The British have a long and illustrious love of crime fiction,and the memorable characters created by such as Agatha Christie are part of our literary culture.
This popular style of writing can also be happily transferred from other countries and one of those amazing creations is the Sicilian Inspector Montalbano created by Andrea Camilleri.
With more than 20 books and a stunning television adaptation, Montalbano has been with us for many years.Sadly Camilleri passed away in 2019, leaving us this one last poignant adventure from Montalbano.
A usual murder mystery is turned slightly on its head by chapters where Montalbano discovers he is a literary character and meets his creator Camilleri.
These inserts are lightly managed and for those who know the TV series, much amusement can be found as the “real” Montalbano struggles with his better looking television counterpart.
The ending is bittersweet and touching as Camilleri knew this book was to be his last. For those who need a new crime hero to follow I can recommend the Montalbano series most readily and this final book is a wonderful send off to a sublime character.
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