A crass, stark misery of a mystery; a darkness illuminated in comedic shades against the shadowy backdrop of a controlling Sicilian Mafia; a corrupt police force housing a rogue, but faithful food-loving detective, immediately likeable despite his glaring downfalls; a setting dripping the dregs of life into a vat of messy late-Twentieth Century politics and social insecurities; cynical, yet hopeful, and somehow poetic in the delivery, a reminiscent feel of Hemingway’s prose with a touch of Kerouac; a sarky celebration of all things Sicilian with a sprinkling of Italy on the fringes.

I hear there are 28 Montalbano novels translated into English… after that, I’ll have to brush up on my Italian to devour the remaining 17…