Customer Reviews

The Terra-Cotta Dog: An Inspector Montalbano Mystery

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A most-wanted Italian mob boss invites series character Inspector Montalbano to a personal meeting - and to an odd agreement to stage the Mafioso's arrest and detainment. This new mutual respect, between cop and capo, leads to a cave that has entombed two dead and entwined lovers for fifty years.

How do you solve a crime that occurred in Sicily during World War II? The Inspector is obsessed with the case, and searches for all of the relevant clues, from former family and friends, to the meaning of the terra-cotta dog, along with the other artifacts that were found alongside of the lovers. What follows is a very clever tale and trail of answers.

While this mystery unfolds, the storyline reveals the Inspector's complex human nature, and his enigmatic relationships with his girlfriend, co-workers and bosses. The Inspector is passionate, quirky, self-righteous and egotistical. This leads to some bizarre personal behaviors. For example, when Montalbano, who is a cop, learns of the rape and incest of a friend, he chooses a very much out-of-bounds and non-legal method of dealing with the perp. So much for being a cop.

THE TERRA-COTTA DOG is more than a single-dimension murder mystery. It is literature-like in its look at human relations, and the realities and rationalizations that make these characters tick. But as a murder mystery, by way of the Inspector's astute police methods, it doesn't get any better than this.

This is the second translation by Stephen Sartrelli that I have read of an Inspector Salvo Montalbano mystery by Andrea Camilleri, and I enjoyed it immensely. While THE SHAPE OF WATER (four star review 12/18/03) was an entertaining introductory volume to this series (which has become a best seller in Europe), I found the author's technique in this story of utilizing a present day mystery which Montalbano has to unravel as the introduction to an unrelated fifty year old murder mystery to be both clever and unusual. Usually when such crimes are resurrected decades after their occurrence, it is because they have some direct connection to the present day events under investigation, not the casual and coincidental connection which is the case in this story.

Several threads are very cleverly intertwined in this story, which begins with a meeting with Montalbano's boyhood friend Gege Gullota, a small-time hood to whom we were introduced in the first volume in this series. A famous and highly placed Mafioso has requested that Gege arrange a meeting between the Inspector and this individual, and the consequences flowing from this meeting form the backdrop for much of the storyline which dominates the early part of the book. There is another element of the story which at first appears unrelated but in typical Camilleri fashion is eventually interwoven with the main plot, this involves a strange supermarket heist in the middle of the night only to have the loot found in an abandoned truck the next day. Unexpected deaths and attempted murders soon occur, and the trail of events leads Montalbano to a mysterious mountain hiding place for contraband and the eventual discovery of evidence of a fifty year old crime in a hidden and long sealed grotto watched over by THE TERRA-COTTA DOG whose presence is the basis for the title of the book.

As the story proceeds. Montalbano's life itself is threatened, and the resultant events ironically enough provide him with the opportunity to engage in a digression from his police work and satisfy his curiosity regarding the long ago tableau which he literally unearthed. This is both a police procedural and a character study, and it succeeds wonderfully in both respects. Part of the charm is that many of the characters from the earlier story appear, providing continuity and a feeling of familiarity. We gradually become better acquainted with the Inspector's police associates, as well as with his personality quirks and eating and reading habits. Finally, a scene where Livia (his friend and lover), Anna (the young woman infatuated with him), and Ingrid (the beautiful foreigner whom he has secretly helped in return for her secret aid in his investigations) all appear simultaneously to express their concern for his safety is a wonderful moment. Thus, some part of my greater enjoyment of this book than the first volume clearly resulted from the fact that in the tradition of other successful detective series this book continued and built upon the foundation of the earlier volume. Sicily and the fictional town of Vigata and its citizens and environs seem to come alive with the help of the author's careful attention to detail. One nice feature of this series that deserves comment is the fact that this is one of those Penguin soft covers that really are pocket sized, so they conveniently fit in a corner of your bag or coat pocket and are easy to read on the train or plane.

My only caution would be that these are stories of detail, both with regard to Montalbano's personal habits and also with regard to the mysteries themselves. There are only brief moments of intense action, and most of the violence happens outside the direct scope of the narrative. The details are cataloged and evaluated by the author with regard to Montalbano and by Montalbano with regard to the various mysteries which he is trying to unravel. The solution to the mystery of THE TERRRA COTTA DOG is clever, very intellectually satisfying, internally consistent but in some ways very quiet and anti-climatic in tone.

Disclaimer:While I was contacted by an employee of the publisher and asked to review the most recent book in the series, I wanted to introduce myself to the character as the author intended and decided to read the volumes in order to determine if the series was of interest to me. Based on my enjoyment of the first two stories, I definitely plan to further enjoy following Detective Montalbano as he attempts to solve additional cases. As a disclaimer, I know no one employed by the publisher and have had no contact with either the author or translator. However, I believe it appropriate to disclose that as is customary I was furnished a review copy of this book but I did not provide any assurance that I would produce a review or what its contents would be if I did so.

Tucker Andersen

The second Inspector Montalbano book to appear in English (following The Shape of Water) begins with a high-level Mafia figure arranging for his own arrest by Montalbano and a seemingly innocuous nighttime heist from a grocery store. However nothing is simple in Sicilian underworld, and soon Montalbano's curiosity has him looking into the heist as he desperately avoids getting a promotion for his high-profile arrest. When this leads to the discovery of bodies sealed up fifty years ago in a strange tableau, the Inspector becomes determined to unravel the mystery of their death.

As in the first book, the main pleasure comes from watching him elegantly glide through this old crime, digging up the dirt from WWII, when the Allies drove the German and Italian forces off the island. Camilleri is old enough to recall those times, and his firsthand knowledge seeps through the voices of the old-timers Montalbano interviews. Meanwhile, he's also dealing with his long-distance girlfriend who just wants to go on vacation with him, and the troubles of his beautiful Swedish friend. He's an entertaining hero, realistic about what he can do within the constraints of the highly political and corrupt system, and willing to bend rules himself, but always tempered with compassion and empathy. Another deftly translated and beautifully understated mystery that gives a very tangible sense of Sicily.

Note: Throughout the book, the Inspector is reading one of Spanish author Manuel Vasquez Montalban's Pepe Carvalho mysteries.

This is a wonderful, airy, yet intellectually challenging mystery. Inspector Montalbano is at times a curmudgeon, a sweet tender man, a genius, a bumbler in news conferences and a man with a sense of humor and of himself. Other characters in the book - the good guys and the bad guys are equally engaging. This was my fiorst Inspector Montalbano book and I will be rushing to read more.

There are two plot lines that are intertwined. One is current - gun-smuggling tipped off by a mafia boss who turns himself in (only with a fake arrest, however). The other is fifty year mystery that is unveiled only after the gun running is revealed. Although this book is airy and at times humorous, the mystery that is solved is done so in an ingenious, yet believable manner. The Inspector is terrific at deduction and, like other fine mysteries, one can read along and keep up with the unraveling of the yarn.

The writing is terrific. This is a mystery that is intellectually challenging but keeps a smile on the face of the reader. Inspector Montalbano does not take himself overly seriously and the author invites the reader to take him in the same vein.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone looking for good writing and a good mystery. If you like Italy and Sicily it will be even more engaging.

The Terra-Cotta Dog is an extremely rewarding police procedural with deep cultural and historical roots that provide a delightful complexity for the reader. I would award this book six stars if I could.

If you have not yet read any of the Inspector Montalbano books, I suggest that you take the time to read The Shape of Water first. That book helps set up the context of the characters and makes The Terra-Cotta Dog far more interesting.

The book has Inspector Montalbano solving several mysteries before he is done. In a fascinating way, each mystery leads unexpectedly into the next one. And so on. It's like opening the Russian nesting dolls to find another treasure inside. I can rarely recall such fine plotting and seamless connections between disparate story elements in one police procedural.

As the book opens, Montalbano has been invited to meet secretly with a dangerous killer. Is it a trap? Why would the killer want to meet with a police inspector? The answer leads to a merry-go-round of public relations activities to cover up the real motive. Then, the charade collapses and Montalbano finds out about an unknown crime. More public relations follow . . . and from them Montalbano gets a clue to other hidden crimes. The rest of the novel reminded me of an archeologist's work in uncovering earlier civilizations that built on the same site.

The main contexts for these mysteries are the Sicilian Mafia, the Fascist era, the American invasion of Sicily during World War II, and the Christian and Moslem religions. How's that for an unusual combination?

Montalbano emerges as an even more interesting character in this book than in The Shape of Water, especially as his relationship with his girl friend Livia develops. As before, the food references are a delight and add a warm human touch to offset the evil that coils throughout the story.

As I finished the story, I was reminded how important it is to be dogged in chasing down details that don't seem to make sense. There's always an explanation for mysteries, but the explanation will never be revealed unless you follow the path to the answer wherever it takes you.

A Mafia leader wants out, but he has a job you don't just quit. Working with Sicilian Police Inspector Salvo Montalbano, Gaetano The Greek arranges a complex capture fantasy. The capture works, giving Montalbano more publicity than he wants and the threat of a feared promotion, but Gaetano also tells him of a cave where the Mafia hide a huge weapons cache. Montalbano investigates and finds both the weapons and an older and more complicated mystery. Two mummified bodies lie in a hidden cavern, accompanied by a water pitcher, a terra-cotta dog, and a rug. The meaning of the intwined lovers fascinates Montalbano and he virtually drops the Mafia investigation to discover what could have happened to the dead couple.

Montalbano is a fascinating and well developed character. He lives by his own moral code, pursues an ambiguous relationship with Livia, and seems to appreciate good food more than he does either women or the law. His investigation combines literary allusion, hard-core detecting, a history lesson, and intriguing mentions of the food Montalbano finds himself enjoying.

In THE TERRA-COTTA DOG, author Andrea Camilleri has a wonderful and moving story. Much of the story kept me laughing, but Camilleri maintains a darker subtext. The Mafia and Italian corruption and violence, both in the Fascist days and in the present, are an ever-present reality and form much of the story's background.

I found the story to be completely compelling and recommend it without reservation.

I have become enamoured with the Italian mystery genre in the last 2-3 years. It has been an education to explore Venice with Commissario Brunetti and Florence with Marshall Guarnaccia or Sicily with Inspector Montealbano. All three authors (Donna Leon, Magdalen Nabb, and Andrea Camilleri) know their locale and focus on the daily lives of the citizens, while moving along a rip-roaring story. But there are significant differences - Leon and Nabb write in English (Nabb uses British terms that remind me of Christie that break the spell) while Camilleri writes in Italian. He is Italian - he understands the importance of the land and the wine and especially the food that fuels Sicily. (The translation is superb.) Leon and Nabb certainly know their areas and their craft and they are very, very good, but Camilleri works the magic.

Camilleri captures the angst and the pain and the loneliness of Inspector Montalbano. But he also captures in mouthwatering detail the need to eat with a focus on the quality and variety of food that stops the Inspector's world, even when he has to go long distances to find the right place to eat.

I like to read a series from the beginning. I like to meet and greet the protagonist and then watch him/her grow with fond memories brought about by references to prior books. The Terra Cotta Dog is the first of the series that has been translated into English. Apparently the entire collection is large and the selection for translation has been severe, but the stories and especially the translations have been excellent. This is the place to start.

I highly recommend all three Italian protagonists with Inspector Montalbano and Commissario Brunetti right at the top of my list of "must buy" when a new book hit the market. They take me to places I have never visited, though I now seem to know, and allow me to interact with people I would like to know better.

My colleague and his wife visited his ancestor's Sicily last spring for the first time. I got them 5 of the books and suggested they read them in the order they were written if they had the time. The results were astounding. Apparently there was a fight for the books amongst the 4 that went and Mr. Camilleri's introduction to Sicily through the eyes of Inspector Montalbano made the trip even more memorable than expected. They "lived" Sicily by reading the books - not the big things from the guide books, but the small rituals of life and especially the food. Yes, for the Inspector, it all comes down to food and this is what made the trip so memorable.

Enjoy your tour of Venice or Florence or Sicily!

Another engaging story from Camilleri. This one is better than his first, and not as good as his next. Again, I was distressed that it ended so soon, but that inevitably brought to my mind a wonderful Whoopi Goldberg routine from her early stand-up days.
When a creepy old man tried to woo her into a tumble by promising that old men can last a long time, she paused for a long Whoopi moment.

To paraphrase her question to the audience:
Now why... would I want to read a baaaaaaaaad book... for a LONG TIME?!?

And indeed, I'd rather spend a short time with a book as wonderful as this than a long time with some of the mountainous drivel I've mis-chosen lately.
Highly recommended.

Thou shalt not find me in the clay!
I pierce a little wall of gloom
To mingle with the day? " John G. Neihardt

I got a great deal of pleasure from Andrea Camilleri's first Inspector Montalbano mystery, The Shape of Water (Inspector Montalbano, Book 1). His second Montalbano mystery (published in English), The Terra-Cotta Dog was even more pleasurable.

Terra-Cotta Dog is comprised of two mysteries, one playing out in real time and one literally unearthed from the WWII years. The contemporary story line involves the `voluntary' arrest of a local mob chief by Montalbano. At the same time a local store is emptied out and its contents taken away in a truck. Montalbano's investigation of the theft leads him to a cave where he uncovers a clever storage facility for stolen goods, drugs, and arms and ammunition. But unearthed in that cave is evidence of a crime that took place during Second World War. In fact, Montalbano uncovers a tomb that has been laid out in a most curious way - highlighted by the presence of a terra-cotta dog. Montalbano, while not bored by the contemporary investigation is absolutely fascinated by the old crime and quickly becomes obsessed in getting to the bottom of a crime that has been 'buried' for over 50 years. The two story lines progress quite nicely and the ending is wholly satisfying.

Despite the interesting story lines the pleasure of Terra-Cotta Dog lies in its characters and in its setting. This second volumes provides more of a glimpse into Montalbano, his colleagues, his lover, and a local cast of academics, reporters, politicians and criminals (the last two not being at all exclusive.) The setting, Sicily, is portrayed marvelously even though my travels in Italy have not yet taken me to Sicily, Camilleri's prose descriptions of Sicily and its people really seems to give a fine taste of the place. Taste is an appropriate word to use in this context because one of Montalbano's most noted character traits is his absolutely total zest for good food.

All in all, this book is an excellent combination of plot and character development. By this second volume the reader should really have a nice feel for Montalbano and the other recurring characters. That said, although this book is self-contained as far as story line goes I do think the reader would derive greater enjoyment if he/she has read "The Shape of Water" first. In my opinion, investing your time in both books will be a richly rewarding and entertaining experience.

4.5 stars. L. Fleisig

I very much enjoyed The Shape of Water, the first in this series, so was delighted to find that The Terra-Cotta Dog had been published. It is even better than its predecessor.

The Terra-Cotta Dog is beautifully written. Andrea Camilleri has one of the smoothest writing styles I have come across. I sat there completely absorbed in the book, and the next time I looked up it was substantially later in the day and I had read 100 pages. The writing--the plot, the characterizations, the language--flowed so well that I did not notice turning pages or the passage of time.

If I had to come up with two adjectives for this book, they would be "elegant" and "evocative." These cover the characterizations, the writing, and the plot. I will not go into the plot here; it is complex and, as good as it is, it is almost secondary to the seductive nature of this book. Andrea Camilleri puts the reader into the brain of his detective, and one can almost smell the smells his detective confronts.

You must read it for yourself.