The Patience of the Spider by Andrea Camilleri, Stephen Sartarelli

You either love Andrea Camilleri or you haven't read him yet. Each novel in this wholly addictive, entirely magical series, set in Sicily and starring a detective unlike any other in crime fiction, blasts the brain like a shot of pure oxygen. Aglow with local color, packed with flint-dry wit, as fresh and clean as Mediterranean seafood -- altogether transporting. Long live Camilleri, and long live Montalbano. A.J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window Winning fans in Europe and America for their dark sophistication and dry humor, Andrea Camilleri's crime novels are classics of the genre. Set once again in Sicily, The Patience of the Spider pits Inspector Montalbano against his greatest foe yet: the weight of his own years. Still recovering from the gunshot wound he suffered in Rounding the Mark, he must overcome self-imposed seclusion and waxing self-doubt to penetrate a web of hatred and secrets in pursuit of the strangest culprit he's ever hunted. A mystery unlike any other, this emotionally taut story brings the Montalbano saga to a captivating crossroads. Editorial Reviews Praise for Andrea Camilleri and the Montalbano Series The idiosyncratic Montalbano is totally endearing.--The New York Times Camilleri is as crafty and charming a writer as his protagonist is an investigator.--The Washington Post Book World Hailing from the land of Umberto Eco and La Cosa Nostra, Montalbano can discuss a pointy-headed book like Western Attitudes Toward Death as unflinchingly as he can pore over crime-scene snuff photos. He throws together an extemporaneous lunch of shrimp with lemon and oil as gracefully as he dodges advances from attractive women.--Los Angeles Times [Camilleri's mysteries] offer quirky characters, crisp dialogue, bright storytelling--and Salvo Montalbano, one of the most engaging protagonists in detective fiction...Montalbano is a delightful creation, an honest man on Siciliy's mean streets.--USA Today Camilleri is as crafty and charming a writer as his protagonist is an investigator.--The Washington Post Book World Like Mike Hammer or Sam Spade, Montalbano is the kind of guy who can't stay out of trouble...Still, deftly and lovingly translated by Stephen Sartarelli, Camilleri makes it abundantly clear that under the gruff, sardonic exterior our inspector has a heart of gold, and that any outburst, fumbles, or threats are made only in the name of pursuing truth.--The Nation Camilleri can do a character's whole backstory in half a paragraph.--The New Yorker Subtle, sardonic, and molto simpatico: Montalbano is the Latin re-creation of Philip Marlowe, working in a place that manages to be both more and less civilized than chandler' Los Angeles.--Kirkus Reviews (starred) The novels of Andrea Camilleri breathe out the sense of place, the sense of humor, and the sense of despair that fills the air of Sicily.--Donna Leon - From the Publisher Camilleri is as crafty and charming a writer as his protagonist is an investigator. - Washington Post Montalbano is a delightful creation. - USA Today Camilleri's agreeable eighth contemporary police procedural featuring the crotchety but insightful Inspector Montalbano finds the Italian detective at home in Marinella enjoying the ministrations of his wife, Livia, after he was shot by a child trafficker in 2006's Rounding the Mark. But his recuperation is hampered by the demands of a new case: the abduction of Susanna Mistretta, an attractive university student and daughter of a geologist. Unable to trust his colleagues to handle the case properly, Montalbano focuses on subtle anomalies--such as the direction the missing girl's motorbike was pointed--that suggest the kidnapping is more than the simple extortion attempt it appears to be. The witty writing and acerbic protagonist should appeal to fans of Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse. (May)Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information - Publishers Weekly Inspector Montalbano uncovers the truth surrounding a high-profile kidnapping. Imminent retirement and a brush with death after a suspect shoots him give a nostalgic tinge to the curmudgeonly ruminations of Sicilian Inspector Salvo Montalbano (The Smell of the Night, 2005, etc.). It doesn't help that Montalbano also suffered a cardiac incident a few weeks earlier, an incident concerned officer Fazio has indiscreetly mentioned to the doctor. Montalbano's first case upon his release from the hospital is the kidnapping of college student Susanna Mistretta. He finds many inconsistencies in the crime scene, but is ignored by his higher-ups and the rabid press, who turn the case into a cause celebre. Nevertheless, he methodically sniffs around Susanna's boyfriend Francesco, her father Salvatore and others. Bittersweet comic relief comes from Montalbano's ongoing spats with his volatile mistress Livia, who seems to grow in stature as the Inspector's mortality looms. The real target of the ransom demands is not Susanna's father, a noted geologist, but her uncle Antonio Peruzzo, a politician currently embroiled in one of those minor scandals as common in Italy as abduction for money. An unusual videotape released by the kidnappers deepens Montalbano's suspicions and leaves it to him to confront the perpetrators. Camilleri's character study deepens with every installment; his ironic eye is as sharp as ever. - Kirkus Reviews Grover Gardner narrates the eighth title in the series featuring Sicilian detective Salvo Montalbano. Gardner's narration of previous books in the series is apparent in the way he brings the grumpy Montalbano to life. His sympathetic narration helps listeners understand Montalbano's inner battles as he seeks to solve a kidnapping case while he's supposed to be recovering from being shot by a child trafficker during his previous case. Gardner's performance ensures that the characters within the story are easily distinguishable, which is particularly helpful given all the Sicilian names and places. Like the best British police procedurals, Camilleri's focuses on the personality of its main character, and Gardner delivers it beautifully. K.J.P. AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine - JUNE 2010 - AudioFile