Book Review: The Voice of the Violin

Reviewed By: Cheryl - RAM

The Voice of the Violin     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Andrea Camilleri
Class/Genre:   Mystery
Series: Inspector Montalbano # 4

'Voice of the Violin' is a book in the Inspector Montalbano series. Inspector Montalbano is an Italian police officer, working in Sicily. He discovers the body of a beautiful woman who has clearly been murdered. The circumstances may indicate that the murder was part of a violent rape, but the inspector does not think that the evidence for that solution to the crime is really convincing. There are a number of interesting plot twists before the solution is revealed.

Inspector Montalbano is a familiar type in detective fiction. He is a fairly senior police officer, but unlikely to progress further in his career because of his conflicts with ambitious and more senior officers. He is an honest officer - but not above taking certain liberties with regulations. He is essentially solitary, with difficulties in his personal life. He is, however, a very good example of the type, and is convincingly portrayed.

This book is one of a series, but it is not neccessary to have read the earlier books to enjoy this one. Inspector Montalbano is an interesting character, and the little touches about his daily life provide an intriguing picture of life in Italy.

Cheryl - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Cheryl - RAM