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In this mystery novella featuring Inspector Montalbano, a deadly accident at a building site prompts a search with shocking revelations
 
Yesterday morning around seven thirty, an Albanian construction worker, age thirty-eight, Pashko Puka, a legal resident with a work permit, hired by the Santa Maria construction company owned by Alfredo Corso, fell from a scaffold that had been erected during the construction of an apartment building in Tonnarello, between Vigata and Montelusa. His coworkers, who immediately rushed to his aid, unfortunately discovered he had died.

There have been six events euphemistically called “tragedies in the workplace” in the past month. Six deaths caused by an inexplicable disregard for safety regulations. When the local magistrate opens an investigation, Inspector Montalbano is on the case. But Montalbano soon discovers that these seemingly unrelated incidents are only part of a larger network of crimes.

This intricate work is a testament to Andrea Camilleri’s talent for building engaging plots that continue to charm readers by the thousands.

168 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2002

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About the author

Andrea Camilleri

388 books2,291 followers
Andrea Camilleri (born september 6, 1925 in Porto Empedocle) 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.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
Profile Image for Ivonne Rovira.
2,069 reviews216 followers
January 4, 2015
The Fourth Secret opens with a nightmare: Chief Inspector Salvo Montalbano dreams that someone’s shot and killed Catarella, the error-prone Vigàta police who’s devoted to his superior. Although no Freudian, Montalbano thinks the dream’s a warning, but of what?

Author Andrea Camilleri had me from the very first pages, and I read straight through the night, riveted by The Fourth Secret’s many twists. This 77-page novella appears in English just four months before the 18th Montalbano novel, Game of Mirrors, is scheduled to be released in its English translation; it certainly made the wait more bearable.

As Montalbano discovers, an Albanian construction worker has died from a fall from scaffolding — hardly a crime — except that there were six such “tragedies in the workplace” in the province of Montelusa in a single month. And a letter had been mailed to Montalbano three days before the death, although it arrived too late for the latter to intercede. In the matter of the dead Albanian — whose “accident” was no accident — Montalbano teams up with the loyal, if dim-witted, Catarella to follow the trail of these “accidents” to dangerous high levels of Sicilian society and to men ruthless enough to make Montalbano’s nightmare come true.

First-time readers will find this five-star read a fabulous introduction to a fabulous mystery series, while longtime fans, like me, will welcome any chance to reunite with their long-lost friends at the Vigàta police station.
Profile Image for Giulio Ciacchini.
252 reviews5 followers
February 9, 2024
È una piccola raccolta di racconti gialli, sempre ironici ed avvincenti.
"Ferito a morte" è il migliore dei sei racconti, sia per la trama che per lo sviluppo dei personaggi.
Camilleri è un maestro nell'intrecciare elementi di suspense, umorismo e commento sociale, offrendoci uno sguardo privilegiato sulla cultura e la società siciliana.
Profile Image for Eduardo Boris Muñiz .
435 reviews19 followers
November 2, 2021
El Miedo de Montalbano - Es el noveno libro de la saga del comisario Montalbano, personaje creado por el genio de Andrea Camillieri.
Este es el tercer libro de la saga compuesto por relatos cortos, la diferencia es que son menos cantidad y más largos. Ahora no recuerdo bien, pero creo que son 6, dos de ellos muy cortos y los otros 4 largos. En total son casi 300 páginas que se leen muy rápido.
Como siempre algunos relatos son mejores que otros, o por lo menos en mí tuvieron diferente impacto. Algunos son más cómicos y otros son más dramáticos.
Entre los cómicos está uno cortito en el que Salvo debe dejar su pueblito en la isla para ir a Roma a hablar con un superior. Los que conocen al comisario sabrán que odia dejar su pueblo, odia dejar su trabajo y odia ir a Roma. Al llegar se encontrará con un compañero del colegio que siempre los metía en líos el cual lo invita a cenar a su casa. Montalbano se quiere matar porque no quiere ir pero termina yendo. En el viaje a la casa de su ex compañero descubrirá algo muy curioso en el medio de un torrencial de lluvia que hará que la noche se vuelva más interesante.
Entre los que tienen más drama me gusto mucho el caso que tiene que investigar de la muerte de un obrero de la construcción que tras sus primeras investigaciones descubre que no era un obrero sino alguien que se hacía pasar por uno. Lo apartan del caso y se lo dan a otro detective visto como menos problemático... Automáticamente Salvo piensa que este comisario debe ser un patán alcahuete de los jefes, pero no, resulta ser un buen tipo que está muriendo por una grave enfermedad por lo cual le pide ayuda a Montalbano para descubrir a los culpables del asesinato y detenerlo antes de que se le termine el tiempo.
Lo que más me gusta es que uno de los personajes más queribles de este universo como Catarella (el torpe, cariñoso y bastante tonto telefonista de la comisaría) tiene mucho más protagonismo que en anteriores libros. Incluso uno de los relatos más largos gira en torno a él.
Este es un libro redondo de Camillieri en el que logra algo que es bastante difícil, que un libro de historias cortas resulte 100% entretenido, que mantenga un nivel parejo y de mucho placer leerlo.
Excelente libro para ser el primero del año.
Profile Image for Libros.olvidados.
118 reviews43 followers
December 20, 2022
(reseña conjunta con El olor de la noche)

“Admiración. No, mucho más que eso: respeto. Por la serena valentía, por la tranquila determinación de aquel hombre. Una vez había leído un verso que decía más o menos que lo que ayuda a vivir es el pensamiento de la muerte. Ya, el pensamiento puede que sí, pero la certeza de la muerte, su cotidiana presencia, su diaria manifestación, su atroz tictac (…), todo eso ¿no habría tal vez provocado en él, Montalbano, un indecible e insoportable terror? ¿De qué estaba hecho el hombre que tenía delante? ”

A golpe de martes os traigo las reseñas de los libros de bolsillo de Montalbano 8 y 9, una novela y una antología de relatos que siguen siendo toda una delicia para los seguidores del comisario:

🌘El olor de la noche. Un financiero (estafador, conocedor de todas las triquiñuelas del mundo) ha desaparecido después de desvalijar a medio pueblo, por lo que está el ambiente caldeado. ¿Se habría trasladado a una isla de la Polinesia burlándose de los que habían confiado en él? ¿O se había aprovechado del dinero de un mafioso y está sirviendo de alimento a los peces del mar? Este libro tiene uno de los comienzos más graciosos que he leído en esta serie: Augello va a cambiar de vida, Montalbano necesita esconder un suéter y hay un loro que canta La Internacional (y cantaba tan bien que tuvo que felicitar al maestro). En contraposición con esto, en El olor de la noche también vemos al comisario con una crisis bien fuerte, por lo que además de darle vueltas al caso lo acompañaremos en sus reflexiones sobre el paso del tiempo, con uno de los finales más poéticos que recuerdo.

🏔️El miedo de Montalbano. Está compuesto por 6 relatos (3 más largos) donde somos partícipes de su manera de entender la vida: Salvo sale de Sicilia y tiene que ir a Roma -Salvo odia salir de Sicilia, odia ir a Roma- , aparece un personaje nuevo por el que acaba teniendo total admiración, y una de las mejores cosas… ¡Cataré tiene más protagonismo en esta antología! Son historias bastante simples donde se disfruta tanto del contexto como de la resolución de los casos.

Y vosotros ¿queréis a Salvo tanto como yo? 🤎
Profile Image for Laura.
6,976 reviews582 followers
April 10, 2020
3* Por Uma Linha Telefônica
4* The Shape of Water (Inspector Montalbano, #1)
4* The Terra-Cotta Dog (Inspector Montalbano, #2)
3* Excursion to Tindari (Inspector Montalbano, #5)
4* The Smell of the Night (Inspector Montalbano, #6)
3* La paura di Montalbano (Inspector Montalbano, #6.5)
3* Rounding the Mark (Inspector Montalbano, #7)
4* The Patience of the Spider (Inspector Montalbano, #8)
4* The Paper Moon (Inspector Montalbano, #9)
3* The Wings of the Sphinx (Inspector Montalbano, #11)
3* Acqua in bocca (Inspector Montalbano, #16.5)
4* Treasure Hunt (Inspector Montalbano, #16)
4* Una voce di notte (Montalbano, #20)
TR The Snack Thief (Inspector Montalbano, #3)
TR Voice of the Violin (Inspector Montalbano, #4)
TR Un mese con Montalbano (Inspector Montalbano, #4.5)
TR Gli arancini di Montalbano (Inspector Montalbano, #4.7)
TR Storie di Montalbano (Inspector Montalbano, #6.7)
TR La prima indagine di Montalbano (Inspector Montalbano, #8.5)
TR August Heat (Inspector Montalbano, #10)
TR The Track of Sand (Inspector Montalbano, #12)
TR The Potter's Field (Inspector Montalbano, #13)
TR The Age of Doubt (Inspector Montalbano, #14)
TR Racconti di Montalbano (Inspector Montalbano, #14.5)
TR The Dance of the Seagull (Inspector Montalbano, #15)
TR Il sorriso di Angelica (Montalbano, #17)
TR Il gioco degli specchi (Montalbano, #18)
TR Una lama di luce (Montalbano, #19)
TR Un covo di vipere (Montalbano, #21)
TR La piramide di fango (Montalbano, #22)
TR La giostra degli scambi (Montalbano, #23)
Profile Image for David Highton.
3,124 reviews17 followers
September 12, 2017
A novella covering a workplace accident which looks like murder, based on an anonymous note sent to Montalbano, causing him to initiate an unofficial investigation. The local Marshal leading the official investigation seeks his help and foul play in the local construction industry starts to become clear. Short book but a concise plot and well written as usual
Profile Image for Italo Italophiles.
528 reviews34 followers
November 9, 2014
More novella than novel, this latest translation in the Italian Inspector Montalbano Series, a police procedural series set in Sicily, will satisfy adult fans. If you are a fan of the television film series adapted from the books, then you will already know this story. The books were adapted faithfully, and the actors portray the characters with just as much faithfulness, that you will surely picture the show just as I did while reading The Fourth Secret.

The Montalbano books (and the TV show) are rich with food, colleagues, Montabano's home by the sea, and his relationship with his long-distance, long-suffering girlfriend Livia. Montalbano is an egocentric workaholic who is not always decent with his work mates, and almost never decent to his girlfriend, who is really just an easy woman for the emotionally stunted Montalbano.

If you are not familiar with the characters or locations, then you might have difficulty reading The Fourth Secret, since the author provides very little background information. It is assumed that you are a fan of the series and have read the other books.

The author loves to highlight in his books the sometimes eccentric beliefs and behaviors of his Sicilian-Italian compatriots. He relishes their fears, neuroticism, amorality and poor male-female relationships. That is where most of the humor comes from in the book.

There are frequent vulgarities in the book, some sex, and many cases of confusing pronouns.

Please read my full and illustrated review at Italophile Book Reviews.
http://italophilebookreviews.blogspot...
Profile Image for Chris.
538 reviews88 followers
October 16, 2014
I received an ARC ebook copy of this novella from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book that I have read of this series and I loved it. I felt like I had taken a short trip to a quaint little Italian town and got a sense of the life and people there.

The mystery surrounds a series of deaths at construction sites that may be the result of a sinister mafia extortion plot. The mystery was very interesting and well done, but the charm of this novella lies in the characters and the overall light, humorous tone of the work. Much like Agatha Christie novels often re-create a different time and world than we have today, this series, at least for an American audience, transports us to the Italian coast. These detectives are nothing like their gritty and jaded American or British counter-parts. Opera, cultural and food references abound, and we see more of the personalities of the detectives than a display of their skills or physical prowess. Oh, they are highly skilled and get the job done, to be sure, but it is the way they go about it, with humor, wit, and a distinctive Italian mind set that sets this series apart and makes The Fourth Secret a thoroughly enjoyable novella.

Highest recommendation to lovers of classic style mysteries.
Profile Image for piperitapitta.
986 reviews384 followers
October 24, 2014
Camilleri vince un'impresa che con me si rivela quasi sempre proibitiva: quella di conquistarmi anche con dei racconti!
Fa dire al commissario Montalbano di preferire limitarsi ai fatti e alle indagini, di non volersi interessare alla psicologia e ai labirinti dell'animo umano, mentre lui, al contrario, scandaglia e mette a nudo le personalit�� pi�� complesse e i sentimenti pi�� contraddittori. E mentre lo leggi ti accorgi che in fondo l'importante non �� tanto scoprire il colpevole ma solamente il perch��.
Profile Image for Julie.
135 reviews2 followers
September 2, 2017
After several recommendations to try Camilleri, I read this novella. If this is typical of the rest of his books, I won't be reading any more.
Profile Image for Lelia Taylor.
872 reviews18 followers
February 4, 2017
Over the years, I have enjoyed the Inspector Montalbano books but this novella really doesn’t stand up to the rest of the series. I found that puzzling because, while Montalbano doesn’t have the pleasing personality of, say, Commissario Guido Brunetti (Donna Leon’s protagonist) or Chief of Police Bruno (Martin Walker), he has never struck me as inept or unpleasant. This time he did.

I had an interest in the investigation from the beginning because of the questions surrounding a warning letter and, of all things, a pedicure, but the story was marred for me by two things, the overuse of profanity and the introduction of characters without any sort of explanation as to who they are or why most of them are surly and almost irrational. It felt as though this plotline was lifted from the middle of a full-length novel.

Then, the lightbulb went off. As it turns out, this was actually written years ago so the characters have not enjoyed the growth and evolution that they have when reading the series in order. The second and far more important problem is the translation from the original Italian. Most of the books are quite well done but the same can not be said of this and it is, in fact, a different translator. Sentences are choppy and sometimes make little sense and the translator did not have a thorough understanding of English. It’s just not a top-notch translation and there’s no doubt that hurts the reader’s reception of the characters and the plot.

In the end, while this is certainly not the worst thing I ever read, it’s not a good representation of the enjoyment to be found in the series as a whole. I’d suggest that anyone meeting Inspector Montalbano with this novella ignore it and start over with the first full-length book, The Shape of Water.
Profile Image for Richard.
1,955 reviews165 followers
January 21, 2015
When I found out this was La paura di Montalbano and fell roughly between books 6 and 7 I had to read it as soon as I could.
Fans of The Young Montalbano will have seen the story adapted almost page by page into scene by scene in The Third Secret.
There is much to like in this story. It shows the inspector's love of food; trouble with dreams; difficult relations with Livia and his appreciation of other women; the mutual love and respect in his team and the comic genius that is the character Caterella.
It is a story that turns on a letter sent to warn of a murder which arrives too late to prevent the crime as it is delayed in the post. The letter should be turned over as it isn't in Montalbano's jurisdiction but they investigate it nevertheless on the quiet. When they are found out it could be the end of their careers, however if they could only collaborate maybe the case could be cracked open and the serious criminals be brought to justice.
Speaks loudly of each characters personality as written by Camilleri whose writing never fails to bring a smile to your face.
The story is tense and cleverly unfolds to bring it all together, unfortunately for Montalbano it may be that he is lucky in crime solving and unlucky in love.
I would recommend this brief account as a wonderful opportunity to find and keep a treasured writer close to your heart as all these books in this terrific series are a joy to read.
Profile Image for Wayne McCoy.
4,054 reviews25 followers
December 16, 2014
'The Fourth Secret' is a novella featuring Inspector Montalbano. It was my introduction to this series, and I felt a little lost, but still enjoyed it well enough.

When a construction worker falls from a scaffold, it all appears to be just an on the job accident. Things don't seem to add up, including the fact that the dead worker had a pedicure. Also, there have been a few more of these sort of "accidents." Inspector Montalbano doesn't want to get in trouble investigating outside his jurisdiction, but eventually he finds himself working with an inspector from the carabinieri. Add to that the comedy of errors by the people working for Montalbano, and you end up with a pretty good book.

It's a police procedural with some humor mixed in. Office politics and crazy co-workers, but it doesn't detract from the mystery. Apparently there is a television series based on this series. I think I'll have to go look it up now. Not bad.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Open Road Integrated Media and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this fun ebook.
Profile Image for Pablo.
119 reviews2 followers
August 1, 2021
"El miedo de Montalbano" (como lo conocemos en estos lugares gracias a la edición de Salamandra) es un libro para los fanáticos, que a un lector que no conoce mucho la saga de este detective puede agarrarle con el pie cambiado (Mi caso).
Hace unos años leí "La forma del agua" y me pareció bastante entretenido, por lo que elegí esta edición en italiano para conocer más a Montalbano y de paso sacarme un poco el óxido que tengo con el idioma italiano (Que no es poco).
Lo que noté al principio es que las distintas tramas de los relatos no son policiales per se, sino que se ahonda más en la psique y humanidad del personaje. Esto supongo que fue con el objetivo de dar a conocer más al comisario que de presentar casos nuevos.
Esto es una idea audaz pero para el público asentado en la saga.
En mi caso, no estoy seguro de que me guste el Camilleri cuentista: Cuando se extiende un libro de Montalbano al formato novela, es más disfrutable y te va llevando por esa Italia serpenteante de paisajes naturales y sociales a la vez que, por supuesto uno disfruta de las aventuras que se suceden alrededor. Ojo, no digo que los relatos estén escritos de manera distinta a las novelas, pero siento que no terminan de lucirse y cuando Andrea pone su pluma firme para entrar en territorio policial, todo se desmorona rápidamente. Es por esto que me voy a olvidar de este libro y quedarme con la memoria que tengo de cuando leí "La forma del agua".
En síntesis, un libro que puede entretener a fanáticos, pero que puede ser un "meh" muy grande para los que no se encuentran inmersos en territorio Montalbano.

Profile Image for Teresa Giacomelli.
24 reviews1 follower
April 11, 2024
Come da tradizione anche quest'anno leggo un Camilleri e stavolta ho scelto una raccolta di racconti.

LA PAURA DI MONTALBANO si compone di tre brevissimi raccontini e di tre storie più lunghe, il cui filo conduttore è la paura del commissario di calarsi negli abissi dell'animo umano.

Amo lo stile e la capacità di Andrea Camilleri di trasportare il lettore nella terra di Sicilia, favorevole ai misteri, grazie anche a un passato e ad una tradizione romantica estremamente affascinante, ed anche per l'uso del dialetto siculo, che ha sempre sonorità piacevoli, nonché ad una interpretazione della natura delle azioni umane filtrate dagli occhi di ciò che è giusto e del buonsenso, ma mai del rigore.

Eppure questa volta sono rimasta un po' delusa dalle storie proposte, ad eccezione per i racconti lunghi "Ferito a morte" e "Meglio lo scuro", torbido e affascinante il primo, sorprendente e sottile il secondo.
Forse mi aspettavo più suspanse e mistero, ma del resto questi sono racconti, e non i grandi romanzi della serie del celebre commissario di Vigata.

Il divertimento e l'intrattenimento sono comunque assicurati soprattutto per la messa in scena di un'umanità varia e peculiare, come solo Camilleri sapeva descriverla attraverso gesti quotidiani e semplici.
Profile Image for Magrathea.
151 reviews6 followers
December 30, 2017
Come ho fatto a vivere (la mia vita di lettrice) senza?

Io non so che malìa è capace di suscitare in me quest'uomo. Ci sono libri che guardo e mi dico: "No, non è il momento adatto" oppure "Non ho lo stato d'animo per queste atmosfere". Quando prendo in mano un libro di Camilleri, è sempre il momento giusto. Bastano poche righe e "mi catamino" in ragionamenti, sensazioni, panorami che hanno la capacità di restituirmi il sapore della vita. Tra un "respiro funnuto", una "taliata di ralogio" e una "stinnicchiata", gli occhi fanno "pupi pupi", ma la "stanchizza" di Montalbano non si avverte mai. Se i romanzi sono lunghe parentesi nelle quali il tono della storia può perdere, a volte, colpi, i racconti sono scoppiettanti e ricchissimi di cornici verbali dove ogni piccolo ghirigoro, ogni curva della linea è modellata da vocaboli d'incantevole sonorità. Una volta tanto sono felice di condividere con l'autore la medesima lingua, e ancor di più di essere meridionale. Nessuna traduzione potrà mai lontanamente evocare l'ambientazione, la gestualità, i panorami umani di cui è capace il personalissimo stile di Camilleri. Mi ritengo fortunata. Non sapete cosa vi perdete!
Profile Image for Leonardo Jiménez.
Author 8 books14 followers
November 1, 2022
Aunque tenía ganas desde hace tiempo a este escritor, esta ha sido la primera vez que me acercaba a la obra de este reconocido autor italiano con una gran bibliografía a sus espaldas.

Con un estilo mordaz a la par que irreverente, Camilleri nos narra seis historias protagonizadas por el comisario Montalbano en esta, su novena entrega, dejando claro que es uno de los grandes maestros del género policiaco moderno.

En ellas, demuestra su agudeza, su humor y su particular modo de ver el mundo a través de unos personajes peculiares, perfectamente compuestos y unos diálogos magistralmente construidos.

Como es inevitable en estos casos en los que hablamos de obras compuestas por diferentes relatos, unas historias suelen gustar más que otras, lo que no desmerece al resto, ya que ninguna de ellas tiene desperdicio. No obstante, sí que diré que las que más me han llenado han sido curiosamente las más breves: “Días de fiebre”, que es la que abre el libro, “Un sombrero lleno de lluvia” y “El miedo de Montalabano”. Las otras tres que componen este volumen, y algo más largas en extensión, son “Herido de muerte”, “El cuarto secreto” y “Mejor la curiosidad”.
Profile Image for Emanuele Gemelli.
490 reviews13 followers
April 3, 2021
Tra tutti i personaggi di supporto, penso che quello di Livia sia quello che riesca sempre a lasciarmi più freddo. Anzi penso proprio che Camilleri non nutra molta simpatia per il carattere del personaggio; certo è funzionale alle storie ed al carattere del Commissario; però mi lascia sempre quel non so che di “e ma che palle!”. Forse anche la dicotomia cercata e voluta tra Livia e Ingrid (non presente in questi racconti), serve a Camilleri per creare quella tensione narrativa che permette la costruzione di un carattere molto caricaturale dell’uomo del sud, un po’ misogino e femminaro. Sicuramente io mi lascio un po’ influenzare dall’associazione dei romanzi con la serie televisiva, dove il Livia è impersonata da Sonia Bergamasco; ottima attrice, ma che rende il personaggio di Livia ancora più spigoloso. Non ci “incerta nuddu”, ma quando ho visto (non ancora letto) una delle scene topiche del Metodo Catalanotti ho esclamato finalmente! Chi vuole capire, capisca
Profile Image for Francesco Sapienza.
216 reviews4 followers
October 5, 2023
Leggere Camilleri è come ritrovare un caro amico, e perdersi nella sua malìa. La forma dei racconti non credo sia la sua più congeniale, e direi che quelli qui raccolti variano sia per lunghezza che per qualità.

I racconti brevi -di poche pagine- sono quasi divertissement, piccole pennellate nel mondo di Montalbano. Quelli lunghi hanno un respiro diverso, un po' affrettato comunque, ma piacevole: in particolar modo uno riesce ad affrontare anche il tema della sicurezza nel lavoro, un altro l'angoscia di tenere dentro di sé un segreto per tutta la vita.

Resta un sorriso nel leggere o rileggere Camilleri, quasi una nostalgia, e quella superba e misteriosa capacità del Maestro di incollarti alle pagine.
Profile Image for Johannes.
191 reviews7 followers
August 29, 2018
Dieses Buch hat mir weniger gefallen, wie das erste von Commissario Montalbano, welches ich vor kurzem gelesen habe.
Das hängt aber eher damit zusammen, dass die drei Kriminalgeschichten von drei weiteren Kurzgeschichten abgewechselt werden, welche rein gar nichts mit den dargestellten Fälle zu tun haben.
Somit kann ich weder eine Empfehlung noch eine Abwertung aussprechen, denn diese wäre nicht objektiv. Krimiliebhaber sollen sich also selber entscheiden, ob sie sich dieses Buch kaufen möchten oder doch eher eins der anderen Bücher von Montalbano zulegen, wo man sich beim lesen auf einem Fall konzentrieren könnte.
Profile Image for Israel JyZ.
47 reviews
January 14, 2021
Aunque me encanta leer las peripecias del comisario Montalbano, prefiero aquellas que son más extensas: las novelas de este personaje escritas por Andrea Camilleri. En este caso (como en otros) se trata de un conjunto de relatos, unos más extensos que otros, independientes, en los que el protagonista y personajes habituales se enfrentan a distintos delitos. La narrativa audaz del autor está presente, sin embargo y en mi opinión, ésta luce mucho más cuando las investigaciones de Montalbano se extienden durante más páginas, es decir, en las novelas propiamente dichas.
Le asigno un 7 (3'50 sobre 5).
543 reviews3 followers
August 31, 2020
No hay nada que hacer... Me gusta Montalbano tanto como hace muchos años atrás me gustó Maigret. No tengo más remedio que seguirlo en sus aventuras aunque, como siempre, lo reservo más bien para cuando lo que quiero es relajarme con la lectura, ya sea porque termino de leer alguna obra particularmente "densa", porque estoy con el "biorritmo bajo" o, simplemente tengo ganas de divertirme con la lectura. Es una especie de bálsamo, calmante o liberador de endorfinas ¡Si hasta me río a carcajadas en algunos pasajes, y es una novela policial! Gracias Camilleri/Montalbano.
Profile Image for Rodrigo V.
63 reviews1 follower
May 9, 2023
Tercera entrega de relatos cortos del comisario Montalbano. En esta ocasión incluyen tres relatos muy breves y otros tres un poco más largos en los que, al tener más tiempo para desarrollar la historia, la trama gana en intensidad. Para mi la mejor historia es 'El cuarto secreto' en referencia al número de secretos que tienen en común Montalbano y Catarella. Y, como siempre que interviene Catarella, la risa está garantizada.
Profile Image for Pilar.
265 reviews
January 2, 2022
3 relats curts i 3 llargs. Un odi profund d'una dona cap a la que era amiga íntima; un assassinat gairebé perfecte; un comandant dels carabiners que demana ajuda; una trobada casual amb un company d'escola; un sensesostre que salva a una nena; i diversos morts en "accidents laborals".

Un plat: Popets gratinats.
July 3, 2022
3.9/5⭐
In my opinion, Montalbano is like an italian modern and rude version of Sherlock Holmes.
I'd expected an only story through the whole book but there were actually 6 (as it says in the sinopse which I only read after).
There are some quite funny quotes and I liked the book but it's not on the fav list.
Profile Image for Julio Bou.
Author 1 book8 followers
July 11, 2022
Lectura de verano. Mezcla relatos cortos con otros de varios capitulos, mas completos.
Facil lectura, se lee en un par de dias.
Descripcion de los personajes principales en base a su comportamiento. Muy descriptiva.
No habia leido nada del comisario montalbano y me parecio mucho mas intersa te que los capitulos de la serie.
337 reviews3 followers
August 30, 2017
Mi piace Camilleri, una lettura che fino ad ora non mi ha mai delusa.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews

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