Of all the books, murder mysteries are the hardest to resist. More so if the blurb talks of ‘wit’,’ high-comedy of corruption’, ‘the landscapes of Sicily’, and ‘delicious meals’. I have set you up for the ‘but’; so now I can talk of other things.
The story- Crime- murder of the powerful Luparello, found in a disgraceful condition in a disgraceful part of the town.
The detective- The honest and street smart cop, Mountalbano.
Suspects- None as the corner’s verdict death from natural causes.
The detective smells something fouler than fish and sets on the trail of truth. There are the usual clutch of corrupt officials, false clues and true testimonies. The story is interesting but not great- this is the first but and the second one - final twist is not really a surprise.
The other buts are that the characters are just a shade above stereotypes and the motives are pedestrian. Oh and the book is a bit too, er, earthy for my palate.
Verdict- Definitely not Christie, read if you want a quick, not entirely boring , murder story.
© Maya,
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