Andrea Camilleri died yesterday 17 July 2019 in Rome, aged 93. Born in Porto Empedocle, Sicily on 6 September 1925. A playwright, scriptwriter, filmmaker and Italian novelist, he was probably best known by the general public as the series creator featuring Commissario Montalbano, a mystery series of which, to the best of my knowledge, up to date 26 27 novels have been published, and some nine collections of short stories. A final book devoted to Montalbano and titled Riccardino, was delivered to the publisher, but without a release date. It represents the Inspector’s concluding story (Inspector Montalbano mysteries #28) and will be the last book to be published in the series, as stated by Camilleri himself.
There can’t be a better tribute to an author than to read his (her) books. Thus, at A Crime is Afoot, I have decided to start reading soon the last of his novels in the series, translated into English by Stephen Sartarelli, The Overnight Kidnapper (Inspector Montalbano mysteries #23) published originally in Italian in 2015 as La giostra degli scambi. Stay tuned.
Synopsis: After a hectic morning involving two rather irritating cases of mistaken identity, Inspector Montalbano finally arrives in his office ready find out what’s troubling Vigàta this week. What he discovers is unnerving. A woman on her way home from work has been held up at gunpoint, chloroformed and kidnapped, but then released just hours later – unharmed and with all her possessions – into the open countryside. Later that day, Montalbano hears from Enzo, the owner of his favourite restaurant, that his niece has recently been the victim of the exact same crime. Before long, a third instance of this baffling overnight kidnapping has been reported. As far as Montalbano can tell, there is no link between the attacker and the victims. So what exactly is this mystery assailant gaining from these fleeting kidnappings? And what can he do to stop them? Montalbano must use all his logic and intuition if he is to answer these pressing questions before the kidnapper finds his next victim . . .
The Other End of the Line (Inspector Montalbano mysteries #24), originally published in Italian in 2016 as L’altro capo del filo, will go on sale on 5 September 2019.
Rest in peace, Andrea Camilleri.
A Crime is Afoot 