The Terra-Cotta Dog (Inspector
Montalbano Mysteries) by Andrea
Camilleri
Ii Cane Di Terracotta - The Terracotta Dog - Andrea Camilleri
Andrea Camilleris Inspector Montalbano has garnered millions of fans
worldwide with his sardonic take on Sicilian life. Montalbanos latest case
begins with a mysterious têtê à têtê with a Mafioso, some inexplicably
abandoned loot from a supermarket heist, and dying words that lead him to
an illegal arms cache in a mountain cave. There, the inspector finds two
young lovers, dead for fifty years and still embracing, watched over by a
life-sized terra-cotta dog. Montalbanos passion to solve this old crime
takes him on a journey through Sicilys past and into one familys darkest
secrets. With sly wit and a keen understanding of human nature,
Montalbano is a detective whose earthiness, compassion, and imagination
make him totally irresistable.

Personal Review: The Terra-Cotta Dog (Inspector Montalbano
Mysteries) by Andrea Camilleri
Inspector Salvo Montalbano of Vigàta gets an urgent call from his best
friend Greg the pimp they need to meet on the quick, Montalbano is
informed that Greg was told to relay a message from Tano the Greek (the
number two Mafioso) he wants a secret tête-à-tête. Tano the Greek had
been in hiding for quite sometime and on every wanted policeman list
possible, Tano had made his conditions very clear that Montalbano should
come alone and tell no one. Sudden trembles and panic enter Montalbono
head, then suspicion why out of the blue would a member of the Mafioso
want to meet with him? Curiosity more than anything gets the better of him
and he complies to go without calling it in.
Meanwhile in another part of Vigàta a supermarket heist is taking place,
Montalbano soon finds out everything did not go according to plan. Why
would anyone bother to set up a heist then not only abandoned the goods
but also leave a whole bagful of cash?
Inspector Montalbano is then on the move again this time his called to
Palermo Hospital urgently to listen to a dying man's words, which in due
course leads Montalbano to a secret cave, two more bodies are
discovered embracing each other, even more shocking these bodies had
been there for at least fifty years what sort of twisted dark past was this,
who were these people and why were they being watched over by a
Terracotta dog? Montalbano needs to understand what happened here, he
takes time rediscovering the horrors of a WWII past. It's the only way
forward.
Andrea Camilleri has written a wonderful Montalbano mystery series, what
I love firstly about this whole series would be the charactizations and
language the usage of dialogue in conversation it's all been kept real it's
got sharp wit and comic moments the sly comments on Italian life and
culture keeps things interesting and really amusing. Montalbano is a
fantastic leading character his middle-aged, melancholy vein, recites
certain favorite authors' lines in moments of doubt and his clearly well
read. His passion for great flavored food is endless and mouthwatering, his
also a thinker and manages to untangle a spun web of lies and sort out the
logic of his cases to get to the truth. Montalbano is not afraid to explore all
areas even into obsession. His got a huge female following of all ages
because he has that attractiveness about him, one would be his "get to the
point attitude" and can say it in many different ways. In spite of much
temptation from women he remains faithful to his long time girlfriend Livia
who in turn is happy to adjust her life and will calm and comfort in his time
of need, Livia understands what his trying to achieve in his world that is
corrupted and knows how to handle his darker moods. Montalbano loyal
team continues to support him no matter what his faults and tactics may
be.

The Fictional town of Vigàta is so vividly portrayed by Camilleri that it feels
like a real place in Sicily; Camilleri himself in an interview said he based
this town on his birthplace in Sicily Porto Empedocle, people of his home
town have now recently changed the name to Vigàta to match the book in
his honour. The whole series seems to have a timeless feel about them; I
took a whole batch of this series on a recent vacation plotted up and read
one to the next, it was addictive reading and I was not disappointed by
any. Although you can start anywhere in the series, it clearly deserves to
be read from the beginning. This is the second book in the series the first
being (La form dell'acqua) The shape of Water.
A special mention to poet Stephen Sartarelli, for the clear translation of
each book and for the informative notes given at the back on wording.
Thank you.
This book was an intriguing wonderful read, the one that will hook and reel
you in.
A.Bowhill
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