THE DANCE OF THE SEAGULL Inspector Montalbano Mysteries, Book 15

This is the fifteenth book in Camilleri’s Inspector Montalbano series about a Sicilian police inspector, his comrades and lovers, and the eccentric characters and deadly Mafiosi who commit the crimes he investigates. Stephen Sartarelli’s translation seeks to convey the mix of Sicilian dialect and formal Italian in the dialogue with invention but mixed success. Slang is hard to translate. Grover Gardner remains a master of audiobook narration. His clear, warm voice and perfectly regulated cadence make almost any book feel like a story told by an old friend. The crimes Montalbano investigates are horrific. Despite that, Camilleri’s regular references to delicious Italian dishes will make listeners’ mouths water. F.C. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2013]