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The Shape of Water (Inspector Maltalbano Mysteries)

Andrea Camilleri's novels starring Inspector Montalbano have become an international sensation and have been translated from Italian into eight languages, ranging from Dutch to Japanese. The Shape of Water is the first book in this sly, witty, and engaging series with its sardonic take on Sicilian life.

Early one morning, Silvio Lupanello, a big shot in the village of Vig?ta, is found dead in his car with his pants around his knees. The car happens to be parked in a rough part of town frequented by prostitutes and drug dealers, and as the news of his death spreads, the rumors begin. Enter Inspector Salvo Montalbano, Vig?ta's most respected detective. With his characteristic mix of humor, cynicism, compassion, and love of good food, Montalbano goes into battle against the powerful and the corrupt who are determined to block his path to the real killer. This funny and fast-paced Sicilian page-turner will be a delicious discovery for mystery afficionados and fiction lovers alike.
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  • From: Amazon
  • Posted: Jul-24-2009

A good beginning

I backtracked to this one because I started with Terra Cotta Dog and loved it so utterly that I had to know Montalbano from the beginning. This first one is definitely a delight, but Terracotta is much better, much funnier. Still, I'm glad I came back to the start. Buyers: Know that it only gets...

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  • From: Amazon
  • Posted: Jul-02-2009

"Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

Andrea Camilleri's "The Shape of Water" is the first in a series of books set in the (fictional) town of Vigata, Sicily and featuring Inspector Salvo Montalbano. As I closed the book after reading the last page I thought of Rick Blaine's closing remark to Captain Renault in Casablanca and thought...

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  • From: Amazon
  • Posted: Jun-30-2009

Short, Fast, & Very Refreshing

I wasn't sure what to expect here. But, the book came recommended. From Italy & recently translated into English, this turns out to be the first of the Inspector Montalbano series.Taking place in Sicily, the Inspector has his hands full on almost all fronts. Both criminal & personal.The crime...

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  • From: Amazon
  • Posted: Mar-19-2009

Much lost in translation

I was excited to read the first of this series but sorry to discover that the poor translation made the read choppy, stilted and seem dated. The main character, Montalbano,is one I would have loved to pursue, but I don't think I'll spend any more of my time on this series.A decent story line and...

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  • From: Amazon
  • Posted: Jan-05-2009

A taut, Sicilan-styled page-turner

This was a fast-moving thriller set in a fictional Sicilian town. The author is Italian, and his hero is a local police chief, Salvo Montalbano. Unlike other crime fiction that is set in Italy but written by foreigners, this stuff is more down to earth and skips a lot of the pretty description...

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  • From: Amazon
  • Posted: Oct-20-2008

A good audiobook

This was a good book to listen to - the accents (and correct name pronunciation) brought the book alive.

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  • From: Amazon
  • Posted: Jun-06-2008

Terrific

I love this series. Inspector Montalbano is a man you want to spend time with. So this book enables us to follow him around Sicily and eavesdrop on his conversations and ruminations. Highly entertaining. Once started, Camilleri's novels are hard to put down.

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  • From: Amazon
  • Posted: May-25-2008

Clever, Clever, Clever

Andrea Camilleri's Italian Inspector Montalbano mystery series has been a runaway hit on the European continent for some time. The author, who lives in Rome, Italy, is an experienced writer, in print and for television, and he certainly knows how best to put his material across. This book, "The...

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  • From: Amazon
  • Posted: Dec-16-2007

Italian pulp fiction or art?

Someone asked me read this book and determine whether it was literature or not. Of course, this raises all sorts of questions as to what constitutes literature, none of which I will attempt to answer here. But the book did leave me wondering. Clearly, since it's been translated into 8...

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  • From: Amazon
  • Posted: Sep-01-2007

Marvelous Introduction to the Politics and Sociology of Sicily

As any Italian will tell you, Sicilians (or Sicilianos) are not Italians, and any Sicilian worth his salt will tell you thats a good thing. Camilleri who wrote this story back in 1994 has a feel for a part of his country that is remote and misunderstood by most of his countrymen. This is not...

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