If you've read our previous book reviews, you will know that I love a good mystery. Having never read any of the Inspector Montalbano Mystery series before, I wasn't sure what to expect. But Andrea Camilleri does not disappoint. Angelica's Smile is a fun, easy to read book following the Inspector as he tries to solve a series of high-profile burglaries of the wealthy elite in his town of Vigata in Sicily.
It was a pleasant change to read about a police inspector with a sense of humour in this light-hearted stroll through the Sicilian countryside. Clearly regarded as something of a loose cannon by others in the justice system, and happy to side-step protocol to get the job done, Montalbano strikes a balance between doing the correct thing and doing the right thing.
Whilst the series of burglaries happen in quick succession, this is a gently meandering book with no sudden chases or gripping terror. Camilleri deliberately avoids too much detail, with the effect of slowing the story down and allowing the reader to create the rest of the picture. No detailed forensics to worry about, and no complex psychology. I was pleased to have solved the crime (or at least part of it) before the Inspector although the final detailed outcome couldn't really be predicted until the final clue a page or two earlier.
A pleasant read, certainly, and one I would recommend for a little light relief.
Angelica's Smile, by Andrea Camilleri, is published by PanMacmillan and is available from their website.
Disclosure: Pan Macmillan sent me this book to keep for the purposes of review. All opinions are our own.
Thanks for that review...I was instantly hooked on the Montalbano television series...and the Young Montalbano one too. I hadn't realised that they had translated the novels into English..must pursue them...always great to find a New Author, as most of the ones I have been reading through the years are now dying off!!! Inconsiderate bunch....
ReplyDeleteThanks John. Yes it was a really enjoyable read.
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