August Heat (The Inspector Montalbano Mysteries Book 10)

August Heat is simply wonderful. And I'm not just saying that because I read it during a 100 degree heatwave here in the southwestern U.S.This is the kind of Montalbano book that you can get lost in. The characters are wonderful, the plot is long and meandering. It's more than a little sexy (and why not? Hot weather brings it out in all of us). Fazio is at his clever best. Livia is far away and of little consequence. Plus, there is a heroic cat named Ruggero and we learn Salvo likes cats. Yay!This is also one of the best Montalbano movies as well. The story of the beautiful twin sisters, one of whom brilliantly plays Montalbano like a piano.The story builds and builds to the final pages and the last paragraphs, while Salvo swims and weeps, are unforgettable.Bravo Camilleri.

Inspector Salvo Montalbano has been forced to stay in Vigata and work during August after a colleague extends his vacation. As luck would have it, Livia, his long distant love decides to join him, she doesn't expect Montalbano to be busy after all who would have the energy to commit a crime in this August heat. But to be on the safe side she's bringing her friends and their young son to keep her company. Montalbano secures a beach rental for the family while Livia spends evenings with him.Montalbano is called to the beach house quite a few times over the next nine days as there seems to be a few problems, swarms of cockroaches, spiders and mice seem to have also taken up residents the family are not amused. Some would believe that this house was cursed especially when the little boy suddenly disappears. Montalbano rushes over to solve the case; the boy had fallen into a narrow shaft below the house, the boy is found and pulled to safety. Montalbano never satisfied decides to check what lays underneath the house, not only does he discover a small room below but within a chest a girls dead body. Montalbano mission now was to find out how this girl came to be at her final resting place and who was responsible to take a life so young. Sinister and corrupt forces build a bigger foundation.Andrea Camilleri has kept this Interesting, he writes it, I read between the lines and pause for thought! Camilleri has chosen to write quiet clearly about the day to day levels of corruption in Sicily; even the little things in every day life and how Montalbano has to deal with those different levels of corruption to get his results. There are many different angles of corruption added to the layering of this book; Government corruption has profound effects on the country as a whole, but looking at a bigger picture Sicily's not the only country with that problem!, while no two countries are alike, there are common dilemmas for all to see. For instance; corruption and poverty affect both individuals and businesses, and they run in both directions: poverty invites corruption, while corruption deepens poverty. Another addressed in this storyline would be the corrupt markets and public bidding processes, inefficient firms and dishonest bidders have major advantages over honest competitors. Connections and cash, rather than innovation and excellence, become the way to win contracts. We all know in our own countries where a level of corruption starts and never ends. So while countries remain different, corruption anywhere share the same knock-on-effects!Which now brings us to another hot topic Livia and Montalbano's relationship, a turn for the worst, normally they would argue it out in a healthy way of dealing with one another, and she in turn takes the no nonsense approach in his darker moods. But this time his dark mood goes too far, his only voice of reason has left him and Livia remains silent. He falls into quiet a deep melancholy mood spending time with a much younger women doesn't help as his questioning himself, age and life.Montalbano character is always great to read, for his questionable brainstorms and unorthodox subversive opinions. Still the rebel, the thinker, not afraid to explore all areas even into obsession. Tenth book in this series and the story forms nicely enjoyable, but not as strong as others in the series, all Montalbano mysteries normally start in comedy but this one is darker than others more of horror and melodrama but there still remains a lot of human interest in every plot. Again the characterization and language the usage of dialogue has been kept real with sharp wit, the sly comments on Italian life and culture always keeps things for me amusing and interesting.A special mention to poet Stephen Sartarelli, I'm thoroughly enjoying his clear translation of each book and for the informative notes given at the back on wording. Thank you.Eleventh in the series is due out December 2009 - Le ali della sfinge - The Wings of the Sphinx!Andrea Bowhill

On the one hand, I can see this book as something to read in August, because no matter how insufferable yours is, it's probably less miserable than Inspector Montalbano's. (Poor guy has to take a complete extra set of clothes to the office, because everything he's wearing enroute will be drenched in sweat by the time he gets there.) On the other hand, the hellish Sicilian heat wave herein might be worth saving to add a bit of warmth to a February freeze.So much for the when; what about the what?This time the plot has the inspector's longtime lover, Livia, coming for a vacation-length visit. But to Montalbano's annoyance, he learns, at the last minute, that she'll be bringing along friends--a couple with a kid, who'll be needing a beach house for the duration and, of course, it's Montalbano's assignment to find them one.As usual in these stories, there's almost always something that'll make Livia livid and send her packing and this time, it turns out that the "perfect house" Salvo finds for her friends has a hidden, illegally added buried addition, inside of which happens to be a chest with a plastic-wrapped, long-dead body inside. Who was it? And who done it? And why? I leave it to you and the good inspector to find that out. A quick and fun read.

This is the 10th in Camilleri's Inspector Malbano series, and the series just keeps getting better. It is set in Sicily, as are the others, and very well translated to English from the original Italian. There are references to specifically Italian holidays, colloquial phrases and historical events, but the author provides explanations at the end of the book by page number. You can refer to this section if there is something you don't understand.The inspector is up to his usual tricks when it comes to solving a murder. The characters are well developed, especially the police in Montalbano's department that show up in each of the books. Some definite plot twists in this one. I'd suggest you read the books in order, as there are some references to previous cases and ongoing relationships in his books. A terrific series, great vacation reads.

He's getting older and the oppressive heat makes Montalbano and the whole cast moody and capricious. It's so hot in Sicily in August that, 'even the murderers wait until autumn'. So Mr Camilleri gives us an unusual story based around a creepy beach-side villa whilst throwing in a collection of jibes at Berlusconi, bankers and capitalism in general.An improvement on the last two in the series. Beginning to feel that each new book is like old,comfortable slippers and as a result some plot twists are excused and forgiven, rather than justifiably criticised.

Montalbano is increasingly affected by unusually hot weather, to the point of distraction. With a gruesome, though old, murder to solve he quickly finds 'his man' , but without the necessary proof for a conviction. He eventually finds help in the form of the victim's sister, but allows her to fool him into setting the finale, but it all goes awry in the final seconds. No I won't reveal it ! A brilliant story.

Inspector Montalbano investigates a murder after finding a body in a rented house. Incorporating love of food, political sharp practice, angst and wit this is the Camilleri we are used to. A great read from a much loved author and brilliant translator.

This is a very good story. The elements common to the Montalbano stories are all here - the presence of the Mafia in everyday life in Sicily, the discovery of a shocking crime, the genuine comedy of Caterella and Montalbano’s long-distance relationship with Lucia. This latter element runs through the story when a young woman shows a romantic interest in the now 55 year old Inspector. He is torn between loyalty to Livia and this young beauty. It is how this is resolved that really makes the book so special. One of the best in the series.

This is the tenth novel in the Montalbano series. His colleagues are much the same as in the previous books though Mimi, now married, is on leave and makes only a brief appearance by telephone. Fazio is much in evidence and as quick on the uptake as ever, and Catarella looms large - a well-meaning and conscientious officer though given to taking words literally and prone to getting flustered. The translator does his best to render his distinctive way of speaking, which no doubt contains a great deal of Sicilian dialect. It isn't possible to discuss this book without reference to the plot, which is its weakest part, so the rest of this review contains spoilers.The body of a girl found murdered in a trunk has evidently been there for several years. When identification is made it turns out that she was sixteen at the time and uncommonly beautiful. This arouses the interest of Montalbano's superior, the Commissioner, who likes beautiful young girls. At this point Momtalbano comes up with a plan. He is very reluctant to break the news to the dead girl's parents so he invents a twin sister every bit as beautiful as the deceased had been. The Commissioner falls for it and offers to meet the parents, hoping to meet the beautiful sister. As it turns out, however, there actually is a twin sister every bit as beautiful . . . . How likely is that?The sister, Adriana, makes a play for Montalbano, who is by now fifty-five and well aware that he should not be responding. Despite his best efforts he succumbs but, as it turns out, Adriana is using him to get close to the murderer, whom Montalbano is sure he has identified.The problem is that there is no hard evidence against him, so Montalbano attempts to wring a confession from him by arranging that he comes face-to-face with the sister in the very location the murder took place. This will only work, if at all, provided the murderer is unaware of the sister's existence, as it seems he is. But when the scene is played out Adriana uses Montalbano's pistol to kill him. Montalbano then realises that this has been her plan all along and that, in cosying up to him, she was using him. He covers up for her, claiming he himself had fired the shot in self-defence, but is full of remorse for his own weakness and stupidity.The trouble with this is that Adriana moves in on Montalbano some time before the forced confession plan arises. Secondly, she only gets her hands on Montalbano's pistol immediately prior to using it and the chances of him agreeing to give it to her were not good. (He knew he shouldn't be doing it even as he handed it over.)Despite the unlikely nature of elements of the plot this is a good read and Montalbano fans will not be disappointed. The vagaries of Italian life (for example, the routine flouting of building regulations) are well done and this book has a new major character - the heat of the title. What it is like to endure it is very well evoked, the heat being one thing, the humidity another.If anyone has yet to see it, the Italian television series of the Montalbano books is a joy to watch.