The Wings of the Sphinx

The Wings of the Sphinx (2006/2009) Andrea Camilleri translated by Stephen Sartarelli

Inspector Salvo Montalbano and his girlfriend Livia are again on the outs. And his day begins with a call from Catarella, about a dead body. And if you’ve read an inspector Montalbano book, you know that no phone call from Cat can lead anywhere good.

Montalbano is–if anything–getting even crankier as he ages, but his sardonic humor is in rare form.

In the station’s parking lot he pulled up alongside a Ferrari. Who could it belong to? Surely a cretin, whatever the actual name on the registration.
…
Naturally, the fortyish man who came into his office had a different name from the one cited and written down by Catarella: Francesco Di Noto. Decked out in Armani, top-of-the-line loafers worn without socks, Rolex, shirt open to a golden crucifix suffocating in a forest of unkempt, rampant black hair.

He was surely the idiot tooling around in the Ferrari. But the inspector wanted confirmation.

“My compliments on your beautiful car.”
“Thanks. It’s a 360 Modena. I’ve also got a Porsche Carrera.
Double cretin with fireworks.

And then there was this exchange:

“Is that all you can tell me doctor?”
“No.”
“Look, Doctor. I haven’t got time to waste, either.”
“I found two things.”
“Are you planning to tell me in monthly installments?”

That sounds an awful lot like someone I know.

So in addition to the dialog, anything else about the book I liked? Yes.

As usual, there were long sensual descriptions of meals. Which made me hungry, regardless of the actual state of my stomach.

And of course the mystery, which was (again as usual) both fascinating and depressing. Fascinating, because I really enjoy the complex mysteries Andrea Camilleri creates, and depressing, because the amount of corruption that is taken as business as usual never fails to astound me.

The one thing I did find unusual is he actually references Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (not by name per se, but in ways that would be recognized by Italians are are pointed out in the translators notes at the end of the book). Although most of the books mention the political corruption endemic to Italy, this book struck me as a bit more blunt about it than past books. But that could just be me.

I really enjoy this series and highly recommend. My only caveat is that this books are set in Italy, and as mentioned, the corruption that is taken as a given may come as a bit of a shock to American readers, as will the somewhat direct and earthy language used by Montalbano. But once you get used to that, this really is an excellent series, and one I thoroughly enjoy.
Rating:8/10

published by Penguin

• Browse the archives:
  
• Kitty’s House of Horrors » »
• « « What Remains of Heaven