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Commissario Bordelli #1
Il commissario Bordelli
Firenze, estate 1963. La città è deserta per le vacanze e assediata dal caldo e dalle zanzare. Il commissario Bordelli passe le sue notti a rigirarsi nel letto, dopo giornate di banale routine sbrigata insieme ai pochi rimasti in commissariato. Durante una di quelle notti insonni, Bordelli riceve una telefonata che gli annuncia una morte misteriosa. Recatosi sul luogo del delitto, una villa del Settecento, trova il corpo senza vita di un'anziana signora. Sul lenzuolo c'è un bicchiere con tracce di un medicinale per l'asma e sul comodino, riposto con cura e perfettamente chiuso, il flacone di quel medicinale. Bordelli comincia le sue indagini...
Edizione speciale con una «Lettera di Bordelli» all'autore.
Edizione speciale con una «Lettera di Bordelli» all'autore.
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
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1693 people want to read
About the author
Marco Vichi
116 books179 followersMarco Vichi was born in Florence. The author of eleven novels and two collections of short stories, he has also edited crime anthologies, written screenplays, music lyrics and for radio, and collaborated on and directed various projects for humanitarian causes. His novel Death in Florence won the Scerbanenco, Rieti and Camaiore prizes in Italy. Marco Vichi lives in the Chianti region of Tuscany.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 309 reviews
May 4, 2020
Three cheers for an absolute delight! Of course there are several other very successful Italian detectives, but here is a new one to me, and I welcome him with open arms. The setting is Florence in the 1960’s, with memories of the Second World War still fresh. Inspector Bordelli is regarded as highly eccentric by his superiors and underlings – for one thing, he has a reputation for letting minor, fairly harmless criminals off. In fact several of them are his closest friends!
It is a hot, sticky Florentine August. Bordelli’s sleepless, mosquito-bitten night is interrupted by a phone call from the station. The housekeeper of a wealthy widow cannot get any response from her mistress and doesn’t have a key to her house. Bordelli and the housekeeper force entry and find the Signora dead in her bed in what look like suspicious circumstances. The victim appears to have died from an asthma attack. She suffered from a rare kind of asthma where attacks could only be triggered by the pollen from a certain tropical plant. She kept a bottle of medicine for the condition beside her bed. Her doctor, swiftly summoned, finds that her mouth contains a quantity of the antidote, yet the bottle containing it is still tightly sealed.
As Bordelli proceeds with the investigation we meet an extraordinary cast of characters – his young Sardinian sidekick, Piras, who turns out to be the son of Bordelli’s wartime comrade, the morose pathologist, Diotivede, Dante, the victim’s weird inventor brother, her very unpleasant nephews, and a cat called Gideon – not to mention several of Bordelli’s unusual friends from the criminal classes.
The strength of the novel is the in-depth portrayal of the characters, particularly Bordelli himself – eccentric, obstinate, generous and sad. At 53, he has never had a permanent girlfriend and hopes against hope that one day he’ll find one. The descriptions of the sounds and smells of the Tuscan summer are so vivid that you could almost be there!
It is a hot, sticky Florentine August. Bordelli’s sleepless, mosquito-bitten night is interrupted by a phone call from the station. The housekeeper of a wealthy widow cannot get any response from her mistress and doesn’t have a key to her house. Bordelli and the housekeeper force entry and find the Signora dead in her bed in what look like suspicious circumstances. The victim appears to have died from an asthma attack. She suffered from a rare kind of asthma where attacks could only be triggered by the pollen from a certain tropical plant. She kept a bottle of medicine for the condition beside her bed. Her doctor, swiftly summoned, finds that her mouth contains a quantity of the antidote, yet the bottle containing it is still tightly sealed.
As Bordelli proceeds with the investigation we meet an extraordinary cast of characters – his young Sardinian sidekick, Piras, who turns out to be the son of Bordelli’s wartime comrade, the morose pathologist, Diotivede, Dante, the victim’s weird inventor brother, her very unpleasant nephews, and a cat called Gideon – not to mention several of Bordelli’s unusual friends from the criminal classes.
The strength of the novel is the in-depth portrayal of the characters, particularly Bordelli himself – eccentric, obstinate, generous and sad. At 53, he has never had a permanent girlfriend and hopes against hope that one day he’ll find one. The descriptions of the sounds and smells of the Tuscan summer are so vivid that you could almost be there!
October 15, 2014
Death in August is a book with an identity crisis: it is a psychological novel dressed up as a police procedural but marketed as a cozy mystery novel. The original Italian books, less bound by genre, have dark covers reflecting the dark themes in the series. The English translations offered as Kindle editions sport cozy mystery watercolor covers with a nostalgic tint that completely misrepresent the books' contents.
The series is set in the past, in the 1960s to be precise, and it is set there for a reason: to allow Italians to laugh, sometimes wryly, at their former selves, with the benefit of hindsight from the perspective of the world today looking back on a seemingly ancient time. So much social, political and economic change has occurred since the 1960s that looking back on those years really does feel like we are observing an ancient culture.
Much is lost in the translation, although the translator provides some footnotes collected at the back of the text to explain some cultural reference. I was not happy with the translation. There were errors in punctuation, paragraphing, and phrasing. There were a handful of typos. And the translator seemed oblivious of the subjunctive form in English.
The protagonist of the series is a police inspector named Bordelli. We learn that he was a sensitive, dreamy boy who was repeatedly sexually abused when he was eight years old, by a household maid. The scenes are excruciating to read, and I am amazed that I see no mention of these scenes in any reviews, nor any mention of them in the book's description.
Unlike the oblivious writer of the Stephanie Plum novels, who put a similar abuse scene in her first book in her series, the author of the Inspector Bordelli Mystery Series understands the long-term effect this kind of abuse can have on a person, and he links it directly to his protagonist's character.
So, Bordelli is often self-destructive, destructive of his emotional attachments to women, infantile-like and passive in his more prolonged relationship with a woman who is a former prostitute who pampers him no doubt because she has had her fill of macho men. Bordelli is fifty-three, unmarried, lonely, unhappy with the state of Italy, scared by the war and his PTSD and by the childhood abuse he suffered.
Bordelli is haunted by his time in the Italian Resistance during the Italian Civil War that was low-level at the beginning of WWII, and very hot following Italy's surrender to the Allies. He suffers chronic insomnia and flashbacks. His colleagues accept all this with good grace, but also with deep concern for the man's health.
Bordelli is a haunted, disturbed man who will probably never find much peace. The colleagues and assorted group of walking-wounded friends of Bordelli's know that the man may be damaged goods, but he is good at police work.
I enjoyed the author's prose style. The narration is third-person limited, so we get to see into Bordelli's mind, memories, fleeting thoughts, daydreams and nightmares.
Nominally, the book is a police procedural, with the usual introduction of a case, the forensic details, the victims, the suspects, the investigations, etc. But these are just things to give some structure to a novel that is really about the man, Bordelli, and his demons. The murder case is not very challenging or mysterious. We spend most of our time just hanging out with Bordelli and his odd group of male friends, and roaming the 1960s.
There are long sections in the book about the war and Bordelli's war experiences. There are just as many parts of the book about meals and especially one, long, elaborate dinner-party that Bordelli throws for his buddies, that is little more than a long drinking bout interspersed by some food.
Like Andrea Camillieri's books featuring police commissioner Montalbano (Camillieri writes an endorsement of the series on the cover of the book), the universe in Death in August is richly male, with women appearing only as disruptions to the delicately balanced workings of male-ville. The women are described from the outside only, since the insides are a complete mystery to the men.
About the book's identity crisis... I enjoyed the book for the psychological novel that it was; it was meaty, intelligent, honest, and wryly funny. For a police procedural, it was lacking in suspense and mystery. And it is in no way, shape, or form a cozy murder mystery. Know what you are buying if you choose to buy this book! I hope this review helps.
Please read my full and illustrated review at Italophile Book Reviews.
http://italophilebookreviews.blogspot...
The series is set in the past, in the 1960s to be precise, and it is set there for a reason: to allow Italians to laugh, sometimes wryly, at their former selves, with the benefit of hindsight from the perspective of the world today looking back on a seemingly ancient time. So much social, political and economic change has occurred since the 1960s that looking back on those years really does feel like we are observing an ancient culture.
Much is lost in the translation, although the translator provides some footnotes collected at the back of the text to explain some cultural reference. I was not happy with the translation. There were errors in punctuation, paragraphing, and phrasing. There were a handful of typos. And the translator seemed oblivious of the subjunctive form in English.
The protagonist of the series is a police inspector named Bordelli. We learn that he was a sensitive, dreamy boy who was repeatedly sexually abused when he was eight years old, by a household maid. The scenes are excruciating to read, and I am amazed that I see no mention of these scenes in any reviews, nor any mention of them in the book's description.
Unlike the oblivious writer of the Stephanie Plum novels, who put a similar abuse scene in her first book in her series, the author of the Inspector Bordelli Mystery Series understands the long-term effect this kind of abuse can have on a person, and he links it directly to his protagonist's character.
So, Bordelli is often self-destructive, destructive of his emotional attachments to women, infantile-like and passive in his more prolonged relationship with a woman who is a former prostitute who pampers him no doubt because she has had her fill of macho men. Bordelli is fifty-three, unmarried, lonely, unhappy with the state of Italy, scared by the war and his PTSD and by the childhood abuse he suffered.
Bordelli is haunted by his time in the Italian Resistance during the Italian Civil War that was low-level at the beginning of WWII, and very hot following Italy's surrender to the Allies. He suffers chronic insomnia and flashbacks. His colleagues accept all this with good grace, but also with deep concern for the man's health.
Bordelli is a haunted, disturbed man who will probably never find much peace. The colleagues and assorted group of walking-wounded friends of Bordelli's know that the man may be damaged goods, but he is good at police work.
I enjoyed the author's prose style. The narration is third-person limited, so we get to see into Bordelli's mind, memories, fleeting thoughts, daydreams and nightmares.
Nominally, the book is a police procedural, with the usual introduction of a case, the forensic details, the victims, the suspects, the investigations, etc. But these are just things to give some structure to a novel that is really about the man, Bordelli, and his demons. The murder case is not very challenging or mysterious. We spend most of our time just hanging out with Bordelli and his odd group of male friends, and roaming the 1960s.
There are long sections in the book about the war and Bordelli's war experiences. There are just as many parts of the book about meals and especially one, long, elaborate dinner-party that Bordelli throws for his buddies, that is little more than a long drinking bout interspersed by some food.
Like Andrea Camillieri's books featuring police commissioner Montalbano (Camillieri writes an endorsement of the series on the cover of the book), the universe in Death in August is richly male, with women appearing only as disruptions to the delicately balanced workings of male-ville. The women are described from the outside only, since the insides are a complete mystery to the men.
About the book's identity crisis... I enjoyed the book for the psychological novel that it was; it was meaty, intelligent, honest, and wryly funny. For a police procedural, it was lacking in suspense and mystery. And it is in no way, shape, or form a cozy murder mystery. Know what you are buying if you choose to buy this book! I hope this review helps.
Please read my full and illustrated review at Italophile Book Reviews.
http://italophilebookreviews.blogspot...
May 23, 2020
Ho preso questa abitudine: acquisto un volume, in genere il primo, di romanzi seriali per testare se sia una serie compatibile con i miei gusti, così che, in caso affermativo, mi dedico a leggerli tutti.
Così ho fatto con questo romanzo del commissario Bordelli, il primo della serie.
Immancabilmente, finora, sono rimasta insoddisfatta, non è scoccata la scintilla.
Particolare l'atmosfera, una Firenze agostana, dal caldo soffocante, degli anni '60. Per il resto, c'è poco o niente che mi sia piaciuto: il commissario Bordelli non è entrato nelle mie simpatie, per alcuni versi mi ha ricordato Salvo Montalbano (e già questo non è un buon punto di partenza), in generale non ha una caratterizzazione precisa. La storia non era gialla, era piuttosto banale e non ha suscitato emozioni.
Quindi l'utilità della lettura è che ho scartato dalle future letture il commissario Bordelli, che saluto cordialmente.
Così ho fatto con questo romanzo del commissario Bordelli, il primo della serie.
Immancabilmente, finora, sono rimasta insoddisfatta, non è scoccata la scintilla.
Particolare l'atmosfera, una Firenze agostana, dal caldo soffocante, degli anni '60. Per il resto, c'è poco o niente che mi sia piaciuto: il commissario Bordelli non è entrato nelle mie simpatie, per alcuni versi mi ha ricordato Salvo Montalbano (e già questo non è un buon punto di partenza), in generale non ha una caratterizzazione precisa. La storia non era gialla, era piuttosto banale e non ha suscitato emozioni.
Quindi l'utilità della lettura è che ho scartato dalle future letture il commissario Bordelli, che saluto cordialmente.
October 18, 2011
Like many detective series (Hercule Poirot, Sherlock Holmes, etc), the characters in this story are what make it memorable. The mystery is not particularly shocking, nor is the method the Inspector uses to arrive at the solution. However, I enjoyed reading about the characters Inspector Bordelli meets along the way, although Inspector Bordelli himself is a bit banal.
There were a few things that rankled with me: I found the sex scene unnecessary and borderline inappropriate. Also, there's a moment in the book where the mechanic takes a look at the engine of Bordelli's VW Beetle by opening the hood/bonnet, when the engine of a Beetle is notoriously in the trunk/boot. That kind of glaring error is very distracting in my opinion.
Overall, the book was okay, but not "award winning" in my estimation.
There were a few things that rankled with me: I found the sex scene unnecessary and borderline inappropriate. Also, there's a moment in the book where the mechanic takes a look at the engine of Bordelli's VW Beetle by opening the hood/bonnet, when the engine of a Beetle is notoriously in the trunk/boot. That kind of glaring error is very distracting in my opinion.
Overall, the book was okay, but not "award winning" in my estimation.
January 10, 2022
PopSugar Reading Challenge 2022: A book that takes place during your favourite season
(My favourite season is probably summer, although as Mum pointed out to me yesterday, I do moan all summer about it being too hot.)
If you're after a good murder mystery, Death in August is not for you. The mystery side of this book is lacking and you will be disappointed.
Despite being a thoroughly unsatisfying mystery drowned in filler, I actually found myself growing charmed by Bordelli and his gang of misfit characters. It developed atmosphere as it went along and I did find myself feeling somewhat warmed and amused by the cast of bit-characters that we are introduced to in lieu of suspects.
Mild spoiler possible in next paragraph (unrelated to mystery).
I will give a content warning for child sexual abuse presented in a positive / eroticised way. Bordelli reminisces nostalgically about being molested by his babysitter and the scene is profoundly discomforting.
This book is worth visiting if you fancy a trip to 1960s Florence. Expect a character study rather than a whodunit.
I'm undecided whether I'd read another Bordelli mystery. I'm undecided how I felt about Death in August. Time will tell whether it lingers in my memory or fades away.
(My favourite season is probably summer, although as Mum pointed out to me yesterday, I do moan all summer about it being too hot.)
If you're after a good murder mystery, Death in August is not for you. The mystery side of this book is lacking and you will be disappointed.
Despite being a thoroughly unsatisfying mystery drowned in filler, I actually found myself growing charmed by Bordelli and his gang of misfit characters. It developed atmosphere as it went along and I did find myself feeling somewhat warmed and amused by the cast of bit-characters that we are introduced to in lieu of suspects.
Mild spoiler possible in next paragraph (unrelated to mystery).
I will give a content warning for child sexual abuse presented in a positive / eroticised way. Bordelli reminisces nostalgically about being molested by his babysitter and the scene is profoundly discomforting.
This book is worth visiting if you fancy a trip to 1960s Florence. Expect a character study rather than a whodunit.
I'm undecided whether I'd read another Bordelli mystery. I'm undecided how I felt about Death in August. Time will tell whether it lingers in my memory or fades away.
September 10, 2017
Muy flojito.
May 21, 2015
I found the first bit of this book banal - so much so I debated giving up on it, but I'm so glad I didn't....because after that it picked up, and was thoroughly enjoyable.
Inspector Bordelli is not the svelte and dashing Lothario one might expect of an Italian detective. Rather he smokes a lot, he sweats a lot, and he drives an old Volkswagon which backfires a lot. This is Florence in 1963. It's August, and it is hot. He is 53 years old. At night he can't sleep and he gets bitten by mosquitoes. Little that Bordelli aspires to works out. He can't give up smoking, he can't get the mozzies to stop biting him, and most of all he can't get enough sleep. He also daydreams a lot about the war, and that one day the right girl will come along and sweep him off his feet. On the plus side he has many friends - from petty thieves and prostitutes to a psychiatrist and pathologist. One feels that he embraces nearly all of humanity with generosity and goodwill.
I found Inspector Bordelli's character a rich delight, and there are many other characters in this book that are equally pleasurable. Some of them have nothing to do with the storyline. One gets the impression they just pop up because the author so relishes people they just tumble onto the page....and I enjoyed nearly all of them.
The whodunit aspect of the story was pretty simplistic, but that suits my addled thinking perfectly. Even I was able to grasp the A,B,C and Z of it all.
My one reservation with this book was a sentimental memory of underage sex scenes between an eight year old boy and a sixteen year old girl, and it was provoked by Bordelli being turned on by someone "young enough to be his daughter". I felt discomforted that such a liaison should be described in positive terms, added to which it seemed to me to be a highly unlikely relationship.
Other than that, I thought the book was fab.
Inspector Bordelli is not the svelte and dashing Lothario one might expect of an Italian detective. Rather he smokes a lot, he sweats a lot, and he drives an old Volkswagon which backfires a lot. This is Florence in 1963. It's August, and it is hot. He is 53 years old. At night he can't sleep and he gets bitten by mosquitoes. Little that Bordelli aspires to works out. He can't give up smoking, he can't get the mozzies to stop biting him, and most of all he can't get enough sleep. He also daydreams a lot about the war, and that one day the right girl will come along and sweep him off his feet. On the plus side he has many friends - from petty thieves and prostitutes to a psychiatrist and pathologist. One feels that he embraces nearly all of humanity with generosity and goodwill.
I found Inspector Bordelli's character a rich delight, and there are many other characters in this book that are equally pleasurable. Some of them have nothing to do with the storyline. One gets the impression they just pop up because the author so relishes people they just tumble onto the page....and I enjoyed nearly all of them.
The whodunit aspect of the story was pretty simplistic, but that suits my addled thinking perfectly. Even I was able to grasp the A,B,C and Z of it all.
My one reservation with this book was a sentimental memory of underage sex scenes between an eight year old boy and a sixteen year old girl, and it was provoked by Bordelli being turned on by someone "young enough to be his daughter". I felt discomforted that such a liaison should be described in positive terms, added to which it seemed to me to be a highly unlikely relationship.
Other than that, I thought the book was fab.
February 11, 2012
The first installment in Marco Vichi's series featuring Inspector Bordelli of Florence, Death in August takes its reader back to the 1960s (1963 to be exact), and a very hot and mosquito-laden summer. Pretty much everyone has left town for the seaside, but someone has to man the store, so Bordelli stays behind. He is soon called to the scene of a rather odd death -- an elderly woman has been found dead in her bed, and the doctor says that she died to an asthma attack, brought on by a severe allergic reaction. Strangely, the bottle of medicine she normally used is sitting on her bedside table, cap screwed on tightly. Bordelli knows this was no ordinary death by natural causes, and sets out to find out who is responsible. He has his suspicions, but everyone seems to have an alibi for the time of death, which the doctor feels is accurate. It's not going to be an easy case for Bordelli at all.
Although the mystery is solid and the crime's solution itself is a bit perplexing, it takes Bordelli forever to solve it. Actually, that's not so much due to the work of Il Commissario, but of his creator, Marco Vichi. He spends a great deal of time developing atmosphere, setting and his characters, so that the story is more focused on all of these elements rather than on the crime itself. And he does give his readers an interesting cast of people -- there's a scientist who spends his time coming up with crazy inventions that will never sell, a trattoria owner whose dishes tend to swim in fat, a burglar with a passion for dance, and others who seem just as offbeat. Then there's Bordelli himself -- a policeman with a great deal of compassion, something he learned from his father's experiences in the war (memories of which still hang over Italy like the cloying heat of the summer and clouds of mosquitoes) against the Nazis. He is not averse to hiring ex-cons or helping them out with a couple of thousand lire here and there, hoping that they won't have to go back to a life of crime.
Normally the first novel in a crime fiction/mystery series is a bit iffy because most of the elements mentioned above tend to be glossed over in favor of getting the crime solved, but in this book, it's a vice-versa situation. There's so much character development and foundation laying that the reader really doesn't get a good handle on Bordelli's detection abilities, so that even though the solution to the crime is a bit ingenious, there's not a whole lot of buildup to getting there. For crime fiction readers who want their fix of detection and a buildup of clues and suspects, it's a bit of a letdown. Hopefully the author will rectify the situation in following installments of the series.
There's one more thing worth mentioning, and that is a scene in the novel where Bordelli is reflecting back to a time in his childhood where (and there's no getting around just laying it out straight) he's being sexually abused by a girl charged with taking care of him. The author paints it like it's not a big deal, and I'm sorry -- that's just not right. Granted it hearkens back to building Bordelli's character, but really. That is not only not cool, but it was quite unnecessary. Perhaps it's asking too much, but I would have thought the editors might have had some concerns about leaving that part in.
While I thought the scene-setting and the character development was done pretty well, and I enjoyed the compassionate side of the main character, the mystery aspect just sort of fell flat for me. If this is supposed to be a mystery novel (and this is confirmed by the subtitle: "The First Inspector Bordelli Mystery"), the author needs to amp up the crime, add a longer list of suspects and give his readers something they can sink their teeth into. But once again, as I scan its ratings all over the internet, the book is getting 4-star ratings in multiple places, is being highly recommended by many people. So perhaps I'm much more of a demanding crime-fiction reader than most people and I'm being a bit picky. I've just bought the second book in the series, so hopefully since we already know so much about Bordelli (probably a little bit too much, actually), the next installment will focus more on the crime.
Although the mystery is solid and the crime's solution itself is a bit perplexing, it takes Bordelli forever to solve it. Actually, that's not so much due to the work of Il Commissario, but of his creator, Marco Vichi. He spends a great deal of time developing atmosphere, setting and his characters, so that the story is more focused on all of these elements rather than on the crime itself. And he does give his readers an interesting cast of people -- there's a scientist who spends his time coming up with crazy inventions that will never sell, a trattoria owner whose dishes tend to swim in fat, a burglar with a passion for dance, and others who seem just as offbeat. Then there's Bordelli himself -- a policeman with a great deal of compassion, something he learned from his father's experiences in the war (memories of which still hang over Italy like the cloying heat of the summer and clouds of mosquitoes) against the Nazis. He is not averse to hiring ex-cons or helping them out with a couple of thousand lire here and there, hoping that they won't have to go back to a life of crime.
Normally the first novel in a crime fiction/mystery series is a bit iffy because most of the elements mentioned above tend to be glossed over in favor of getting the crime solved, but in this book, it's a vice-versa situation. There's so much character development and foundation laying that the reader really doesn't get a good handle on Bordelli's detection abilities, so that even though the solution to the crime is a bit ingenious, there's not a whole lot of buildup to getting there. For crime fiction readers who want their fix of detection and a buildup of clues and suspects, it's a bit of a letdown. Hopefully the author will rectify the situation in following installments of the series.
There's one more thing worth mentioning, and that is a scene in the novel where Bordelli is reflecting back to a time in his childhood where (and there's no getting around just laying it out straight) he's being sexually abused by a girl charged with taking care of him. The author paints it like it's not a big deal, and I'm sorry -- that's just not right. Granted it hearkens back to building Bordelli's character, but really. That is not only not cool, but it was quite unnecessary. Perhaps it's asking too much, but I would have thought the editors might have had some concerns about leaving that part in.
While I thought the scene-setting and the character development was done pretty well, and I enjoyed the compassionate side of the main character, the mystery aspect just sort of fell flat for me. If this is supposed to be a mystery novel (and this is confirmed by the subtitle: "The First Inspector Bordelli Mystery"), the author needs to amp up the crime, add a longer list of suspects and give his readers something they can sink their teeth into. But once again, as I scan its ratings all over the internet, the book is getting 4-star ratings in multiple places, is being highly recommended by many people. So perhaps I'm much more of a demanding crime-fiction reader than most people and I'm being a bit picky. I've just bought the second book in the series, so hopefully since we already know so much about Bordelli (probably a little bit too much, actually), the next installment will focus more on the crime.
November 25, 2016
2,5 en realidad. Un libro en que el comisario, su anécdotas del pasado y el estrambótico elenco de personajes que le acompañan, es más protagonista que la propia trama policial. Tiene su lógica si sabemos que es la primera parte de esta serie.
Reseña completa aquí: http://perdida-entrelibross.blogspot....
Reseña completa aquí: http://perdida-entrelibross.blogspot....
October 4, 2016
Un protagonista interesante rodeado de personajes raros,muy raros.Es como si el crimen que se investiga fuera una mera excusa para presentarnos al comisario de policía protagonista y repasar fragmentos de su vida.
October 23, 2016
Questa recensione è presente al suo blog: http://thebooksblender.altervista.org...
Mi capitò di leggere questo libro in estate, proprio nella stessa stagione in cui è ambientato il romanzo. Lì per lì, pensai che fosse una cosa molto carina, un modo che mi avrebbe permesso di immedesimarmi ancora di più nella lettura, visto che i commenti sul caldo nel libro si sprecano e, dopo un po’, sono anche eccessivi (…faceva molto caldo, ok! S’è capito!).
Primo di una serie di romanzi incentrati sul commissario fiorentino dal nome pittoresco, in questo si indaga sulla morte di una anziana (e molto ricca) signora, la quale viene ritrovata morta in camera sua dalla dama di compagnia, vittima apparentemente di un forte, irruente e, ovviamente, improvviso attacco d’asma.
Le indagini passano immediatamente al commissario Bordelli (l’unico investigatore in zona durante le vacanze estive), personaggio un po’ border line, amico di ladri e prostitute dotati, comunque, di un loro personale “codice morale”. Non solo, i’ Bordelli nasconde e combatte, oltre che con la calura, umida e appiccicosa dell’estate fiorentina, anche con i mesti ricordi del suo passato in guerra (caso vuole che poi il nuovo acquisto del commissariato sia un ragazzo sardo, il cui padre è stato per l’appunto compagno d’armi del nostro Bordelli). Tutto questo non gli impedisce di venire a capo della molto poco ingarbugliata matassa e scoprire agilmente i colpevoli (n.b. Il lettore capisce prima del commissario chi sono i rei… vabbè, magari si tratta di una scelta voluta…).
Il romanzo, quindi, si regge sostanzialmente (e unicamente) su quanto sia particolare, inusuale (ma, comunque, capace) Bordelli come poliziotto (che non si piega ai canoni ferrei della legge, ma agisce anche in base a cioè che è giusto per lui) e come siano unici e caratteristici i personaggi di cui si contorna. Di thriller c’è davvero molto poco… I sospetti del lettore ricadono in maniera abbastanza immediata sugli unici due personaggi che sarebbero sembrati più sospetti e colpevoli solo se avessero avuto in mano un cartello con scritto “Sono io l’assassino”.
Insomma, per concludere, dal punto di vista prettamente narrativo, non l’ho trovata un’indagine particolarmente intrigante (non succede nulla di sorprendente o interessante nella ricerca dei colpevoli). La storia si basa su qualche battuta (che dovrebbe fare almeno sorridere) e sul nome particolare del commissario nonché sul suo uscire dai canonici cliché del poliziotto ligio al dovere.
Il linguaggio usato, con qualche parola o espressione in fiorentino, è semplice e basilare.
Consigliato: Nì, se uno non ha proprio niente di meglio da leggere.
October 9, 2021
Es una novela policial sencilla, con un ritmo pausado.
Más importante que el caso a investigar, lo son los personajes. El comisario Bordelli, un cincuentón nostálgico y con un sentido de la justicia particular. Los amigos de Bordelli, la mayoría delincuentes. Y la Italia de posguerra, que es un personaje más.
Me ha parecido diferente, muy bien escrita y muy entretenida.
Más importante que el caso a investigar, lo son los personajes. El comisario Bordelli, un cincuentón nostálgico y con un sentido de la justicia particular. Los amigos de Bordelli, la mayoría delincuentes. Y la Italia de posguerra, que es un personaje más.
Me ha parecido diferente, muy bien escrita y muy entretenida.
September 21, 2024
Ho scoperto per caso questo romanzo giallo e non mi è dispiaciuto. Prima opera che leggo di Marco Vichi.
Siamo a Firenze nell'estate del 1963: il commissario Bordelli indaga sulla morte misteriosa, forse avvenuta per avvelenamento, di un'anziana signora benestante. Pian piano interrogherà le persone che ruotavano intorno alla signora: la governante, i nipoti Giulio e Anselmo, il fratello inventore, ma tutti loro hanno una cosa in comune, ovvero un alibi inattaccabile.
Sarò sincero: la figura del commissario Bordelli mi ha ricordato molto quella del commissario Maigret, serie che sto leggendo cronologicamente dal primo. Una cosa soprattutto che li accomuna è il fatto che entrambi provano a conoscere le persone che ruotavano intorno alla figura dell'assassinata. Anche Bordelli, come Maigret, si lascia assorbire, come una spugna, dalle vite delle altre persone, e come lui è molto umano. Non posso aggiungere altro, visto che quando si tratta di un'indagine si rischia poi di fare qualche spoiler, ma è stata una lettura estiva abbastanza godibile e sicuramente leggerò altre opere di Marco Vichi.
Siamo a Firenze nell'estate del 1963: il commissario Bordelli indaga sulla morte misteriosa, forse avvenuta per avvelenamento, di un'anziana signora benestante. Pian piano interrogherà le persone che ruotavano intorno alla signora: la governante, i nipoti Giulio e Anselmo, il fratello inventore, ma tutti loro hanno una cosa in comune, ovvero un alibi inattaccabile.
Sarò sincero: la figura del commissario Bordelli mi ha ricordato molto quella del commissario Maigret, serie che sto leggendo cronologicamente dal primo. Una cosa soprattutto che li accomuna è il fatto che entrambi provano a conoscere le persone che ruotavano intorno alla figura dell'assassinata. Anche Bordelli, come Maigret, si lascia assorbire, come una spugna, dalle vite delle altre persone, e come lui è molto umano. Non posso aggiungere altro, visto che quando si tratta di un'indagine si rischia poi di fare qualche spoiler, ma è stata una lettura estiva abbastanza godibile e sicuramente leggerò altre opere di Marco Vichi.
October 3, 2016
A pesar de contar con un protagonista carismático, a la trama policíaca le falta fuerza y tiene demasiadas interferencias de alusiones nostálgicas a la guerra y de presentación de un elenco de personajes cada cual más estrambótico...
December 29, 2020
If you cut out all the non-related filler, you'd have a short story.
August 3, 2025
This one suffered in the translation from Italian to English, sadly.
August 6, 2011
Florence, summer 1963. Inspector Bordelli is one of the few policemen left in the deserted city. He spends his days on routine work, and his nights tormented by the heat and mosquitoes.
Suddenly one night, a telephone call gives him a new sense of purpose: the suspected death of a wealthy Signora. Bordelli rushes to her hilltop villa, and picks the locks. The old woman is lying on her bed - apparently killed by an asthma attack, though her medicine has been left untouched.
With the help of his young protégé, the victim's eccentric brother, and a semi-retired petty thief, the inspector begins a murder investigation. Each suspect has a solid alibi, but there is something that doesn't quite add up . . .
2011 has been somewhat of an eye opener for me as far as foreign titles go, a steep learning curve. I’ve been transported to a variety of countries – some more colourful than others - around the world including Argentina, Finland, Iceland, Sweden, Turkey, Poland but it’s little old Italy that keeps cropping up, time after time, enticing me back with a plethora of food, wine, scenery and of course crime!
Marco Vichi’s Death in August is the latest title to land on my desk and another of those book jackets that oozes quality. The cover is a throwback to yesteryear, reminiscent of the great Agatha Christie, and is so incredibly tactile - just like a quality label on a bottle of Grappa - that you just want to pick it up and see if the contents live up to the art work.
Given this is the first opportunity for non-speaking Italians to experience Vichi’s colourful character, thanks to a wonderful translation by prize winning Stephen Sartarelli, it will come as no surprise that he spends a great deal of time laying the foundation for a series that, on first glance, offers a great deal of promise and longevity. Hodder have bought the rights to the first four in the series and Death and the Olive comes out in January 2012.
Full review on blog:- http://www.milorambles.com/2011/06/13...
Suddenly one night, a telephone call gives him a new sense of purpose: the suspected death of a wealthy Signora. Bordelli rushes to her hilltop villa, and picks the locks. The old woman is lying on her bed - apparently killed by an asthma attack, though her medicine has been left untouched.
With the help of his young protégé, the victim's eccentric brother, and a semi-retired petty thief, the inspector begins a murder investigation. Each suspect has a solid alibi, but there is something that doesn't quite add up . . .
2011 has been somewhat of an eye opener for me as far as foreign titles go, a steep learning curve. I’ve been transported to a variety of countries – some more colourful than others - around the world including Argentina, Finland, Iceland, Sweden, Turkey, Poland but it’s little old Italy that keeps cropping up, time after time, enticing me back with a plethora of food, wine, scenery and of course crime!
Marco Vichi’s Death in August is the latest title to land on my desk and another of those book jackets that oozes quality. The cover is a throwback to yesteryear, reminiscent of the great Agatha Christie, and is so incredibly tactile - just like a quality label on a bottle of Grappa - that you just want to pick it up and see if the contents live up to the art work.
Given this is the first opportunity for non-speaking Italians to experience Vichi’s colourful character, thanks to a wonderful translation by prize winning Stephen Sartarelli, it will come as no surprise that he spends a great deal of time laying the foundation for a series that, on first glance, offers a great deal of promise and longevity. Hodder have bought the rights to the first four in the series and Death and the Olive comes out in January 2012.
Full review on blog:- http://www.milorambles.com/2011/06/13...
July 10, 2013
The crime genre has been experiencing an influx of European writers that have been translated into English. Most of them have been from the Nordic countries and other Northern European countries. Now we've been treated to an Italian author who brings that mix of irony, cynicism and romanticism to the crime genre that seems to be part of the Italian tradition.
This is the first of three books the author has published in Italy and the first that was translated into English. We meet Inspector Bordelli, 53 years old, never married, anti Nazi fighter, devoted to his job, and lonely. It is 1963 in Florence. Italy is coming out of its post war depression, and young people are more concerned about things than they are about good government. Or at least that's what Bordelli thinks.
He gets into trouble with his boss who complains that he lets criminals go. He doesn't see the sense of arresting every petty thief when they are just trying to make a living. He hangs out with a prostitute,a burglar and a thief who happens to also be an amazing cook. Like most Italians, he appreciates good food.
When he is called to the home of a wealthy woman who, it appears, has died from an asthma attack, it is apparent that some things do not make sense. Why was her asthma medication closed yet there is apparently some trace of the medication in her mouth?
Her friend is insistent that she has been murdered and points the finger at her two good-for-nothing nephews. Unfortunately, they have an alibi.
In the meantime, we are treated to one of his "dinner parties" where the guests are the thief, the burglar, the pathologist and a young police officer. The meal sounds incredible of course. This is, after all, Italy. I really enjoyed this one. The ironies are delicious as is the food.
This is the first of three books the author has published in Italy and the first that was translated into English. We meet Inspector Bordelli, 53 years old, never married, anti Nazi fighter, devoted to his job, and lonely. It is 1963 in Florence. Italy is coming out of its post war depression, and young people are more concerned about things than they are about good government. Or at least that's what Bordelli thinks.
He gets into trouble with his boss who complains that he lets criminals go. He doesn't see the sense of arresting every petty thief when they are just trying to make a living. He hangs out with a prostitute,a burglar and a thief who happens to also be an amazing cook. Like most Italians, he appreciates good food.
When he is called to the home of a wealthy woman who, it appears, has died from an asthma attack, it is apparent that some things do not make sense. Why was her asthma medication closed yet there is apparently some trace of the medication in her mouth?
Her friend is insistent that she has been murdered and points the finger at her two good-for-nothing nephews. Unfortunately, they have an alibi.
In the meantime, we are treated to one of his "dinner parties" where the guests are the thief, the burglar, the pathologist and a young police officer. The meal sounds incredible of course. This is, after all, Italy. I really enjoyed this one. The ironies are delicious as is the food.
January 23, 2011
Non eccelso come trama, eh...però mi ha messo voglia di leggerne un seguito...mi sono piaciuti i personaggi!
August 3, 2016
Luettu loppuun lukumaratonin jälkimainingeissa. Pirteä dekkarituttavuus (ilmestynyt Aviadorilta suomeksi nimellä komisario Bordelli).
December 24, 2016
No me ha gustado nada de nada. Nunca me había pasado que al llevar un 70% de un libro de novela negra no me interesase nada saber quién era el asesino.
November 2, 2022
Con questo romanzo Marco Vichi, fiorentino, autore di racconti e testi teatrali, inizia la saga del commissario Bordelli, poliziotto cinquantatreenne, celibe, ex partigiano, con alcune relazioni sentimentali fallite alle spalle, il tutto ambientato in una suggestiva Firenze degli anni 60. Bordelli è tutto dedito al suo lavoro senza orari, dalla vita disordinata, fatta anche di tanta solitudine perché la sua donna ideale non l’ha mai incontrata.
È amico di ladruncoli, piccoli truffatori, prostitute e sbandati, perché nonostante queste siano persone finite ai margini della società, additati e disprezzati dalla cosiddetta gente perbene, hanno anch’essi una propria dignità e codici d’onore a cui attenersi.
Bordelli è umano, impulsivo, talvolta maldestro e goffo, nonostante la sua non più giovane età, davanti agli occhi di una bella ragazza che potrebbe essergli figlia.
Un poliziotto dal cuore generoso e assai comprensivo verso chi è costretto a rubare per necessità.
Intorno al protagonista ruota tutta una serie di personaggi dai tratti forti: l’aiutante Piras, un sardo poco propenso a concedersi un sorriso; il medico legale Diotivede, cui fare riferimento per venire a capo del caso; il Botta, cuoco raffinato e con un passato da ospite in tutti i più importanti carceri della penisola.
Come cornice una Firenze genuina, fatta di gente schietta e semplice, una Firenze che suscita una dolce nostalgia.
Spesso, nei romanzi gialli, oltre alla scoperta dell’assassino, è incredibile la caratterizzazione dei personaggi, da quelli principali, a quelli secondari. Questo romanzo è il primo di una lunga serie, dedicata al commissario Bordelli e alla sua Firenze. In questo libro si delinea la squadra dei collaboratori del poliziotto, ma anche dei suoi amici. Si prende confidenza con i suoi rituali, i suoi pensieri, con la sua vita passata e presente. Si entra in questo “piccolo mondo”. E ti affezioni. E ti abbandoni. E non puoi farci assolutamente nulla.
Soltanto la trama gialla l’ho trovata un po’ debole, ma la ritengo alquanto attinente al lavoro quotidiano di un commissario di polizia e soprattutto credo che sia stata solo un pretesto per scrivere un bel libro della memoria, ricco di nostalgia e ricordi della guerra partigiana, molti dei quali realmente vissuti dal padre di Vichi durante i suoi combattimenti contro i nazisti, d’altronde il ringraziamento dell’autore al genitore è piuttosto esplicito e si conclude con una bella frase: “Se oggi lui fosse vivo credo che sarebbe contento di vedere che quelle storie vivono in questo romanzo”.
In conclusione il libro d’esordio del commissario Bordelli è un davvero un buon libro ricco di sincera umanità.
Un bel giallo, godibilissimo e rilassante, che affonda le sue radici nel passato, ottimamente descritto, in cui si sentono ancora vive le conseguenze di una guerra che ha distribuito lutti e dolore. Una figura di investigatore nostalgico, che ama il buon vino e la buona cucina, che opera al di fuori degli schemi, ma che tuttavia intriga e convince con il suo modo di essere e di operare. Piacevole, rapido e riflessivo. Non eccede mai nella velocità della narrazione che anzi assume toni cadenzati e rilassanti che fanno della lentezza la loro colonna portante. Un uomo di altri tempi che conquista e fa innamorare.
È amico di ladruncoli, piccoli truffatori, prostitute e sbandati, perché nonostante queste siano persone finite ai margini della società, additati e disprezzati dalla cosiddetta gente perbene, hanno anch’essi una propria dignità e codici d’onore a cui attenersi.
Bordelli è umano, impulsivo, talvolta maldestro e goffo, nonostante la sua non più giovane età, davanti agli occhi di una bella ragazza che potrebbe essergli figlia.
Un poliziotto dal cuore generoso e assai comprensivo verso chi è costretto a rubare per necessità.
Intorno al protagonista ruota tutta una serie di personaggi dai tratti forti: l’aiutante Piras, un sardo poco propenso a concedersi un sorriso; il medico legale Diotivede, cui fare riferimento per venire a capo del caso; il Botta, cuoco raffinato e con un passato da ospite in tutti i più importanti carceri della penisola.
Come cornice una Firenze genuina, fatta di gente schietta e semplice, una Firenze che suscita una dolce nostalgia.
Spesso, nei romanzi gialli, oltre alla scoperta dell’assassino, è incredibile la caratterizzazione dei personaggi, da quelli principali, a quelli secondari. Questo romanzo è il primo di una lunga serie, dedicata al commissario Bordelli e alla sua Firenze. In questo libro si delinea la squadra dei collaboratori del poliziotto, ma anche dei suoi amici. Si prende confidenza con i suoi rituali, i suoi pensieri, con la sua vita passata e presente. Si entra in questo “piccolo mondo”. E ti affezioni. E ti abbandoni. E non puoi farci assolutamente nulla.
Soltanto la trama gialla l’ho trovata un po’ debole, ma la ritengo alquanto attinente al lavoro quotidiano di un commissario di polizia e soprattutto credo che sia stata solo un pretesto per scrivere un bel libro della memoria, ricco di nostalgia e ricordi della guerra partigiana, molti dei quali realmente vissuti dal padre di Vichi durante i suoi combattimenti contro i nazisti, d’altronde il ringraziamento dell’autore al genitore è piuttosto esplicito e si conclude con una bella frase: “Se oggi lui fosse vivo credo che sarebbe contento di vedere che quelle storie vivono in questo romanzo”.
In conclusione il libro d’esordio del commissario Bordelli è un davvero un buon libro ricco di sincera umanità.
Un bel giallo, godibilissimo e rilassante, che affonda le sue radici nel passato, ottimamente descritto, in cui si sentono ancora vive le conseguenze di una guerra che ha distribuito lutti e dolore. Una figura di investigatore nostalgico, che ama il buon vino e la buona cucina, che opera al di fuori degli schemi, ma che tuttavia intriga e convince con il suo modo di essere e di operare. Piacevole, rapido e riflessivo. Non eccede mai nella velocità della narrazione che anzi assume toni cadenzati e rilassanti che fanno della lentezza la loro colonna portante. Un uomo di altri tempi che conquista e fa innamorare.
October 17, 2022
Descrizione
La città, deserta per le vacanze, è assediata dal caldo e dalle zanzare. Il commissario Bordelli passa le sue notti a rigirarsi nelle lenzuola, incapace di prender sonno, dopo giornate di banale routine estiva sbrigata da quei pochi rimasti in Commissariato, come il poliziotto Mugnai e il nuovo arrivato Piras. Durante una di quelle lunghe notti insonni, Bordelli riceve una telefonata che gli annuncia una morte misteriosa: sul luogo del delitto, una villa del Settecento, giace il corpo senza vita di un'anziana signora; accanto al suo letto, un bicchiere con tracce di un medicinale per l'asma e sul comodino, riposto con cura e perfettamente chiuso, il flacone di quel medicinale. Difficile pensare a un attacco improvviso della malattia, come spiega il fidato anatomopatologo Diotivede, collaboratore e amico di vecchia data del commissario. Bordelli inizia le sue indagini, partendo proprio dai singolari personaggi che frequentavano abitualmente la villa: l'anziana governante; i nipoti Giulio e Anselmo; Dante, lo stravagante fratello della vittima. Ma ognuno di questi ha un alibi inattaccabile. O almeno cosi sembra, fino a quando il commissario Bordelli non decide di tornare sul luogo del delitto.
3*** e mezzo
La città, deserta per le vacanze, è assediata dal caldo e dalle zanzare. Il commissario Bordelli passa le sue notti a rigirarsi nelle lenzuola, incapace di prender sonno, dopo giornate di banale routine estiva sbrigata da quei pochi rimasti in Commissariato, come il poliziotto Mugnai e il nuovo arrivato Piras. Durante una di quelle lunghe notti insonni, Bordelli riceve una telefonata che gli annuncia una morte misteriosa: sul luogo del delitto, una villa del Settecento, giace il corpo senza vita di un'anziana signora; accanto al suo letto, un bicchiere con tracce di un medicinale per l'asma e sul comodino, riposto con cura e perfettamente chiuso, il flacone di quel medicinale. Difficile pensare a un attacco improvviso della malattia, come spiega il fidato anatomopatologo Diotivede, collaboratore e amico di vecchia data del commissario. Bordelli inizia le sue indagini, partendo proprio dai singolari personaggi che frequentavano abitualmente la villa: l'anziana governante; i nipoti Giulio e Anselmo; Dante, lo stravagante fratello della vittima. Ma ognuno di questi ha un alibi inattaccabile. O almeno cosi sembra, fino a quando il commissario Bordelli non decide di tornare sul luogo del delitto.
3*** e mezzo
May 16, 2021
Having nearly completed the Montalbano series, I thought that I would try this series which is set in Italy after World War Two. Just like Montalbano, Inspector Bordelli likes his food and cigarettes. He is also very determined to solve crimes. Bordelli is haunted by the war and by the past, and unlike Montalbano who has no problem attracting women, Bordelli seems to have a hard time finding someone to settle down with.
It was an ok read, but the crime wasn't that gripping. It was good enough to read the next book in the series but not really memorable. There is also a scene of child abuse from Bordelli's past. I really dislike reading stories with graphic child abuse and I think it should be highlighted in the book blurb because it may be triggering for some readers. Also I thought it was a bit pointless and didn't need to be in the story to be honest. Maybe it will throw a light on something in a future book but it just felt meh.
It was an ok read, but the crime wasn't that gripping. It was good enough to read the next book in the series but not really memorable. There is also a scene of child abuse from Bordelli's past. I really dislike reading stories with graphic child abuse and I think it should be highlighted in the book blurb because it may be triggering for some readers. Also I thought it was a bit pointless and didn't need to be in the story to be honest. Maybe it will throw a light on something in a future book but it just felt meh.
August 5, 2017
mi ricorda un po' Pepe Carvalho*, anzi, un po' tanto: commissario scapolo generoso, malinconico ex partigiano disilluso, amico dei poveri e dei tipi più strani, con una simpatica puttana come confidente e un nano come informatore. Amante del buon cibo come Pepe (e la maggior parte dei commissari contemporanei. Uno anoressico, mai?). Insomma, un buon diavolo che fuma troppo (non penso alla sua salute ma che barba! si accende una sigaretta ogni 10 righe!), circondato da simpatici personaggi che fanno perdonare la trama gialla un po' banalotta e scontata. Ambientato a Firenze ma potrebbe essere anche Roccacannuccia.
PS: Vichi, mi vuol spegare perché diamine l'ha chiamato Bordelli? Un motivo ci deve essere.
* (mi si perdoni la similitudine: Vasquez Montalban sta, secondo me, diversi scalini sopra il nostro)
PS: Vichi, mi vuol spegare perché diamine l'ha chiamato Bordelli? Un motivo ci deve essere.
* (mi si perdoni la similitudine: Vasquez Montalban sta, secondo me, diversi scalini sopra il nostro)
December 26, 2022
This is a detective story set in Florence but in reality the detection element and the Florence element don't feature as much as you might imagine. It isn't a who dunnit nor much of a police procedural. This is a book about characters and some really interesting characters at that. Inspector Bordelli is a marvellous creation. There are whiffs of Montalbano and Morse and I look forward to reading more about this chain smoker who survived the war and who undoubtedly would be regarded today as suffering from PTSD. The heat of Italy in August and the 1960s with its lingering post war wrinkles are depicted through a range of oddball types. Really good characterisation.
August 19, 2023
3.5 stars. Set in Italy, and originally in Italian - you could tell at times it was a translation. It’s a good translation though.
I do t know much about Italy in the 60s, but it certainly had an Italian feel. I loved the references to food and places.
The plot was a bit dubious, with long slightly melancholy flashbacks. The protagonist was the best bit - an interesting and gritty Chief Inspector with socialist tendencies and friendships with former criminals. It didn’t feel like a cliché as some anti-heros might. Would read more.
I do t know much about Italy in the 60s, but it certainly had an Italian feel. I loved the references to food and places.
The plot was a bit dubious, with long slightly melancholy flashbacks. The protagonist was the best bit - an interesting and gritty Chief Inspector with socialist tendencies and friendships with former criminals. It didn’t feel like a cliché as some anti-heros might. Would read more.
April 15, 2017
Well, it started out sort of dreadful and then turned into something OK. Once I'd finished it, I thought, "That was sort of ok. I'll buy the next one and the next one." I think they will improve as the author gains experience.
April 12, 2023
CAWPILE 5.57
Didn't love this as much as I thought I would, found the similiarities to Inspector Montalbano quite jarring at times. I found Andrea Camilleri books easier to read but this wasn't badly written but short.
Not compelled to continue the series.
Didn't love this as much as I thought I would, found the similiarities to Inspector Montalbano quite jarring at times. I found Andrea Camilleri books easier to read but this wasn't badly written but short.
Not compelled to continue the series.
May 16, 2020
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