Search - The Wings of the Sphinx (Inspector Montalbano, Bk 11)

Maybe it’s me - rolling my eyes at Salvo not dealing with getting older very gracefully – this novel was, after all, nominated for various awards. To my mind, in the eleventh book the gears are starting to grind. The plot manages to be familiar enough to be dreary with – again? again! – the theme of globalization being tantamount to the vulnerable being exploited by the ruthless. Even the meals of local Sicilian cuisine are not described with the usual voluptuous gusto of previous outings. Perhaps the love trouble with Livia has put Salvo off his feed.

Andrea Camilleri has created a great series with Inspector Montalbano. If you like grumpy old men, a hilarious underling like Catarella, and other off the wall characters, plus good "who dunnit" thrown in, read this series. This is also a good look at Italian politics and national issues. Some of the books are hard to get, but worth it. They are a very fast read and fun.