Customer Reviews: Read 2 more reviews...
 Wonderful Salvo Strikes Again! May 28, 2008
I absolutely loved this book. Crime, food, wickedly dry humour and the evocative life of Sicily all wrapped up in one unputdownable novel. I haven't read the series in any sequence, as I didnt realise there was one, but it hasnt distracted me from the delicious narrative. An total joy from start to finish (wherever you start in the series!)
Terrific, Robust Romp February 18, 2008
I did not want to put this book down; it was witty, fun, highly enjoyable and I don't need any more reasons to recommend this book. A fast moving tale, centred on a chaotic police station in Sicily. The mafia are here and the useless caribinieri mixed with so much mouth-watering food that I felt I was sitting down with Inspector Montalbano at every meal. There is a great cast of characters, including an amateur lady sleuth and very funny constable galloping through this tale of food, music and love.
The translator is to be congratulated on giving the story a great English voice and I am off to buy first book in this series.
My Favourite of the series so far November 1, 2007
I loved this book. It has all the usual qualities one looks for in Camilleri, the intellectual intelligence mixed with the rough street life and gritty crime scenes of Sicily. The endless obsession with what's going to be one the table for dinner and the complexities of the inspector's fractured love life, along with a cracking story. A woman's body is found brutalised in her perfect house. Her life is thrust under the microscope and her strange existence starts to unravel before the Inspector's eyes. His natural sympathy and romantic nature means he is sucked body and soul into solving this murder, and we can sit back and enjoy the ride.
If you read one novel this year it should be something by Andrea Camilleri. July 25, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
If you read one novel this year it should be something by Andrea Camilleri. The Voice of the Violin was the first one I read but I recommend you start with The Shape of Water and read them all as I am now doing. Camilleri's stories are based in Sicily and, while his central character Inspector Montalbano unravels intriguing murder mysteries, he brings you the sights and sound, tastes and smells of this fascinating island.
The plot focuses on the murder of a young woman and the Inspector works his way through an intriguing list of suspects, via several gastronomic experiences to a very satisfying dénouement. The supporting cast is excellent; Constable Catarella is a comic masterpiece. But this is much more than your average detective novel; the characters have depth and weight, the setting is beautifully brought to life and plays its part in the story; Montalbano's character is so well developed that it drives the narrative at the same time as it draws you in to the complexities of his personal and professional life.
 characterful and a lot of fun April 20, 2007
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
This is my favourite of the Inspector Montalbano books (all of which I like) so far - as much as anything because I can actually follow the plot without too much head-scratching. For a series of detective stories to succeed, there must be various ingredients - an interesting and quirky detective who meets, perhaps, misunderstanding and opposition from lesser lights in his profession (in this case an obnoxious new Commissioner) a plot with some freshness, originality and surprises in it (why is this called 'The Voice of the Violin'? We find out 5/6 of the way through, and it's fully appropriate) a vivid, characterful setting, perhaps some humour, and a fluid pace to the narrative. Camilleri achieves all of these things in his books, and this one is no exception, and to it all he adds Italian food - Montalbano is quite capable of halting his investigation for a couple of hours if he nears a restaurant whose chef knows what he's doing. I don't think this is quite five-star stuff, but no-one could regret reading it ; it gives a lot of pleasure.
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