“There’s a deliciously playful quality to the mysteries Andrea Camilleri writes about a lusty Sicilian police detective named Salvo Montalbano.”

“The books are full of sharp, precise characterizations and with subplots that make Montalbano endearingly human.... Like the antipasti that Montalbano contentedly consumes, the stories are light and easily consumed, leaving one eager for the next course.”

“This series is distinguished by Camilleri’s remarkable feel for tragicomedy, expertly mixing light and dark in the course of producing novels that are both comforting and disturbing.”

“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.”

“Hailing from the land of Umberto Eco and La Cosa Nostra, Montalbano can discuss a pointy-headed book like Western Attitudes Towards Death as unflinchingly as he can pore over crime-scene snuff photos. He throws together an extemporaneous lunch . . . as gracefully as he dodges advances from attractive women.”

“In Sicily, where people do things as they please, Inspector Montalbano is a bona fide folk hero.”

“Sublime and darkly humorous . . . Camilleri balances his hero’s personal and professional challenges perfectly and leaves the reader eager for more.”

“Camilleri is as crafty and charming a writer as his protagonist is an investigator.”

“Montalbano is a delightful creation, an honest man on Sicily’s mean streets.”

“Camilleri can do a character’s whole backstory in half a paragraph.”

“The humor and humanity of Montalbano make him an equally winning lead character.”

“Camilleri’s sure hand with tragicomedy remains the distinguishing feature of this always entertaining series.”