranean food coupled with a detailed description of the sea and the warm and rocky Sicilian geography. With a mix of humor, cynicism, compassion, and love of good food, Montalbano goes into battle against the powerful and the corrupt who are determined to block his path. This is a"delicious" discovery for mystery afficionados and fiction lovers. (less) Show Less
LibraryThing member laytonwoman3rd
During a long relentlessly hot August, our good Inspector Salvo Montalbano is faced with a dead body in the hidden first story of a rental property. Since taxes on new construction are based on the total living space, this home was surreptitiously constructed with two apartments, one up and one
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down, with the downstairs one then covered up on the outside with sandy soil that could easily be removed to allow access once the statutory period allowing "amnesty" for such violations had run. Corruption at every level (see what I did there?) is nothing new for Montalbano, but someone somehow managed to kill a teen-aged girl and hide her body in the underground apartment just before it was buried nearly six years ago. Montalbano needs to find out who, without stepping on the wrong toes (worse than stepping on a landmine in Sicily), and try to bring the killer to justice. As nearly always happens in these novels, "justice" is not likely to be administered by the proper authorities. Complicating Salvo's life further is the dead girl's twin sister, who is determined to "help" with his investigation in odd ways that involve midnight swims and clandestine dinners. Not surprisingly, the Inspector is not exactly at the top of his game for a while, but it all works out in the end. All, that is, except for what he may or may not tell his long-time lady-love, Livia, who has been away during all of this excitement. THAT, the reader is left to imagine. Show Less
LibraryThing member vlodko62
Wow - what a twist. What a dark ending. Montalbano, his brooding, his humanity and his love of good food are every bit as big a draw as the puzzle and the suspense.
LibraryThing member Andrew-theQM
Another very good outing in the Inspector Montalbano Series set in Sicily. I do like these books and you'd never know they were translations - very well done. Quite a different ending in this one. Love one or two of his sidekicks as well. Four stars.
LibraryThing member Auntie-Nanuuq
Inspector Salvo Montalbano acquiesces to his girlfriend Livia's demands by finding a beach house for her friends & their 3-yr old to live in.
As the house settles a crack in the floor opens there is an invasion of cockroaches, mice, & spiders. The the child disappears, but the cat he adopted leads
While rescuing the child, Montalbano discovers a trunk, therein lays the body of a young woman, mostly intact w/ her throat slit, who had disappeared 6 years previously.
The web of deceit, lies, pay-offs, & political corruption makes it nearly impossible for Montalbano to bring the murderer to justice, but then the dead girl's twin sister appears and helps to set the trap for the killer....
Fascinating, I couldn't put this down & read it in about 4 hours! The writing is compelling as is the subtle humor of Montalbano.
As the house settles a crack in the floor opens there is an invasion of cockroaches, mice, & spiders. The the child disappears, but the cat he adopted leads
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to where the child is stuck... under the house in an illegal apartment.While rescuing the child, Montalbano discovers a trunk, therein lays the body of a young woman, mostly intact w/ her throat slit, who had disappeared 6 years previously.
The web of deceit, lies, pay-offs, & political corruption makes it nearly impossible for Montalbano to bring the murderer to justice, but then the dead girl's twin sister appears and helps to set the trap for the killer....
Fascinating, I couldn't put this down & read it in about 4 hours! The writing is compelling as is the subtle humor of Montalbano.
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LibraryThing member BrianEWilliams
An OK story that disappointed me as it went along and came to an abrupt end. Inspector Montalbano and his cohorts are interesting characters though so perhaps others in the series will suit me more than this one.
LibraryThing member quondame
Salvo has found new ways to get himself in trouble without having to do more than age a bit and continue as he is.
LibraryThing member jetangen4571
Sicily, law-enforcement, relationship-issues, family-dynamics, friendship, murder, murder-investigation
Read 2 times. Last read November 1, 2020.
I don't think that one needs to have read prior books in the series to be able to understand Montalbano. Part of the book is about his middle age crisis
Stephen Sartarelli is the master of Montalbano translations, and Grover Gardner in the voice of Montalbano and the other characters.
Read 2 times. Last read November 1, 2020.
I don't think that one needs to have read prior books in the series to be able to understand Montalbano. Part of the book is about his middle age crisis
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including a disagreement with his girlfriend and that is what sets up his discovery of the body in the trunk in a hidden part of a vacation rental. More anomalies turn up and all is complicated by the unbearable August temperatures. This is not his best, but maybe I just feel that way because of the subject.Stephen Sartarelli is the master of Montalbano translations, and Grover Gardner in the voice of Montalbano and the other characters.
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LibraryThing member leslie.98
Grover Gardner's excellent narration balances out the loss of translator Stephen Sartarelli's footnotes.
I found Livia irritating more than usual in this one and am beginning to wish Montalbano would find another girlfriend. Other than that, this 10th entry in the Montalbano series was another
I found Livia irritating more than usual in this one and am beginning to wish Montalbano would find another girlfriend. Other than that, this 10th entry in the Montalbano series was another
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excellent police procedural. I chuckled at times over Montalbano's handling of the bureaucracy! Show Less
LibraryThing member Joycepa
10th in the Inspector Montalbano series set in Sicily.
As promised by the title, the heat is scorching. Livia has coerced Salvo into finding a beach rental villa for friends of hers, who have a little boy. When Montalbano visits them, the boy, a handful at best, manages to fall into an unused space
The resulting investigation turns up suspects, each of whom has a more or less ironclad alibi. To add to his troubles, Montalbano’s relationship with Livia is under strain, and Salvo is beginning to feel his age.
The previous book, Paper Moon, was something of a disappointment, since it concentrated more on Montalbano’s mid-life crisis than on any investigation. This book returns Salvo almost to form. The plot is very good, with interesting turns, and there is plenty of side commentary about the state of affairs in Italy (never good at the best of times).
Always important in this series are the comprimario characters; Fazio, Montalbano’s aide, who has been promoted to Inspector (Montalbano himself is a Chief Inspector); Dr.Pasquano, the irascible pathologist; the various idiotic bureaucrats who head up the Questura; and Catarella, the fumbling clown, who is a computer genius. As usual, the non-recurring characters are well portrayed.
Steven Sartarelli, the translator, does an outstanding job of translating into idiomatic English while keeping the style and rhythm of Italian. It’s not the strongest entry in the series, but is still an excellent read. Highly recommended.
As promised by the title, the heat is scorching. Livia has coerced Salvo into finding a beach rental villa for friends of hers, who have a little boy. When Montalbano visits them, the boy, a handful at best, manages to fall into an unused space
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below the villa that turns out to be an illegal apartment. After rescuing the boy, Montalbano notices a chest; naturally, he opens it--to find a nearly mummified body of a young girl, encased in plastic.The resulting investigation turns up suspects, each of whom has a more or less ironclad alibi. To add to his troubles, Montalbano’s relationship with Livia is under strain, and Salvo is beginning to feel his age.
The previous book, Paper Moon, was something of a disappointment, since it concentrated more on Montalbano’s mid-life crisis than on any investigation. This book returns Salvo almost to form. The plot is very good, with interesting turns, and there is plenty of side commentary about the state of affairs in Italy (never good at the best of times).
Always important in this series are the comprimario characters; Fazio, Montalbano’s aide, who has been promoted to Inspector (Montalbano himself is a Chief Inspector); Dr.Pasquano, the irascible pathologist; the various idiotic bureaucrats who head up the Questura; and Catarella, the fumbling clown, who is a computer genius. As usual, the non-recurring characters are well portrayed.
Steven Sartarelli, the translator, does an outstanding job of translating into idiomatic English while keeping the style and rhythm of Italian. It’s not the strongest entry in the series, but is still an excellent read. Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member mysterymax
In this one Livia and friends come for a holiday during the hottest month of the year. They rent a house which turns out to have a hidden apartment under the house. Due to red tape, builders build an illegal addition and then apply for amnesty from the building regulations. The house shifts
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slightly and the young son of Livia's friends manages to fall into the hidden apartment while playing outside. Montalbano finds him, but he also finds a hidden corpse. Show Less
Awards
Crime Writers' Association Awards (Shortlist — 2010)
Language
Original language
Italian
Original publication date
2006-04-20
Physical description
245 p.; 23 cm
ISBN
9788429760118