Publisher's Weekly Review
First published in 1992, this bawdy little gem from the author of the Inspector Montalbano series (Treasure Hunt, etc.) shares a theme with the Alex Guinness movie classic Kind Hearts and Coronets and possesses a wit that Boccaccio would have appreciated. On January 1, 1880, Santo Alfonso de' Liguori arrives by boat at the Sicilian port of Vigata, where he rents and renovates a house with a pharmacy below and living quarters above. De' Liguori is actually Alfonso "Fofo" La Matina, who disappeared 20 years earlier from Vigata when he was about 10 years old, after escaping from the masked men who murdered his father, a farmhand "who had a magic garden in a secret place." Someone who recognizes the older Fofo ominously notes that "tomorrow hunting season opens." As the "accidental" deaths begin to multiply, the delightfully quirky residents of Vigata indulge in endless rumors and speculation. Agent: Donatella Barbieri, Agenzia Letteraria Internazionale (Italy). (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Library Journal Review
Camilleri (Treasure Hunt) is the author of a distinguished series of crime noir novels featuring inspector Montalbano and the fictional Sicilian town of Vigata. Here, he turns his hand to historical fiction: the result is another success. In the 1880s, a stranger steps off the boat in Vigata and things start happening. A lecherous marchese impregnates a servant. His wife has cuckolded him so many times he no longer notices, and his son is in love with a goat. A host of other characters keep the narrative bubbling like a spicy stew, while Camilleri observes his ofttimes deceitful characters with a loving but cool eye. By the end, nine people are dead. Still, no one can make a connection among them. Then for a brief moment, this comedy of manners becomes a mystery with a denouement of sorts. The language throughout is salty, occasionally obscene, but always humorous, and the characters are lively. It would take a saint not to crack a smile at the antics that take place in these pages. Verdict Mystery lovers, definitely, will love this book, but it has much to offer all fans of fiction.-David Keymer, Modesto, CA (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
