The Terracotta Dog
As seen:
By Andrea Camilleri and Stephen Sartarelli
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1 review
The Terracotta Dog, the second book in Andrea Camilleri’s Inspector Montalbano series, opens with a mysterious tête-à-tête with a Mafioso, some inexplicably abandoned loot from a supermarket heist, and some dying words that lead Inspector Montalbano to a secret grotto in a mountain cave where two young lovers dead fifty years and still embracing are watched over by a life-size terracotta dog. Montalbano’s passion to solve this old crime takes him, heedless of personal danger, on a journey through the island’s past and into a family’s dark heart amid the horrors of World War II.
Andrea Camilleri’s Inspector Salvo Montalbano has garnered millions of fans worldwide with his sardonic, engaging take on Sicilian small-town life and his genius for deciphering the most enigmatic of crimes.The Terracotta Dog is followed by the third title in this satirical and humorous series, The Snack Thief.
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As a fan of Walter Presents on Channel 4 and its transmission of an assortment of overseas dramas with English subtitles, I cannot sadly say the same for the Inspector Montalbano TV series which featured on the BBC. However and by stark contrast, the Inspector Montalbano books are amazing, encapsulating humour, the spirit of Sicily and the machinations of the Mafia within an intriguing collection of crime stories. Andrea Camilleri was a genius.
The Terracotta Dog extrapolates the legend of the seven sleepers of Ephesus to delightful effect. It has two main strands: the mystery of the entwined lovers corpses hidden in a cave guarded by the eponymous canine and the ludicrous faux robbery of a supermarket. It is intrinsically witty. Salvo Montalbano, the protagonist is a truly absurd character, fonder of a good meal and other distractions than his detective work and anxious at all costs to avoid more responsibility and promotion. He is surrounded by a cast of uniformed supporting idiots at the Vigata police station, who hinder progress but are comically superb in so doing.
If you are seeking some light relief from the vicissitudes and seriousness of life, a remedy is thankfully at hand. I cannot recommended this engaging book enough as a quick fix antidote to your current concerns. Enjoy!
