The Age of Doubt: An Inspector Montalbano Mystery Series, Book 14
(Libby/OverDrive eBook, Kindle)

The fourteenth entry in Camilleri's series starring the irrepressible Sicilian police inspector, Salvo Montalbano, careens through its helter-skelter plot like a pinball making its tortured way from bumper to bumper. Montalbano meets a mousy woman who piques his interest in a yacht at anchor in the bay; a body is found in a dinghy; another body turns up; Montalbano falls hard for the beautiful harbormaster; diamond smuggling enters the picture; Montalbano's nemesis, the commissioner, gets feisty all these plot elements churn away as reader and sleuth struggle to make sense of it all. Finally, for Salvo's sake and ours, the mousy woman, mousy no longer, drops out of the sky to explain what's going on. Throw in a wildly melodramatic, three-hankie finale that seems to belong in another book entirely, and you have the oddest entry in the series by far. Frankly, it isn't a particularly good mystery, but the always charismatic Montalbano makes up for most of the chaos, though even he seems a bit too Buster Keatonish this time.--Ott, Bill Copyright 2010 Booklist

Near the start of Camilleri's exquisite 14th mystery featuring Insp. Salvo Montalbano (after 2011's The Potter's Field), the self-deprecating, passionately foul-mouthed Sicilian policeman befriends a young woman, Vanna Digiulio, while both are stranded in a traffic jam during a storm that's washed out the coast road. Vanna's claim to have been on her way to Vigata to meet her aunt's yacht, the Vanna, strikes the inspector as suspicious. When the yacht docks with the disfigured body of a man that the Vanna picked up from a dinghy adrift near the harbor mouth, Montalban informs the boat's owner, an imperious signora, that she must remain in port while he investigates the man's murder. His proposal that she stay with her niece elicits the reply, "What niece?" The awkward humanity and everyday sadness of Camilleri's characters make them instantly sympathetic, while wry commentary on language, food, and local customs lend color. Agent: Agenzia Letteraria Internationale. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

In this 14th installment (after The Potter's Field) of the internationally popular series set in Vigata, Sicily, Inspector Montalbano once again wrangles with local politics, mysterious strangers, and the ever-present dilemma of what to have for dinner. This time, two yachts, docked in Vigata's port, bring a flirty heiress, undercover operatives, and a whole cast of shady characters to town. An unidentified body found floating in a dinghy complicates the plot. Montalbano is further distracted by the charms of Lieutenant Bella-donna of the Harbor Office, whose attentions cause trouble between Montalbano and Livia, his out-of-town girlfriend. VERDICT- As with Camilleri's other Montalbano novels-, familiar personalities and settings don't fail to delight. The inspector and his colorful crew remain quirky and unpredictable, and the mysteries continue to entertain. This esteemed series is a great example of local color and characters who will appeal to fans of mysteries set in international locales.-Cathy- Lantz, Morton Coll. Lib., Cicero, IL (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

The fourteenth entry in Camilleri's series starring the irrepressible Sicilian police inspector, Salvo Montalbano, careens through its helter-skelter plot like a pinball making its tortured way from bumper to bumper. Montalbano meets a mousy woman who piques his interest in a yacht at anchor in the bay; a body is found in a dinghy; another body turns up; Montalbano falls hard for the beautiful harbormaster; diamond smuggling enters the picture; Montalbano's nemesis, the commissioner, gets feisty—all these plot elements churn away as reader and sleuth struggle to make sense of it all. Finally, for Salvo's sake and ours, the mousy woman, mousy no longer, drops out of the sky to explain what's going on. Throw in a wildly melodramatic, three-hankie finale that seems to belong in another book entirely, and you have the oddest entry in the series by far. Frankly, it isn't a particularly good mystery, but the always charismatic Montalbano makes up for most of the chaos, though even he seems a bit too Buster Keatonish this time. Copyright 2012 Booklist Reviews.

In this 14th installment (after The Potter's Field) of the internationally popular series set in Vigata, Sicily, Inspector Montalbano once again wrangles with local politics, mysterious strangers, and the ever-present dilemma of what to have for dinner. This time, two yachts, docked in Vigata's port, bring a flirty heiress, undercover operatives, and a whole cast of shady characters to town. An unidentified body found floating in a dinghy complicates the plot. Montalbano is further distracted by the charms of Lieutenant Belladonna of the Harbor Office, whose attentions cause trouble between Montalbano and Livia, his out-of-town girlfriend. VERDICT As with Camilleri's other Montalbano novels, familiar personalities and settings don't fail to delight. The inspector and his colorful crew remain quirky and unpredictable, and the mysteries continue to entertain. This esteemed series is a great example of local color and characters who will appeal to fans of mysteries set in international locales.—Cathy Lantz, Morton Coll. Lib., Cicero, IL

Near the start of Camilleri's exquisite 14th mystery featuring Insp. Salvo Montalbano (after 2011's The Potter's Field), the self-deprecating, passionately foul-mouthed Sicilian policeman befriends a young woman, Vanna Digiulio, while both are stranded in a traffic jam during a storm that's washed out the coast road. Vanna's claim to have been on her way to Vigàta to meet her aunt's yacht, the Vanna, strikes the inspector as suspicious. When the yacht docks with the disfigured body of a man that the Vanna picked up from a dinghy adrift near the harbor mouth, Montalban informs the boat's owner, an imperious signora, that she must remain in port while he investigates the man's murder. His proposal that she stay with her niece elicits the reply, "What niece?" The awkward humanity and everyday sadness of Camilleri's characters make them instantly sympathetic, while wry commentary on language, food, and local customs lend color. Agent: Agenzia Letteraria Internationale. (June)