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Commissario Montalbano #21
A Nest of Vipers
In the latest installment of the New York Times bestselling Inspector Montalbano mystery series, Montalbano investigates the death of wealthy accountant Cosimo Barletta in a case involving a string of mistresses and family secrets.
Inspector Montalbano enjoys simple pleasures: delicious food, walks along the water, the occasional smoke—yet these are just the backdrop to his duties as a detective.
His latest case is the killing of the wealthy Cosimo Barletta. Thought to be a widower living out a quiet life by the sea, Cosimo’s sudden death, by gunshot to the neck, opens up his past to scrutiny. What Montalbano uncovers is Cosimo’s trove of salacious photographs, used to extort young women, and a history full of greed and corruption. Montalbano, though resolved to find the killer, muses on where justice lies—in his pursuit of a suspect or with one of Cosimo’s innumerable victims getting the revenge they deserved?
“The novels of Andrea Camilleri breathe out the sense of place, the sense of humor, and the sense of despair that fills the air of Sicily.” —Donna Leon
From the Trade Paperback edition.
Inspector Montalbano enjoys simple pleasures: delicious food, walks along the water, the occasional smoke—yet these are just the backdrop to his duties as a detective.
His latest case is the killing of the wealthy Cosimo Barletta. Thought to be a widower living out a quiet life by the sea, Cosimo’s sudden death, by gunshot to the neck, opens up his past to scrutiny. What Montalbano uncovers is Cosimo’s trove of salacious photographs, used to extort young women, and a history full of greed and corruption. Montalbano, though resolved to find the killer, muses on where justice lies—in his pursuit of a suspect or with one of Cosimo’s innumerable victims getting the revenge they deserved?
“The novels of Andrea Camilleri breathe out the sense of place, the sense of humor, and the sense of despair that fills the air of Sicily.” —Donna Leon
From the Trade Paperback edition.
270 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
349 people are currently reading
1415 people want to read
About the author
Andrea Camilleri
434 books2,478 followersAndrea Camilleri was an Italian writer. He is considered one of the greatest Italian writers of both 20th and 21st centuries.
Originally from Porto Empedocle, Sicily, Camilleri began studies at the Faculty of Literature in 1944, without concluding them, meanwhile publishing poems and short stories. Around this time he joined the Italian Communist Party.
From 1948 to 1950 Camilleri studied stage and film direction at the Silvio D'Amico Academy of Dramatic Arts, and began to take on work as a director and screenwriter, directing especially plays by Pirandello and Beckett. As a matter of fact, his parents knew Pirandello and were even distant friends, as he tells in his essay on Pirandello "Biography of the changed son". His most famous works, the Montalbano series show many pirandellian elements: for example, the wild olive tree that helps Montalbano think, is on stage in his late work "The giants of the mountain"
With RAI, Camilleri worked on several TV productions, such as Inspector Maigret with Gino Cervi. In 1977 he returned to the Academy of Dramatic Arts, holding the chair of Movie Direction, and occupying it for 20 years.
In 1978 Camilleri wrote his first novel Il Corso Delle Cose ("The Way Things Go"). This was followed by Un Filo di Fumo ("A Thread of Smoke") in 1980. Neither of these works enjoyed any significant amount of popularity.
In 1992, after a long pause of 12 years, Camilleri once more took up novel-writing. A new book, La Stagione della Caccia ("The Hunting Season") turned out to be a best-seller.
In 1994 Camilleri published the first in a long series of novels: La forma dell'Acqua (The Shape of Water) featured the character of Inspector Montalbano, a fractious Sicilian detective in the police force of Vigàta, an imaginary Sicilian town. The series is written in Italian but with a substantial sprinkling of Sicilian phrases and grammar. The name Montalbano is an homage to the Spanish writer Manuel Vázquez Montalbán; the similarities between Montalban's Pepe Carvalho and Camilleri's fictional detective are remarkable. Both writers make great play of their protagonists' gastronomic preferences.
This feature provides an interesting quirk which has become something of a fad among his readership even in mainland Italy. The TV adaptation of Montalbano's adventures, starring the perfectly-cast Luca Zingaretti, further increased Camilleri's popularity to such a point that in 2003 Camilleri's home town, Porto Empedocle - on which Vigàta is modelled - took the extraordinary step of changing its official denomination to that of Porto Empedocle Vigàta, no doubt with an eye to capitalising on the tourism possibilities thrown up by the author's work.
In 1998 Camilleri won the Nino Martoglio International Book Award.
Camilleri lived in Rome where he worked as a TV and theatre director. About 10 million copies of his novels have been sold to date, and are becoming increasingly popular in the UK and North America.
In addition to the degree of popularity brought him by the novels, in recent months Andrea Camilleri has become even more of a media icon thanks to the parodies aired on an RAI radio show, where popular comedian, TV-host and impression artist Fiorello presents him as a raspy voiced, caustic character, madly in love with cigarettes and smoking (Camilleri is well-known for his love of tobacco).
He received an honorary degree from University of Pisa in 2005.
Originally from Porto Empedocle, Sicily, Camilleri began studies at the Faculty of Literature in 1944, without concluding them, meanwhile publishing poems and short stories. Around this time he joined the Italian Communist Party.
From 1948 to 1950 Camilleri studied stage and film direction at the Silvio D'Amico Academy of Dramatic Arts, and began to take on work as a director and screenwriter, directing especially plays by Pirandello and Beckett. As a matter of fact, his parents knew Pirandello and were even distant friends, as he tells in his essay on Pirandello "Biography of the changed son". His most famous works, the Montalbano series show many pirandellian elements: for example, the wild olive tree that helps Montalbano think, is on stage in his late work "The giants of the mountain"
With RAI, Camilleri worked on several TV productions, such as Inspector Maigret with Gino Cervi. In 1977 he returned to the Academy of Dramatic Arts, holding the chair of Movie Direction, and occupying it for 20 years.
In 1978 Camilleri wrote his first novel Il Corso Delle Cose ("The Way Things Go"). This was followed by Un Filo di Fumo ("A Thread of Smoke") in 1980. Neither of these works enjoyed any significant amount of popularity.
In 1992, after a long pause of 12 years, Camilleri once more took up novel-writing. A new book, La Stagione della Caccia ("The Hunting Season") turned out to be a best-seller.
In 1994 Camilleri published the first in a long series of novels: La forma dell'Acqua (The Shape of Water) featured the character of Inspector Montalbano, a fractious Sicilian detective in the police force of Vigàta, an imaginary Sicilian town. The series is written in Italian but with a substantial sprinkling of Sicilian phrases and grammar. The name Montalbano is an homage to the Spanish writer Manuel Vázquez Montalbán; the similarities between Montalban's Pepe Carvalho and Camilleri's fictional detective are remarkable. Both writers make great play of their protagonists' gastronomic preferences.
This feature provides an interesting quirk which has become something of a fad among his readership even in mainland Italy. The TV adaptation of Montalbano's adventures, starring the perfectly-cast Luca Zingaretti, further increased Camilleri's popularity to such a point that in 2003 Camilleri's home town, Porto Empedocle - on which Vigàta is modelled - took the extraordinary step of changing its official denomination to that of Porto Empedocle Vigàta, no doubt with an eye to capitalising on the tourism possibilities thrown up by the author's work.
In 1998 Camilleri won the Nino Martoglio International Book Award.
Camilleri lived in Rome where he worked as a TV and theatre director. About 10 million copies of his novels have been sold to date, and are becoming increasingly popular in the UK and North America.
In addition to the degree of popularity brought him by the novels, in recent months Andrea Camilleri has become even more of a media icon thanks to the parodies aired on an RAI radio show, where popular comedian, TV-host and impression artist Fiorello presents him as a raspy voiced, caustic character, madly in love with cigarettes and smoking (Camilleri is well-known for his love of tobacco).
He received an honorary degree from University of Pisa in 2005.
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November 30, 2025
Every once in a while I take a break from more serious reading and try an Inspector Montalbano mystery! This is a police procedural translated from the Italian.
These are fun reads as the Inspector is known for his love of good food both at a local (Sicilian) trattoria and that cooked for him by his maid/cook. I say a “fun” read but this novel also has an author’s note at the end saying how it was hard for him to write about a “difficult subject.”
The Inspector’s excessive hours and his obsession with his cases tries the patience of his woman friend, so the relationship in on again/off again. Montalbano has an eye for women: “She sat down in such a way that the slit on the side of her skirt exposed her legs, which in any case merited attention.” He hates bureaucracy and he likes pulling the chain of his idiot superiors as much as they like pulling his.
His chief assistant speaks dialect that sounds almost like a Sicilian Brooklyn accent that can get annoying at times. “Nah, nat azackly, Chief, bu’ sints I fuhgot wha’ ‘izzoner the c’mishner said azackly, I tought ‘at mebbe if I mintioned the Madonna ya might figger out wha’ ‘izzoner the c’mishner said.”
The story starts when a wealthy older man is found shot. The assumption is that he was a widower living a quiet life by the sea. In reality he had a young woman over every weekend and he blackmailed them into coming back by secretly taking photos and threatening to send the photos to parents, husbands and friends. He didn’t just blackmail them but also gave them expensive gifts.
He has a son and a daughter who both worry about him spending too much money on these women or possible marrying one and giving his wealth to the woman instead of them.
And by the way, we quickly learn he was “killed twice” --- Poisoned first and then shot!
There’s also a mysterious homeless man living in a cave that Montalbano and his woman friend both take an interest in and try to help out. Somehow he has a connection to the case too.
There is some good writing. Of one character he writes”…a fortyish man with glasses, thin and anonymous looking – that is, possessed of one of those faces that you forget the moment you see it.”
“The brain is a big ball-busting machine that not only never stops, but forces you to think whatever it wants. In vain you try to recall the happy moments of your life: after less than five minutes your brain will force you to think about things you’d rather not remember.”
A good story with a lot of local color of Sicily. And you have to love the mouth-watering food scattered throughout the book: “Adelina had made him fried pasta with broccoli and a salad of calamari rings, shrimp, celery, carrots and passuluna olives.” He loves his wine and an occasional smoke and a whiskey.
The author died in 2019 at age 94. He was best known for this Inspector Montalbano series, I think twenty-six in all, although some of the most recent ones do not yet appear to have been translated into English. The stories were made into a popular TV series in Italy. His hometown, featured under the fictitious name, Vigàta, in his novels, has officially appended that name to attract tourists. So it’s now called Porto Empedocle Vigàta, Sicily.
I have read a dozen of the Inspector Montalbano series. I won’t list my reviews of all of them but below are links to my reviews of some of the ones I most enjoyed.
The Smell of the Night #6
The Safety Net #25
The Terra-Cotta Dog #2
The Patience of the Spider #8
The Other End of the Line #24
The Voice of the Volin #4
Photos of Porto Empedocle Vigàta from siciliaweekend.info and siviaggia.files.wordpress.com
The author from iitaly.org/sites
These are fun reads as the Inspector is known for his love of good food both at a local (Sicilian) trattoria and that cooked for him by his maid/cook. I say a “fun” read but this novel also has an author’s note at the end saying how it was hard for him to write about a “difficult subject.”
The Inspector’s excessive hours and his obsession with his cases tries the patience of his woman friend, so the relationship in on again/off again. Montalbano has an eye for women: “She sat down in such a way that the slit on the side of her skirt exposed her legs, which in any case merited attention.” He hates bureaucracy and he likes pulling the chain of his idiot superiors as much as they like pulling his.
His chief assistant speaks dialect that sounds almost like a Sicilian Brooklyn accent that can get annoying at times. “Nah, nat azackly, Chief, bu’ sints I fuhgot wha’ ‘izzoner the c’mishner said azackly, I tought ‘at mebbe if I mintioned the Madonna ya might figger out wha’ ‘izzoner the c’mishner said.”
The story starts when a wealthy older man is found shot. The assumption is that he was a widower living a quiet life by the sea. In reality he had a young woman over every weekend and he blackmailed them into coming back by secretly taking photos and threatening to send the photos to parents, husbands and friends. He didn’t just blackmail them but also gave them expensive gifts.
He has a son and a daughter who both worry about him spending too much money on these women or possible marrying one and giving his wealth to the woman instead of them.
And by the way, we quickly learn he was “killed twice” --- Poisoned first and then shot!
There’s also a mysterious homeless man living in a cave that Montalbano and his woman friend both take an interest in and try to help out. Somehow he has a connection to the case too.
There is some good writing. Of one character he writes”…a fortyish man with glasses, thin and anonymous looking – that is, possessed of one of those faces that you forget the moment you see it.”
“The brain is a big ball-busting machine that not only never stops, but forces you to think whatever it wants. In vain you try to recall the happy moments of your life: after less than five minutes your brain will force you to think about things you’d rather not remember.”
A good story with a lot of local color of Sicily. And you have to love the mouth-watering food scattered throughout the book: “Adelina had made him fried pasta with broccoli and a salad of calamari rings, shrimp, celery, carrots and passuluna olives.” He loves his wine and an occasional smoke and a whiskey.
The author died in 2019 at age 94. He was best known for this Inspector Montalbano series, I think twenty-six in all, although some of the most recent ones do not yet appear to have been translated into English. The stories were made into a popular TV series in Italy. His hometown, featured under the fictitious name, Vigàta, in his novels, has officially appended that name to attract tourists. So it’s now called Porto Empedocle Vigàta, Sicily.
I have read a dozen of the Inspector Montalbano series. I won’t list my reviews of all of them but below are links to my reviews of some of the ones I most enjoyed.
The Smell of the Night #6
The Safety Net #25
The Terra-Cotta Dog #2
The Patience of the Spider #8
The Other End of the Line #24
The Voice of the Volin #4
Photos of Porto Empedocle Vigàta from siciliaweekend.info and siviaggia.files.wordpress.com
The author from iitaly.org/sites
Want to read
October 1, 2022Once again a visit to Montalbano’s Sicily where the policeman gets involved in a case of a man who appears to be shot. However the victim turns out to be poisoned as well so in essence there were two murder attempts at the victim.
However the investigations soon will show the victim be a sexual predator and a loanshark. The man becomes less sympathetic as the investigations continue. The man is survived by a daughter and a son and Montalbano has to find out what their roles were in this tragedy.
Another outing by Montalbano which becomes very dark as the story closes. Nonetheless it is another satisfying visit penned by Andrea Camilleri Who died in 2019 and whose last Montalbano was released this year.
This series is well worth your time and makes you want to visit Sicily.
However the investigations soon will show the victim be a sexual predator and a loanshark. The man becomes less sympathetic as the investigations continue. The man is survived by a daughter and a son and Montalbano has to find out what their roles were in this tragedy.
Another outing by Montalbano which becomes very dark as the story closes. Nonetheless it is another satisfying visit penned by Andrea Camilleri Who died in 2019 and whose last Montalbano was released this year.
This series is well worth your time and makes you want to visit Sicily.
October 25, 2016
Λοιπόν τούτο το βιβλίο μόνο και μόνο για τον τίτλο του, δικαιούται ένα δεκάρι. Συγγραφέας που βάζει τα φίδια στον τίτλο του (γιατί στο DNA μου κυλάει και κάτι από οχιά), χαίρει της εκτίμησης μου και του το ανταποδίδω.
Είμαι λάτρης του Μονταλμπάνο, του αστυνομικού ήρωα του Καμιλλέρι. Είναι τύπος μεσογειακός, καλοφαγάς, με μοναδικό σπίτι με βεράντα που βλέπει στη θάλασσα, που παρά τα 58 του χρόνια έχει ακόμα αρραβωνιαστικιά και που λύνει τις αστυνομικές του υποθέσεις καταβροχθίζοντας μπαρμπούνια και πετρόψαρα στου Έντσο.
Διαβάζω τα βιβλία του όχι για το αστυνομικό σασπένς, ούτε για το ψυχογράφημα του δολοφόνου αλλά για να ζω τη ζωή του Μονταλμπάνο στη Σικελία.
Στη «φωλιά της οχιάς», το πτώμα ανήκει σ’έναν έκφυλο λογιστή που δεν άφηνε ούτε θηλυκιά γάτα παραπονούμενη και οι πιθανοί δολοφόνοι πολλοί.
Επειδή όμως μου αρέσει να είμαι και ακριβοδίκαιο, η λύση του μυστηρίου στο τέλος μου άφησε ερωτήματα αναπάντητα και μια πικρίλα στο στόμα γιατί όταν καταπιανόμαστε με κάποια θέματα σοβαρά, πρέπει να παραμένουν σοβαρά. Αν ήταν άλλος συγγραφέας με το δολοφόνο που μου πάσαρε, θα τον είχα ξεφωνίσει, αλλά έχουμε και τις αδυναμίες μας… Τόσα τηγανιτά μπαρμπούνια φάγαμε μαζί στου Έντσο, τόσες σαλάτες με μύδια και χταποδάκι μας φίλεψε η Αντελίνα, τόσο σικελιώτικο κρασί ρουφήξαμε στη βεράντα με θέα τη θάλασσα… του την χαρίζω αυτή τη φορά…
Βαθμολογία: 6/10
http://skorofido.blogspot.gr/2016/10/...
Είμαι λάτρης του Μονταλμπάνο, του αστυνομικού ήρωα του Καμιλλέρι. Είναι τύπος μεσογειακός, καλοφαγάς, με μοναδικό σπίτι με βεράντα που βλέπει στη θάλασσα, που παρά τα 58 του χρόνια έχει ακόμα αρραβωνιαστικιά και που λύνει τις αστυνομικές του υποθέσεις καταβροχθίζοντας μπαρμπούνια και πετρόψαρα στου Έντσο.
Διαβάζω τα βιβλία του όχι για το αστυνομικό σασπένς, ούτε για το ψυχογράφημα του δολοφόνου αλλά για να ζω τη ζωή του Μονταλμπάνο στη Σικελία.
Στη «φωλιά της οχιάς», το πτώμα ανήκει σ’έναν έκφυλο λογιστή που δεν άφηνε ούτε θηλυκιά γάτα παραπονούμενη και οι πιθανοί δολοφόνοι πολλοί.
Επειδή όμως μου αρέσει να είμαι και ακριβοδίκαιο, η λύση του μυστηρίου στο τέλος μου άφησε ερωτήματα αναπάντητα και μια πικρίλα στο στόμα γιατί όταν καταπιανόμαστε με κάποια θέματα σοβαρά, πρέπει να παραμένουν σοβαρά. Αν ήταν άλλος συγγραφέας με το δολοφόνο που μου πάσαρε, θα τον είχα ξεφωνίσει, αλλά έχουμε και τις αδυναμίες μας… Τόσα τηγανιτά μπαρμπούνια φάγαμε μαζί στου Έντσο, τόσες σαλάτες με μύδια και χταποδάκι μας φίλεψε η Αντελίνα, τόσο σικελιώτικο κρασί ρουφήξαμε στη βεράντα με θέα τη θάλασσα… του την χαρίζω αυτή τη φορά…
Βαθμολογία: 6/10
http://skorofido.blogspot.gr/2016/10/...
January 18, 2018
I have enjoyed Andrea Camilleri’s Salvo Montalbano series for decades, awaiting on tenterhooks for the English translation of each gem. Even so, I’d forgotten how laugh-out-loud funny Camilleri can be without (usually) falling into slapstick silliness. A Nest of Vipers, the 21st novel in the series, provides the taut mystery readers have come to expect while still providing lots of humor.
In this novel, a ruthless, womanizing businessman is found murdered at his beach house. There are so many secrets involved in this Cosimo Barletta’s businesses, sexual proclivities and family that I dare not say much more. Even though most readers will guess the final secret before the end, they won’t care because the writing and plotting are so excellent. Recommended.
In this novel, a ruthless, womanizing businessman is found murdered at his beach house. There are so many secrets involved in this Cosimo Barletta’s businesses, sexual proclivities and family that I dare not say much more. Even though most readers will guess the final secret before the end, they won’t care because the writing and plotting are so excellent. Recommended.
July 17, 2019
I just love the Montalbano series which with A Nest of Vipers came of age; the twenty-first outing for the majority of these characters.
Set in Sicily by Andrea Camilleri and wonderfully translated by Stephen Sartarelli. Full of wonderful locations, delightful food and great communication. It is no wonder these books translate so easily for the successful TV series, but they can not fully capture the wit and clever humour that masks the horrors of the crimes committed or the motivations of the killers. As a police procedurals they are of the highest standard as a mysteries they have depth and many points of interest and plot strands that fully involve you in the stories.
Here a man is reported as shot and murdered when his son arrived at his father’s home early one Sunday morning. That the investigation throws up a growing list of suspects means that motives abound and the victim clearing had not led a particularly good life.
From Chapter 4:
“In plain words, the number of people motivated by hatred for him probably reached three figures.
In even plainer words, the case was shaping up to be a tremendous pain. There would be hundreds of leads to follow , and they would all prove wrong in the end.
And it wasn’t that he was itching to dive headlong into the investigation.
Because it was one thing to send the killer of W good man to jail, and it was something else entirely to put away someone who had killed a stinking scoundrel.”
A beautifully crafted story, filled with intense moments and times of real pathos and revelation. The author writes with sensitivity but unrestrained passion not wasting his punches but using words of implication, sketching painful reality rather than graphic pictures to make his observations.
It is these subtle touches that show the author is a true artist and a literary genius.
He also has larger than life characters that go beyond stereotypes but reflect the worst extremes in aspects of society.
You can only love Catarella and his confusion; Adelina, Montalbano’s housekeeper, and her dislike for girlfriend Livia.
You can only chuckle regarding Tommaseo, the prosecutor, and his predilection for things of a sexual nature. I love the interactions between Montalbano and the doctor who performs the autopsy. Pasquano shares a similar appreciation for food as the inspector. When he disturbs the good doctor on the phone at home during a mealtime Montalbano gets the information he needs but also. ‘ Do you know what is my highest aspiration in life? To perform your post-mortem. ‘
These stories stand out as they are so human, where crime interjects with ordinary daily events. The world Camilleri invites you into is a rich and entertaining one filled with suspense but also reassurance. It is both real and make-believe enabling the reader to share the ills of society while being uplifted at the same time as the stories resonate with your mind and very nature.
If you haven’t pick up one of these books I urge you to do so; they might not change your life but they will leave a smile on your face. A Nest of Vipers is a good place to start but there are 20 previous novels to catch up with. So the pleasure seems unbounded.
Set in Sicily by Andrea Camilleri and wonderfully translated by Stephen Sartarelli. Full of wonderful locations, delightful food and great communication. It is no wonder these books translate so easily for the successful TV series, but they can not fully capture the wit and clever humour that masks the horrors of the crimes committed or the motivations of the killers. As a police procedurals they are of the highest standard as a mysteries they have depth and many points of interest and plot strands that fully involve you in the stories.
Here a man is reported as shot and murdered when his son arrived at his father’s home early one Sunday morning. That the investigation throws up a growing list of suspects means that motives abound and the victim clearing had not led a particularly good life.
From Chapter 4:
“In plain words, the number of people motivated by hatred for him probably reached three figures.
In even plainer words, the case was shaping up to be a tremendous pain. There would be hundreds of leads to follow , and they would all prove wrong in the end.
And it wasn’t that he was itching to dive headlong into the investigation.
Because it was one thing to send the killer of W good man to jail, and it was something else entirely to put away someone who had killed a stinking scoundrel.”
A beautifully crafted story, filled with intense moments and times of real pathos and revelation. The author writes with sensitivity but unrestrained passion not wasting his punches but using words of implication, sketching painful reality rather than graphic pictures to make his observations.
It is these subtle touches that show the author is a true artist and a literary genius.
He also has larger than life characters that go beyond stereotypes but reflect the worst extremes in aspects of society.
You can only love Catarella and his confusion; Adelina, Montalbano’s housekeeper, and her dislike for girlfriend Livia.
You can only chuckle regarding Tommaseo, the prosecutor, and his predilection for things of a sexual nature. I love the interactions between Montalbano and the doctor who performs the autopsy. Pasquano shares a similar appreciation for food as the inspector. When he disturbs the good doctor on the phone at home during a mealtime Montalbano gets the information he needs but also. ‘ Do you know what is my highest aspiration in life? To perform your post-mortem. ‘
These stories stand out as they are so human, where crime interjects with ordinary daily events. The world Camilleri invites you into is a rich and entertaining one filled with suspense but also reassurance. It is both real and make-believe enabling the reader to share the ills of society while being uplifted at the same time as the stories resonate with your mind and very nature.
If you haven’t pick up one of these books I urge you to do so; they might not change your life but they will leave a smile on your face. A Nest of Vipers is a good place to start but there are 20 previous novels to catch up with. So the pleasure seems unbounded.
November 19, 2021
#21 of 28! This one opens with light-heartedness as usual, and a (rare) and loving appearance from Inspector Salvo Montalbano's long time, long distance love Livia (they usually just fight on the phone), so that was nice. She deserves better from Salvo. And then there's goofball Cat(erella), with his abuse of language, but the lightness is a set up for one of Camilleri's darkest volumes (and he speaks of the difficulty of writing this one in an afterword; he wrote it years before and kept revising it to his satisfaction). The title is an indication of the kind of people we are dealing with, when the crime occurs: The story is about a wealthy older man, found shot. But he's not someone we would have liked; he has had for years an endless string of early-twenties lovers he initially seems to take care of financially but then he blackmails some of them to keep them available. His son and daughter resent him for these relationships, fearing the loss of their share of his will. We don't like any of these people, finally.
So many people wanted this guy to die, for good reason. And then, if the story weren't miserable enough, it turns downright disturbing, as we find out some family back story, though I won't name exactly how. But after the sweet lovemaking between Salvo and Livia in the opening, so much of the story deals with sexual obsession and perversity, which Camilleri tries to rescue by trying to convince us that some of the sexual obsessions of various characters (such as the prosecutor) are somewhat comical, but this strategy fails, to my mind.
So many people wanted this guy to die, for good reason. And then, if the story weren't miserable enough, it turns downright disturbing, as we find out some family back story, though I won't name exactly how. But after the sweet lovemaking between Salvo and Livia in the opening, so much of the story deals with sexual obsession and perversity, which Camilleri tries to rescue by trying to convince us that some of the sexual obsessions of various characters (such as the prosecutor) are somewhat comical, but this strategy fails, to my mind.
March 25, 2020
I am not well at the moment so read this book in a day.
Be careful with this story, it starts off with a dead body but ends with a darkness.
There are a few trigger warnings suicide and sexual assault, and other things, that may spoil the story. So just be careful.
I liked the main character and would like to read more of these stories but I can't recommend this one because it is upsetting.
Be careful with this story, it starts off with a dead body but ends with a darkness.
There are a few trigger warnings suicide and sexual assault, and other things, that may spoil the story. So just be careful.
I liked the main character and would like to read more of these stories but I can't recommend this one because it is upsetting.
June 9, 2013
Una delusione. In questo libro, scritto da Camilleri nel 2008 e pubblicato solo ora, manca molto: manca una trama sostenibile, mancano le indagini di Montalbano, il giallo si risolve praticamente da solo senza che il commissario si dia troppo da fare. Non solo: oltre a mancanze c’è anche molto di troppo: ci sono troppe macchiette ripetute che non fanno neanche più sorridere, come il giudice Tommaseo che fa pena, anche Catarella non ha più smalto, c’è Livia sempre uguale a sé stessa, antipatica più che mai, l’unico personaggio che mi è piaciuto è stato Augello, che in questa storia emerge come un bravo investigatore.
Non parlo della trama perché svelerei troppi particolari, mi limito a dire che è prevedibile e poco credibile, come già hanno scritto altri che l’hanno letto prima di me. Per il futuro l’unico Montalbano che frequenterò sarà quello televisivo.
Non parlo della trama perché svelerei troppi particolari, mi limito a dire che è prevedibile e poco credibile, come già hanno scritto altri che l’hanno letto prima di me. Per il futuro l’unico Montalbano che frequenterò sarà quello televisivo.
December 9, 2018
Ένα από τα πιο σοκαριστικά αστυνομικά μυθιστορήματα του Καμιλλέρι, στο οποίο ο επιθεωρητής Μονταλμπάνο μπαίνει, κυριολεκτικά, στη φωλιά της οχιάς. Η εκκίνηση της ιστορίας γίνεται με ένα άκρως μυστικιστικό και στοιχειωτικό όνειρο του επιθεωρητή, ο οποίος αποτελεί μέρος του πίνακα ' Το όνειρο' του Ανρί Ρουσσό (απεικονίζεται στο εξώφυλλο).
Στη πορεία, ο αναγνώστης θα γίνει μάρτυρας της συμμαχίας μεταξύ βίας και χυδαιότητας, όπου, τελικά, ίσως, δεν πείσει με την υπερβολή της.
Βαθμολογία: 3,92/5 ή 7,84/10.
Στη πορεία, ο αναγνώστης θα γίνει μάρτυρας της συμμαχίας μεταξύ βίας και χυδαιότητας, όπου, τελικά, ίσως, δεν πείσει με την υπερβολή της.
Βαθμολογία: 3,92/5 ή 7,84/10.
August 30, 2017
I first encountered Inspector Montalbano through the TV adaption screened by SBS with actor Luca Zingaretti in the lead role. In “A Nest of Vipers” the deceased, Cosimo Barletta, is a loan shark and compulsive womaniser who chases, beds and secretly photographs young attractive women. We learn that his wife drowned years earlier and there is friction between his adult daughter and son over the will, compounded by the news that the autopsy showed the deceased to have been poisoned then shot.
This is the fourth book in the series I have read, and has lost none of the charm of the others. Montalbano is commissario di pubblica sicurezza in the fictitious Sicilian town of Vigàta. He lives alone, has a housekeeper who is a superb cook (he loves his food) and a fiery long-term girlfriend Livia, who flies in from time to time from Genoa, both women hating each other. Montalbano despises the carabineri and the townsfolk include a sprinkling of unsavoury characters, with a fair amount of chicanery going on and links to mafiosa. Naturally the suspect list is long and complex.
A pleasant and easy read, Camilleri has built a long career in movies and TV, so the emphasis here is on dialogue and gestures rather than lengthy descriptive passages, and technology is low key / unobtrusive. Personally I would have liked greater detail on the countryside and architecture of the area, but he handles unpleasant themes sensitively, without resorting to shock the reader. Recommended.
This is the fourth book in the series I have read, and has lost none of the charm of the others. Montalbano is commissario di pubblica sicurezza in the fictitious Sicilian town of Vigàta. He lives alone, has a housekeeper who is a superb cook (he loves his food) and a fiery long-term girlfriend Livia, who flies in from time to time from Genoa, both women hating each other. Montalbano despises the carabineri and the townsfolk include a sprinkling of unsavoury characters, with a fair amount of chicanery going on and links to mafiosa. Naturally the suspect list is long and complex.
A pleasant and easy read, Camilleri has built a long career in movies and TV, so the emphasis here is on dialogue and gestures rather than lengthy descriptive passages, and technology is low key / unobtrusive. Personally I would have liked greater detail on the countryside and architecture of the area, but he handles unpleasant themes sensitively, without resorting to shock the reader. Recommended.
August 17, 2017
Very weak effort by Camilleri. A man is found by his son shot to death at his breakfast table, but he was already dead from being poisoned when he was shot. As Inspector Montalbano investigates, his son and daughter reveal that he was disliked by most, and loathed by the rest so the list of suspects is long, including a number of women in their 20s being blackmailed for sexual liaisons. Unfortunately, the killers were way too obvious, and there was little mystery in this one, other than the vagrant on the hill. Even Catarella's butchering of names and language generally is growing a bit old now.
October 5, 2023
Disturbing reading
December 21, 2017
Opening a new Montalbano is always a delight, like being back with old friends. In this one, Camilleri moves away from the stories of Mafia and public corruption, and instead focuses on a domestic killing and a twisted family.
I have to confess that I'd solved this one way ahead of Montalbano, but the enjoyment of these books goes far deeper than whodunit. With Cat more muddled and muddling than ever, Tommaseo in his element with pornographic photos, and Livia coming to stay for a few days, this one is pure enjoyment.
I have to confess that I'd solved this one way ahead of Montalbano, but the enjoyment of these books goes far deeper than whodunit. With Cat more muddled and muddling than ever, Tommaseo in his element with pornographic photos, and Livia coming to stay for a few days, this one is pure enjoyment.
June 26, 2016
Έχω διαβάσει ολα τα βιβλιαράκια του Camilleri με ήρωα τον Montalbano,δεν υπάρχει λοιπόν λόγος να σκέφτομαι και να δηλώνω αν μου αρέσουν ή όχι.Προφανως τα λατρεύω,είναι μια ανάσα για μένα αυτές οι ιστορίες.Το βιβλιαράκι ειναι ιδανικό για παραλία.
June 12, 2013
M: "Pronto, signor Camilleri? Montalbano sono."
C: "Ah, carissimo, mi dica."
M: "Questa mia ultima indagine... ecco... non le sembra un po' raffazzonata?"
C: "Ma, come si permette!"
M: "Ecco vede, il finale si capisce dopo neanche metà romanzo, certi personaggi indossano magliette con la scritta 'DEUS EX MACHINA, PIACERE', le parti di contorno alla vicenda sono ormai le stesse da Il cane di terracotta e chi più ne ha più ne metta.
C: "Beh sa, l'avevo scritto nel 2008 e la qualità era obbiettivamente bassina ma, visto che l'età avanza, ormai me ne frego e corro a pubblicare il pubblicabile, altrimenti alla Sellerio i bimbi non mangiano."
M: "Ah, perfetto. L'importante è saperlo. A risentirla."
C: "A presto carissimo, e stia pronto ad una nuova entusiasmante serie di sciarratine con Livia!"
D - E - L - U - D - E - N - T - E
C: "Ah, carissimo, mi dica."
M: "Questa mia ultima indagine... ecco... non le sembra un po' raffazzonata?"
C: "Ma, come si permette!"
M: "Ecco vede, il finale si capisce dopo neanche metà romanzo, certi personaggi indossano magliette con la scritta 'DEUS EX MACHINA, PIACERE', le parti di contorno alla vicenda sono ormai le stesse da Il cane di terracotta e chi più ne ha più ne metta.
C: "Beh sa, l'avevo scritto nel 2008 e la qualità era obbiettivamente bassina ma, visto che l'età avanza, ormai me ne frego e corro a pubblicare il pubblicabile, altrimenti alla Sellerio i bimbi non mangiano."
M: "Ah, perfetto. L'importante è saperlo. A risentirla."
C: "A presto carissimo, e stia pronto ad una nuova entusiasmante serie di sciarratine con Livia!"
D - E - L - U - D - E - N - T - E
November 23, 2019
Nuestro inoxidable Montalbano es llamado para resolver el crimen de Cosimo Barletta, usurero y chantajista, reacio padre de familia, fervoroso viejo verde, que ha sido "doblemente asesinado." (Veneno y un disparo, pero ¿Por qué?)
El autor se ocupa de ir dejando pistas suficientes como para que, tímidamente, anticipemos uno de los finales más difíciles de digerir que he leído en esta legendaria saga. En fin, no importa, nada disminuye el placer de la buena compañía del gran Montalbano que, en este nuevo caso, tendrá que bucear en las profundidades más oscuras y escabrosas del alma humana.
El autor se ocupa de ir dejando pistas suficientes como para que, tímidamente, anticipemos uno de los finales más difíciles de digerir que he leído en esta legendaria saga. En fin, no importa, nada disminuye el placer de la buena compañía del gran Montalbano que, en este nuevo caso, tendrá que bucear en las profundidades más oscuras y escabrosas del alma humana.
August 6, 2017
This one had a truly dark core. A man has been murdered. TWICE! He's been shot in the head while sitting up- the only thing is this. It was a corpse that was shot, because he had been poisoned 15 minutes previously.
It's a Montalbano banquet every day with the food. Mimi does his usual work. Inside and outside of the "job". Fazio is perfect. And the input officer never gets the name right, as usual. Livia is full frontal because she's on a three day visit from Genoa and is in a gym phase perfection on top of it. And she tried to make Silvio pasta herself. That is a FIRST. Of course he was IMMEDIATELY "called away".
But for some reason, as good as these personality cuts are- and they are super fine in print; I still find them BETTER in the visuals than I do in the word forms of Camilleri novels. MUCH is lost in the lack of facial and hand expression, IMHO. And the "looseness" of the station in general. (All of that double door opening and closing ritual, for instance.) Although Camilleri is a genius with the words that DO portray some depth of the nuance. The television series that you can obtain filmed in Italy with English subtitles (he writes approvals) IS AWESOME. I've seen every single one- and some of them are difficult to obtain through loan sources. I think at this point, nearly two dozen. Each is a 80-90 minute Italian production- down to a T duplication of the novels. Plus that BEACH!!
Bureaucracy blocks everything as usual and individual skirting the "rules" triumphs in numerous small and feminine causes, in particular. Everybody constantly lies about where they are eating too, as usual. But eventually the nest of the title is raided through some long ago letters. And emptied by confession and a suicide. This particular family's nest makes the Corleone's look a standard issue bird box in comparison.
It's a Montalbano banquet every day with the food. Mimi does his usual work. Inside and outside of the "job". Fazio is perfect. And the input officer never gets the name right, as usual. Livia is full frontal because she's on a three day visit from Genoa and is in a gym phase perfection on top of it. And she tried to make Silvio pasta herself. That is a FIRST. Of course he was IMMEDIATELY "called away".
But for some reason, as good as these personality cuts are- and they are super fine in print; I still find them BETTER in the visuals than I do in the word forms of Camilleri novels. MUCH is lost in the lack of facial and hand expression, IMHO. And the "looseness" of the station in general. (All of that double door opening and closing ritual, for instance.) Although Camilleri is a genius with the words that DO portray some depth of the nuance. The television series that you can obtain filmed in Italy with English subtitles (he writes approvals) IS AWESOME. I've seen every single one- and some of them are difficult to obtain through loan sources. I think at this point, nearly two dozen. Each is a 80-90 minute Italian production- down to a T duplication of the novels. Plus that BEACH!!
Bureaucracy blocks everything as usual and individual skirting the "rules" triumphs in numerous small and feminine causes, in particular. Everybody constantly lies about where they are eating too, as usual. But eventually the nest of the title is raided through some long ago letters. And emptied by confession and a suicide. This particular family's nest makes the Corleone's look a standard issue bird box in comparison.
March 11, 2017
καλό ήταν αλλά το διάβασα όλο για να επιβεβαιώσω ότι είχα καταλάβει απ την αρχή και τον δολοφόνο και το γιατί έγινε ο φόνος
November 8, 2025
Non il suo migliore. Ma è sempre un.piacere ritrovare i personaggi di Camilleri e leggere il siciliano. Non si può fare a meno, durante la lettura, di associare i dialoghi agli attori che vediamo nella fiction in TV. Voto: 6 ½
August 14, 2019
Good stuff, as usual from Camilleri. My proper review is here: http://patricksherriff.com/2019/08/14...
May 29, 2022
Quitando el Male Gaze que clarísimamente tiene el autor, me ha encantado. Me gusta mucho la serie y quería leerme al menos alguno de los libros. Ha sido un acierto.
Sin duda leeré más.
Sin duda leeré más.
September 8, 2017
A Nest of Vipers – Another Montalbano Classic
Time spent with a Montalbano mystery is always a journey of pleasure, pain and comfort. Pleasure because the stories are so well written, the characters outstanding, the pain, being the actual crime, and the pleasure the comedy and food. Seeing his constant worries about aging and his relationship with Livia, and his relationship with food which is better than that with his colleagues.
Montalbano is called out to murder of a man killed in his own kitchen on a Sunday morning, having been found by his son. Little does he know he is opening a Pandora’s Box on dysfunctional families and this family happen to be the poster family on dysfunctional.
Livia also on a visit has ‘adopted’ a local tramp, that Montalbano has assisted, and she gives away clothing to him. She also makes regular visits to him and worries about him when he comes down with the flu. She even tells Montalbano to visit him, when she has gone home to make sure he is well. Montalbano eventually has an interesting conversation with the tramp, as he has decided to move on, that opens Montalbano’s eyes.
All the usual characters appear in this thriller along with Mimi’s constant wanderings with other women, Fazio’s diligence and Caterella stamping around. With plenty of visits to Enzo’s, and the descriptions of the food always makes my mouth water.
Once again, this Montalbano has been brilliantly translated into English, and the translator, Stephen Sartarelli needs congratulating on his fine work.
The only thing, when you finish one Montalbano you just hope there is another on the horizon.
Time spent with a Montalbano mystery is always a journey of pleasure, pain and comfort. Pleasure because the stories are so well written, the characters outstanding, the pain, being the actual crime, and the pleasure the comedy and food. Seeing his constant worries about aging and his relationship with Livia, and his relationship with food which is better than that with his colleagues.
Montalbano is called out to murder of a man killed in his own kitchen on a Sunday morning, having been found by his son. Little does he know he is opening a Pandora’s Box on dysfunctional families and this family happen to be the poster family on dysfunctional.
Livia also on a visit has ‘adopted’ a local tramp, that Montalbano has assisted, and she gives away clothing to him. She also makes regular visits to him and worries about him when he comes down with the flu. She even tells Montalbano to visit him, when she has gone home to make sure he is well. Montalbano eventually has an interesting conversation with the tramp, as he has decided to move on, that opens Montalbano’s eyes.
All the usual characters appear in this thriller along with Mimi’s constant wanderings with other women, Fazio’s diligence and Caterella stamping around. With plenty of visits to Enzo’s, and the descriptions of the food always makes my mouth water.
Once again, this Montalbano has been brilliantly translated into English, and the translator, Stephen Sartarelli needs congratulating on his fine work.
The only thing, when you finish one Montalbano you just hope there is another on the horizon.
September 4, 2017
Not among Camilleri's best in this long-running series, but still worth the read for Montalbano fans.
Normally I would have nothing but praise for one of Camilleri's novels, but this time around I think that Camilleri didn't go his normal distance. To be sure, the things I enjoy about this series are still here -- the camaraderie between Salvo and his colleagues, the jokes built around the prosecutor and the doctor, the lovely feel of this little slice of Sicily and Salvo himself -- but despite the somewhat horrific story which unfolds, this is definitely not up there with the author's best books in the series. First of all, I cottoned on to what was going on long before Salvo figured it out which is never good; second, there's the introduction of a somewhat enigmatic character whose purpose isn't quite clear until the end, where he provides a sort of verbal deus ex machina that gives Salvo a bit of a nudge in the right direction. Considering that Camilleri had actually written (but not published) this novel in 2008 after writing The Potter's Field (2007) which later won him the International Dagger Award, well, it could have been a much stronger book than it actually turned out to be.
Still, the truth is that once I became aware of where this story was headed, my stomach was churning, so it did provoke a strong reaction; I was also quite impressed by one of the main themes in this book in which Montalbano spends time pondering, as the back-cover blurb reveals, "where justice lies," and in this case, readers are left with an outright serious conundrum. And now that I'm actually thinking about it, the way in which Camilleri sets up the question within the titular "nest of vipers" is very nicely done. It's too bad I can't explain this thought in more detail but careful readers will understand.
I am pretty much unyielding (okay, downright persnickety) about reading books in series order, so my advice is to not let A Nest of Vipers become your starting point in this series -- each book builds on the previous so you'll miss way too much if you don't read them in order. And while it may not be Camilleri's best, this book is still well worth reading, especially for die-hard fans of the series among whom I count myself.
for more (containing a bit about plot but not too much and for sure no spoilers),
http://www.crimesegments.com/2017/09/...
Normally I would have nothing but praise for one of Camilleri's novels, but this time around I think that Camilleri didn't go his normal distance. To be sure, the things I enjoy about this series are still here -- the camaraderie between Salvo and his colleagues, the jokes built around the prosecutor and the doctor, the lovely feel of this little slice of Sicily and Salvo himself -- but despite the somewhat horrific story which unfolds, this is definitely not up there with the author's best books in the series. First of all, I cottoned on to what was going on long before Salvo figured it out which is never good; second, there's the introduction of a somewhat enigmatic character whose purpose isn't quite clear until the end, where he provides a sort of verbal deus ex machina that gives Salvo a bit of a nudge in the right direction. Considering that Camilleri had actually written (but not published) this novel in 2008 after writing The Potter's Field (2007) which later won him the International Dagger Award, well, it could have been a much stronger book than it actually turned out to be.
Still, the truth is that once I became aware of where this story was headed, my stomach was churning, so it did provoke a strong reaction; I was also quite impressed by one of the main themes in this book in which Montalbano spends time pondering, as the back-cover blurb reveals, "where justice lies," and in this case, readers are left with an outright serious conundrum. And now that I'm actually thinking about it, the way in which Camilleri sets up the question within the titular "nest of vipers" is very nicely done. It's too bad I can't explain this thought in more detail but careful readers will understand.
I am pretty much unyielding (okay, downright persnickety) about reading books in series order, so my advice is to not let A Nest of Vipers become your starting point in this series -- each book builds on the previous so you'll miss way too much if you don't read them in order. And while it may not be Camilleri's best, this book is still well worth reading, especially for die-hard fans of the series among whom I count myself.
for more (containing a bit about plot but not too much and for sure no spoilers),
http://www.crimesegments.com/2017/09/...
June 16, 2013
Si era trattato d’amuri. Era possibbili adoperari ‘sta parola? Se arriniscivi a superari il disgusto, la nausea, l’orrore, e arrivavi alla sostanzia, forse sì.
Anche questa volta Camilleri, pur affrontando un argomento molto delicato, è riuscito a trascinarmi e coinvolgermi fino alla fine, ma su quel tipo d’amore ho dei serissimi dubbi: chi ama non vìola l’innocenza, protegge. Inutile ribadire che amo tutti i personaggi di questa serie, con i loro pregi e i loro difetti, indistintamente.
Anche questa volta Camilleri, pur affrontando un argomento molto delicato, è riuscito a trascinarmi e coinvolgermi fino alla fine, ma su quel tipo d’amore ho dei serissimi dubbi: chi ama non vìola l’innocenza, protegge. Inutile ribadire che amo tutti i personaggi di questa serie, con i loro pregi e i loro difetti, indistintamente.
October 17, 2017
I always expect to be ecstatic when reading one of these books, but this did not measure up to the usual humour coupled with genuine joie de vivre Italian style.
The Inspector fell short in his ability to see the truth early on - a father is killed and a string of suspects is questioned by many. As they examined the victim's life the list was long. "That was all they needed. Not only was Barletta an unscrupulous businessman, a womanizer, and a blackmailer, he was also a loan shark!"
The book starts with one of his crazy dreams and continues with the amusing exchanges at headquarters, a visit from Livia and fine meals mixed with a small measure of exercise, the usual and expected elements.
A final note from author reveals it was written back in 2008 and publication was delayed.
I am most definitely a fan of Andrea Camilleri and look forward to any other books he may publish.
The Inspector fell short in his ability to see the truth early on - a father is killed and a string of suspects is questioned by many. As they examined the victim's life the list was long. "That was all they needed. Not only was Barletta an unscrupulous businessman, a womanizer, and a blackmailer, he was also a loan shark!"
The book starts with one of his crazy dreams and continues with the amusing exchanges at headquarters, a visit from Livia and fine meals mixed with a small measure of exercise, the usual and expected elements.
A final note from author reveals it was written back in 2008 and publication was delayed.
I am most definitely a fan of Andrea Camilleri and look forward to any other books he may publish.
May 22, 2022
Same as all my other reviews, great story. With each next installment in the series, I consistently find a good tale woven by Mr. Camilleri.
This time Salvo must try to figure out who killed one of the most hated men in Vigata. The problem is that he was so hated, the list of suspects would be daunting. Here comes the Inspector and his natural skills to finally figure out who the killer(s) might be.
This was a much needed good read after the last disaster of a book I read.
This time Salvo must try to figure out who killed one of the most hated men in Vigata. The problem is that he was so hated, the list of suspects would be daunting. Here comes the Inspector and his natural skills to finally figure out who the killer(s) might be.
This was a much needed good read after the last disaster of a book I read.
January 1, 2026
Tra tutti i montalbano, forse uno di quelli dal finale più straziante e doloroso. Però come sempre bellissimo. Questo mio viaggio con Camilleri è una delle esperienze letterarie più belle che abbia mai vissuto.
September 21, 2018
Je découvre avec ce roman l'auteur et son commissaire, les terres de la Sicile et sa gastronomie. Je le relirai avec plaisir. Ce titre est une belle façon d'entrer dans la série. 👌🏻
October 18, 2025
Ich bin ja ein großer Fan der Reihe. Aber das fand ich langweilig
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