Amici miei:
You may be wondering why I have not yet closed the Luparello case. Questo giovedì prossimo, abrile 27 at 2 pm, we will gather at Luigi Pasture's, 701 Loma Linguine, at the tip of Capo Massaria. Counselor Rizzo will have a check for you, in the amount of ten million lire. Either that, or some M&Ms, itsa your choice. Baby octopus will be served, along with anyone else you bring. Signor Simoni will provide a 2015 Nero d'Avola produced by Caleo in Sicily (Terre Siciliane or Indicazione
Geografica Tipica, which is a EU designated area of production), to accompany a bowl of shaped pasta, like gemalli, tossed with a great beef and mushroom sauce made with ground beef, fresh mushrooms, fresh oregano, and tomatoes. Please, don't drive down the Canneto again, that didn't end well for Luparello. My sergeants have something to tell you. At some point, you will all burst into warm, deeply touched applause. Now, listen to what they say:
Jack: I really enjoyed it. Entertaining, suspenseful – although I did get a bit confused with the forty (40) character names. Fun! A-
Charlie: A- Fun fiction!
Mike: Hey, when we dress a corpse, how many of us have ever gotten the underwear on inside out and backwards? Never a problem, right? I don’t think I will be recommending this book to anyone – a little crude for some readers, very confusing for most – especially me! Why was the neck brace thrown over the wall at The Pasture? A piece of evidence which should have made Giorgio a person of interest right from the start. I was going to give the book a C+, but the pasta presentation elevated it to a B-.
Dick J: Thoroughly enjoy these books. I laughed out loud. Then I made the mistake of recommending it to my wife – that didn’t come out well. I love the series, have read them all. This was not the best. The series is well written, interesting, much like Donna Leon. Fun: A-
Rob: I found it confusing. I really liked Ingrid, who was every guy’s dream. However the ‘double’ ending on successive pages providing two different endings? Also, the Commissioner apparently just pretended to go along with Inspector Montalban. The book was clever, often mysteries end with justice being done. I still enjoyed the book. B
Keith: B- Three points:
a. the author spent twice as much time on decimal places as he did on the integers (the plot).
b. An octopus goes into the bar, and his owner bets all comers that the octopus can play any musical instrument. They try a piano, a trumpet, a harmonica, he does it all. Then a Scotsman walks in with a bagpipe. “You can play it!” says the owner. “Play it?” says the octopus. “I want to get its clothes off so I can screw it!”
c. As we all know, Sicily is the home of the sonnet. In its honor:
The Shape of Water
He offers an opening “full monte”
With a denuded “delicta flagrante.”
Though the plot’s a bit weak
If it’s lewd ‘n lusty you seek
Then Salvo’s your witty commandante!
Ron B: I picked this book for insight into mystery novel. The first time I read it, I considered it a B+. The second time I went through to gather the characters, an A-. I probably would read more of the series but I was put off by the sexism and racism. A-
Tom G: Fun read. I was put off by a little overly crude. Am I a prude? It was pretty short – I read it in one day on a Sunday. B
Bob S: A- I enjoyed it. As it progressed, I sorta could see the formula of how he put the clues together. Interesting and intriguing. I wasn’t as put off by some details like the neck brace, which was needed to prop the corpse up to look real. Some of the policemen talk was pretty low but insightful: “You have clarity in your thinking. You must have had a good shit this morning.” I would recommend it.
