Review by Booklist Review
On the mend from the gunshot wound he sustained at the conclusion of Rounding the Mark (2006), police inspector Salvo Montalbano is called back to work when the kidnapping of a young woman rocks the insular Sicilian community of Vigata. As Montalbano becomes intrigued with the case, he gradually feels himself start to reengage with the rest of humanity, though the almost metaphysical lethargy that has been weighing on his soul will not dislodge easily. Camilleri seems more interested here in Montalbano's inner turmoil--including the inspector's reactions to his strained relationship with his lover, Livia--than he is with the kidnapping story. That's just as well, really, because the main plot this time is not nearly as meaty as in past episodes. But the focus of this consistently entertaining series has always been more on character than mystery, and although this installment is, at best, a transitional episode, it still delivers what fans have come to expect: a perfectly blended mix of comedy and melancholy, and a hero whose joie de vivre is perpetually under siege from an absurd world. --Bill Ott Copyright 2007 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Camilleri's agreeable eighth contemporary police procedural featuring the crotchety but insightful Inspector Montalbano finds the Italian detective at home in Marinella enjoying the ministrations of his wife, Livia, after he was shot by a child trafficker in 2006's Rounding the Mark. But his recuperation is hampered by the demands of a new case: the abduction of Susanna Mistretta, an attractive university student and daughter of a geologist. Unable to trust his colleagues to handle the case properly, Montalbano focuses on subtle anomalies--such as the direction the missing girl's motorbike was pointed--that suggest the kidnapping is more than the simple extortion attempt it appears to be. The witty writing and acerbic protagonist should appeal to fans of Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
A wound can damage more than just the body, as Sicilian inspector Salvo Montalbano learns when he continues to awaken at the exact time he was shot in the shoulder weeks earlier (in Rounding the Mark). Still convalescing in the care of his lover, Livia, he's called back to help solve the kidnapping of university student Susanna Mistretta, an only child whose mother is dying. When a ransom far above Susanna's parents' means is demanded, it's made clear that the money must come from her uncle, a man with political ambitions who gained his wealth through shady means. Canny Montalbano eventually discovers that an unasked question is his key to solving the case. And in doing so, Montalbano finds himself rested, serene, revived, and sated, despite his awareness of advancing years and acknowledgement that, though Livia brightens his house, both of them are relieved when she leaves. In his eighth outing, the inspector may be aging, but he's still at the top of his game.-Michele Leber, Arlington, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Inspector Montalbano uncovers the truth surrounding a high-profile kidnapping. Imminent retirement and a brush with death after a suspect shoots him give a nostalgic tinge to the curmudgeonly ruminations of Sicilian Inspector Salvo Montalbano (The Smell of the Night, 2005, etc.). It doesn't help that Montalbano also suffered a cardiac "incident" a few weeks earlier, an incident concerned officer Fazio has indiscreetly mentioned to the doctor. Montalbano's first case upon his release from the hospital is the kidnapping of college student Susanna Mistretta. He finds many inconsistencies in the crime scene, but is ignored by his higher-ups and the rabid press, who turn the case into a cause cl'bre. Nevertheless, he methodically sniffs around Susanna's boyfriend Francesco, her father Salvatore and others. Bittersweet comic relief comes from Montalbano's ongoing spats with his volatile mistress Livia, who seems to grow in stature as the Inspector's mortality looms. The real target of the ransom demands is not Susanna's father, a noted geologist, but her uncle Antonio Peruzzo, a politician currently embroiled in one of those minor scandals as common in Italy as abduction for money. An unusual videotape released by the kidnappers deepens Montalbano's suspicions and leaves it to him to confront the perpetrators. Camilleri's character study deepens with every installment; his ironic eye is as sharp as ever. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
