The Track of Sand (Inspector Montalbano Mysteries) [Paperback]

Andrea Camilleri (Author), Stephen Sartarelli (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 26, 2010 | Series: Inspector Montalbano Mysteries

"The novels of Andrea Camilleri breathe out the sense of place, the sense of humor, and the sense of despair that fill the air of Sicily."
-Donna Leon

Inspector Salvatore Montalbano wakes from strange dreams to find a gruesomely bludgeoned horse carcass in front of his seaside home. When his men came to investigate, the carcass has disappeared, leaving only a trail in the sand. Then his home is ransacked and the inspector is certain that the crimes are linked. As he negotiates both the glittering underworld of horseracing and the Mafia's connection to it, Montalbano is aided by his illiterate housekeeper, Adelina, and a Proustian memory of linguate fritte. Longtime fans and new readers alike will be charmed by Montalbano's blend of unorthodox methods, melancholy self-reflection, and love of good food.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

At the start of bestseller Camilleri's robust 12th Inspector Montalbano mystery (after 2009's The Wings of the Sphinx), the Sicilian inspector looks out his window and sees the carcass of a horse on the beach. The animal, he discovers, has been bludgeoned to death. As he turns his back to phone in the crime, the horse vanishes, leaving a track in the sand. Was the horse slaughtered for its meat by illegal immigrants? Is someone trying to send a message to the owner? Or is the Mafia edging its way into the racing industry? The repeated vandalizing of Montalbano's home and a Mafia thug's murder complicate the investigation. The street-smart inspector takes a broadly comic trip to the racetrack in an effort to link all these events together. While convoluted plotting and byzantine complexities distract, Montalbano uses some creative chicanery and tweaking of the law to provide a dramatic and satisfying conclusion. (Nov.) (c)
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From Booklist

Life-loving, pasta-inhaling Inspector Salvo Montalbano, the embattled Sicilian policeman, has much to worry about, from his growing bald spot to his ever-tottering relationship with the demanding Livia to the steadily more vicious crime he must confront, but even he is surprised to see a dead horse on the sand when he looks out his window one morning (admittedly, he had been dreaming about horses, though the horse he was riding was a woman). From this peculiar equine beginning, Montalbano soon finds himself embroiled in a puzzling case that involves horse stealing, race fixing, and murder. Along the way, of course, there is plenty of time for lunch, though Montalbano’s ability to concentrate on his food is impeded by two women who seem more than willing to fill the gap created by Livia’s absence. This series is distinguished by Camilleri’s remarkable feel for tragicomedy, expertly mixing light and dark in the course of producing novels that are both comforting and disturbing. Here he leans a bit more toward the light side, but fans won’t mind a little extra comfort one bit. --Bill Ott

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics); Reprint edition (October 26, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0143117939
• ISBN-13: 978-0143117933
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #164,242 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Andrea Camilleri is the author of the spectacularly successful Montalbano mystery series and many other novels set in nineteenth-century Sicily. His Montalbano novels have been made into an Italian TV series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Aging ungracefully in Sicily, October 29, 2010

By 

Patto (Vermont) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: The Track of Sand (Inspector Montalbano Mysteries) (Paperback)

Inspector Montalbano is now fifty-six - and not liking it. His appetite is off. He actually skips lunch more than once! He's not seeing as well and fears he may need glasses. He's even getting forgetful! At least he's still got it as a lover, but sex leaves him feeling used.

And the case he has to solve with his blurring vision and beleaguered brain is peculiarly confusing.

One morning Montalbano finds the carcass of a horse in front of his house. It's been horribly beaten to death. The rage the inspector feels does not bode well for the perpetrators.

His investigation of the case has to be unofficial, for reasons I'll let you discover. It's a weirdly meandering investigation, too, with red herrings as big as whales, serious distractions presented by all too attractive women - and the Mafia breathing heavy in the background.

As always, the charm of the story is the inspector's eccentric interactions with his staff and associates. Montalbano seems incapable of having a conversation without yelling, stewing, interrupting, lying or longing to kill the other person. Andrea Camilleri's comic sense is unfailingly deft and utterly original.

If you've already read several Montalbano mysteries, The Track of Sand will be a treat. But if you're new to the series, I'd recommend starting at the beginning and going for total immersion.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a series better than chocolate!, October 26, 2010

By 

mellu (LA.) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Track of Sand (Inspector Montalbano Mysteries) (Paperback)

Andrea Camilleri's Inspector Montalbano series is so very good that I just sit around and look at the copy for a while before beginning to read, because I know in a couple of hours it will be gone and I'll want another one!

Montalbano is a wonderful character and as with all great characters you feel you know him and can't wait to see what he's up to next. The setting, Sicily, is a fascinating character in itself, and takes you into a world that few Americans ever experience.

Start with the first one and work your way through the series. You won't regret it. A great read for lovers of detective fiction.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Camilleri and Montalbano in top form, October 30, 2010

By 

Blue in Washington "Barry Ballow" (Washington, DC United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: The Track of Sand (Inspector Montalbano Mysteries) (Paperback)

Here is one of author Andrea Camilleri's best tales yet in the wonderful Inspector Montalbano series. In this serpentine story of murder, passion and cuisine, there is great wit, wonderful characters, a highly original plot and clever homages to Swedish counterparts Per Wahlo and Hankell, Monty Python, and even French impressionist Edouard Manet, among others. A general context is provided, as usual, by ever unique Sicily and Sicilians. Salvo Montalbano's ongoing ruminations about the aggravations of aging provide a secondary theme that helps drive the story line.

"The Track of Sand" starts with the brutal killing of a horse near Inspector Montalbano's beach house. The body of the animal quickly disappears and Montalbano's house is ransacked. The apparent owner of the horse--a stunningly beautiful Roman equestrian--shows up at the Vigata police station to report the animal missing, thus beginning a complicated relationship with the Inspector. The murkiness of the crime increases, but seems to be linked to a pending court case that involves Montalbano as a witness. As the investigation picks up steam, a bevy of aristocrats, local mafiosi and a human murder enter the picture. Meanwhile, Montalbano's personal life is complicated by a surfeit of beautiful and willing women, fading eyesight and the ever-important pursuit of a decent meal. Even by Camilleri standards, "Track.." has major twists and turns, but it is always plausible, intelligent and highly entertaining. The ending is as fresh and satisfying as one of Montalbano's daily three-course meals.

For anyone who hasn't read any of the Montalbano series, be forewarned that it is entirely addictive. Expect to stick with "The Track of Sand" from cover to cover in one sitting. it's that good.