A man who collects Rolexes as a hobby awakens from being overcome with gas during the night to discover he has lost an entire gallery of art worth a fortune. This burglary opens Angelica's Smile, the 17th mystery in the Inspector Montalbano series, and the odd thing is that it duplicates a burglary that happened three nights before. In both cases, keys are cleverly extricated from a summer residence and used to rob the victims' homes in Vigàta, Sicily.
It's clear a mastermind is orchestrating these crimes, intentionally baiting the famous Inspector Salvo Montalbano, daring him to stop the string of similar burglaries. Known only as Mr Z, he lets his thugs keep all the spoils; he's only interested in the crimes as sport. One of the burglary victims is a gorgeous blonde who shares a name with the elusive beauty in the Italian Renaissance epic Orlando Furioso. In the poem, Angelica drives the hero so furioso he's ripping up trees. Poor Montalbano doesn't fare much better. Though he's certainly used to beautiful women throwing themselves at him, he usually remains faithful to his steady girlfriend and stays out of trouble. This time, the inspector is reciting love poetry and concealing evidence.
Otherwise, it's delightfully familiar territory for fans of this long-running series. Montalbano still wakes up to bleak thoughts of mortality in his home on the beach. His old housekeeper, Adelina, still leaves delicious gourmet meals in his refrigerator as her sons go in and out of prison. His girlfriend, Livia, is still jealous of other women, and her cooking has not improved. Officer Catarella is still screwing up phone messages at the police station. Prosecutor Tommaseo is just as accident-prone behind the wheel. As usual, the plot is crowded with colorful minor characters--doormen, thugs, inept drivers, restaurant cooks, key makers, plumbers and bank clerks--all with that extra-sharp Sicilian flavor.
Andrea Camilleri (Hunting Season) writes in a lean, economical, straightforward style that is deceptively simple, spiced with a Sicilian earthy frankness. Though Montalbano has marched grudgingly into modern times (he still refuses to drive over 45 mph), the inspector loves food and beautiful women as much as ever. The plot mechanics are dispensed with swiftly and forgettably; Montalbano's gruff, delightful presence provides the mystery's real pleasure. With the wisdom of a writer approaching 90 in full control of his powers, Camilleri can focus on what's important: his hero facing a brief, stolen opportunity to sample the pleasures of life. --Nick DiMartino, Nick's Picks, University Book Store, Seattle, Wash.
Shelf Talker: Camilleri's 17th Inspector Montalbano mystery finds his 58-year-old hero falling for a burglarized blonde who's as lovely--and unpredictable--as a Renaissance heroine.