I enjoyed this book being my first outing in reading the work of Camilleri.
If you’re looking for an all action adventure story or even one that could be described as a page turner then this is not for you. However, the quality of the writing is enchanting as presumably must be the translation to have captured the essences of this original.
Inspector Montalbano is called to an unusual event in Vigata the fiction town in Sicily home to all these books where a reclusive couple start shooting from a balcony. And then a riddle arrives and Montalbano has the task of solving the puzzle. I love the television series that has aired in the UK on the Saturday night foreign language slot on BB2 although the production values are fairly low compared to some of the dramas produced in the UK.
There is the usual cast of colleagues and sorely tested girlfriend and some lovely scenes of gentle humour. Food is eaten regularly and copious quantities of wine drunk and cigarettes are smoked. What we get is a quiet relaxed style that immediately wraps itself around you and makes you feel as though Montalbano has been a lifetime friend.Great crime writing.
