Rounding the Mark by Andrea Camilleri
Review by Matt B. ( BuffaloSavage)
Sicilian police inspector Salvo Montalbano and his band of dedicated detectives return in this seventh book of the celebrated series.
Because of the interesting setting and asides about food and his fractured relationships with other characters, these are definitely worth reading for those into mysteries that take place in other countries.
After reading about six of these in the last couple of years, however, I felt a cynical sense of Camilleri’s going through the motions – vast criminal conspiracy in business and government, vicious crimes against the innocent and vulnerable, and globalization ushering in the promised land for very few.
As usual, Salvo is a sparrow that sprinkles drops of water on a burning forest.
Camilleri’s thesis seems to be that Italian society is so profoundly corrupt that the normal response of an intelligent person is to choose the fights that could be won, enjoy eating and drinking, hang out with friends, and get pleasure in the spectrum of relationships one can have with women. That’s what Salvo does.
And it’s fun to read.
“Camilleri’s thesis seems to be that Italian society is so profoundly corrupt that the normal response of an intelligent person is to choose the fights that could be won, enjoy eating and drinking, hang out with friends, and get pleasure in the spectrum of relationships one can have with women.”
Sounds like a good plan to me!