Angelica’s Smile

Angelica’s Smile (2010/2014) Andrea Camilleri translated by Stephen Sartarelli

“Ah Chief, Chief! Ahh Chief!”

Catarella’s cry pretty much describes how I feel about this book.

Ah Chief, how you’ve fallen.

A strange series of burglaries has hit Vitaga. Burgulars break into a vacation home, gas the couple sleeping there, then, stealing the keys, return to the city and steal valuables from the house, as well as any cars (to which they now have keys). And to make things even odder, all the victims have been part of a circle of friends.

There is, of course, an attractive young woman whom Montalbano immediately falls head-over-heels for, and that was the first problem I had with the story. In more recent books, Montalbano has seemed unable to resist beautiful young women, and to be honest, it’s gotten trite: There’s a gorgeous woman, Montalbano falls for her, the woman–inexplicably, to me–falls for Montalbano, and Montalbano forgets all about Livia.

And of course, Catarella gets names terribly wrong, Fazio recites the complete biography of everyone he comes across, and the Commissioner yells at Montalbano, and Montalbano lies to him to get out of whatever trouble he’s in.

The book struck me–like none had previously–as formulaic. You know Montalbano was going to fall for the young woman, just as you knew the young woman would end up being involved in the crime somehow. There was no spark, and nothing to set this story apart.

It all just felt terribly depressing.
Rating: 5/10

Published by Penguin Books

• Browse the archives:
  
• Disenchanted & Co., Part 1: Her Ladyship’s Curse » »
• « « Silent in the Sanctuary