The Smell of the Night

The Smell of the Night (2001/2005) Andrea Camilleri translated by Stephen Sartarelli

Ah, Chief! Chief!

This is the book where Catarella truly takes on the personality he has for the rest of the series. It always amuses me how so much of what he says ends up sounding like gibberish. And it’s all good and well as an American to chuckle over than, but since most Americans only speak one language, even Cat is up on us, speaking both Sicilian and ‘Talian, even if he doesn’t speak the later particularly well.

The c’mishner called poissonally in poisson and axed for you. I tole ‘im you’s momintarily absint an’ as soon as you got back I’d a tell you he wants a talk t’you. But then he axed, the c’mishner did, to talk to the rankling officer.”

Amusingly, and perhaps strangely, the one thing from these books that pops up in my mind at odd times is Cat’s poissonally in poisson. I can hear it quite clearly in my mind.

And of course, there is a mystery. A financier has disappeared, as has one of his assistants, as has all the investments given into his safe keeping.

As Montalbano remains on outs with the Commissioner, this case (like all the interesting ones) goes elsewhere, but a holdup at his office draws Montalbano into the intrigue.

And of course we have Fazio and his love of genealogy and digging up every last detail possible on the current person of interest, and Mimi’s wedding to Bebe coming up–and event Montalbano somehow manages to keep forgetting.

And the food. I’ve got a whole slew of Italian recipes lined up to try, after reading description after description of the meals Montalbano savors.

Plus, one last line that amused me:

“Final shot. Music. We see a long, straight road–”

“Are there any in Sicily?”

I never realized how much in common Sicily and West Virginia have in common.
Rating: 7/10

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