A review by nonna7
Game of Mirrors by Andrea Camilleri

4.0

'm a latecomer to this series, but am loving it. My next step is to go back and read the earlier ones. I've been an enthusiastic reader of Donna Leon's Inspector Brunetti series. Although Brunetti and Montalbano are as different as they can be (Brunetti is a married northerner with two children who has the disdain that Italians from the north have for those from the south. Montalbano is a Sicilian through and through. His girlfriend is from Genoa. They "squabble" a lot, and he is often unfaithful.), they are also very similar in a lot of ways. They both enjoy good food from their own regions. They are both very bright and very very honest. Both have also learned the fine Italian art of flattering their superiors and not making too many waves except when absolutely necessary. Both know that that corruption is all around them although neither gives in to it. Both walk a fine line. In this latest book, empty warehouses are being bombed. Why? Makes no sense, right? In the meantime, a beautiful woman and her often-absent husband have moved in nearby. She does her best to seduce him. He can't help but wonder why. As things progress, he starts to see a connection between her and the bombings, but it's tenuous at best. I guess my only complaint here is that, like the Brunetti books, there are way too many mouth watering discussions of food. Plus, since my family is from Southern Italy, I'm far more familiar with the food that Montalbano is enjoying. When I read about eggplant parmesan or arrancini (rice balls) as big as oranges, it can be really hard to stay focused on the story! Still, as always, this is a super fun series!