Never has Inspector Montalbano's character - a unique blend of humor, cynicism, compassion, earthiness, and love of good food - been more compelling than in The Snack Thief. When an elderly man is stabbed to death in an elevator and a crewman on an Italian fishing trawler is machine-gunned by a Tunisian patrol boat off Sicily's coast, only Inspector Montalbano, with his keen insight into human nature, suspects the link between the two incidents. His investigation leads to the beautiful Karima, an impoverished house cleaner and sometime prostitute, whose young son steals other school children's mid-morning snacks. But Karima disappears, and the young snack thief's life - as well as Montalbano's - is endangered when the inspector exposes a viper's nest of government corruption and international intrigue.
The Snack Thief
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From Publishers Weekly
In his third Inspector Salvo Montalbano mystery to be made available in the U.S., Camilleri (The Shape of Water) displays all the storytelling skills that have made him an international bestseller. When gunfire from a Tunisian patrol boat kills a worker on an Italian fishing trawler, the worldly Sicilian police inspector knows that this is just the type of situation his overly ambitious second-in-command, Mimi Augello, will want to exploit. Meanwhile, Montalbano has to look into the stabbing death of a retiree in the elevator of the victim's apartment building. While the trawler incident appears to resolve itself, the elevator slaying gets more complex by the minute. Soon Montalbano is searching for the retiree's beautiful housekeeper (and sometimes prostitute) and her son. It's only when he finds the boy (the snack thief of the title) that Montalbano learns the true nature of the case, its relation to the trawler shooting and the danger it poses. Although warned to keep his distance, Montalbano, who can't deny his investigative instincts any more than he can refuse a hardy portion of sardines a beccafico, proceeds headlong into the thick of government corruption with a risky plan to set things right. Montalbano, despite his curmudgeonly exterior, has a depth to him that charms. Readers are sure to savor this engrossing, Mafia-free Sicilian mystery.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
In the third Inspector Montalbano mystery to appear in the U.S., the maverick Sicilian cop is once again convinced that the fix is in and determined to unfix it. This time Montalbano suspects a link between the stabbing of a businessman in an apartment-house elevator and the shooting of a crewman on a fishing boat. Connecting the two are an enterprising Tunisian prostitute, now vanished, and her young son, who has been surviving by stealing lunches from schoolchildren. Montalbano fits the pieces together gradually, taking time, as always, for plenty of leisurely lunches but eventually exposing a wide-ranging plot fuelled by high-level corruption. What makes this series so good is Camilleri's unsurpassed ability to mix hard-boiled terror with the comic frustrations of daily life. Montalbano is the southern Italian equivalent of Magdalen Nabb's Marshal Guarnaccia, also a Sicilian but stationed in Florence. Both men covet the quiet pleasures of food, drink, and female companionship, but neither is quite able to resist the compulsion to help others. In the tension between those two forces, the Italian crime novel thrives. Bill Ott
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most helpful customer reviews
By L. Cattafi
Format:Mass Market Paperback
The best, I think, of the series. I literally laughed out loud at some points, because Montalbano is such a great and quirky character. He's wonderful in so many ways -- from his foul mouth to his love of fine food to his ability to see smells in color. This book is a feast for the senses, delicious in all ways. It's just as good as The Terra Cota Dog and better, I think, than The Shape Of Water. One of the things I like most about this book is how Montalbano retains his hard edges but becomes softer and more sensitive because of the "snack thief" and his effect on the inspector. My advice: read Camilleri rather than Dona Leon, who cannot and does not capture the beauty and wonder of Italy the way Camilleri does, and whose mysteries aren't as interesting as Camelleri's. The latter's writing is so spare and so wonderful; he gets to the heart of the matter without seeming to try at all. Despite this simplicity, Italy comes alive with all its colors and smells and beauty. I love this author and can't wait to read the next book.
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Inspector Montalbano has two cases competing for his attention. In one, an Italian fishing boat was fired upon by a Tunisian gunboat, killing a fisherman. In the second, a retired man was found murdered in his apartment elevator. As Montalbano investigates (without missing a single meal), he discovers a bizarre connection between the deaths--a connection that includes the ever-present official corruption Sicily suffers from and that ties into all of Montalbano's hidden issues.
With his usual style (apparently bumbling but barely hiding a sharp wit), Montalbano is able to 'solve' the mysteries. But knowing the answer and bringing some sort of justice are very different things. Montalbano has to dig deep into his bag of tricks to pull out a solution that satisfies his own peculiar sense of morality. Worse, from his perspective, it isn't only himself involved. A little boy and Montalbano's longtime lover, Livia are also at risk.
Author Andrea Camilleri's Inspector Montalbano series combines humor, solid sleuthing; a wonderful view of small town life in Sicily that is alien but fascinating to most of its readers, and charming to everyone; with compelling social commentary. Although the setting is in Italy, the issues that Montalbano faces are universal.
I have enjoyed the entire Inspector Montalbano series but so far, THE SNACK THIEF is the most powerful of a very strong series. Well done, Andrea Camilleri.
Format:Mass Market Paperback
The main character of this book, Inspector Montalbano, is getting familiar like an old friend. His personality quirks and love of food only get more entertaining with each book rather than tiresome. This character carries the book.
Of course, there is a mystery. Like Terra Cotta Dog, there are actually two mysteries the good inspector solves. One - a seemingly straightforward murder - is obvious and he solves it almost as an afterthought. The other - involving government intrigue - is much deeper and difficult to solve. Camilleri coordinates and intertwines the two story lines marvelously.
The writing is consistently good, the mysteries interesting and you can not help but like Inspector Montalbano. This is a winning combination. This is billed as a series of Inspector Montalbano mysteries. However it is not essential to have read the preceding books. This book is recommended for an enjoyable mystery romp through Sicily.
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4.5 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
That's Amore'
Andrea Camilleri is one fine author that you've got to read. Yes, he's Italian, and yes, his books have a definite Italian prose but the writing is so intriguing how can you... Read more
Published on Jan 2 2004 by William C. Smith
4.0 out of 5 stars
Inspector Montalbano versus terrorists and secret services
When an elderly man is murdered in the elevator and a Tunesian fisherman is shot at sea, these events at first instance do not seem to be connected. Read more
Published on Dec 31 2003 by Linda Oskam
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another complicated world
If multiculturalism is not a dirty word to you, and you are from an English speaking background, then this book might be of interest. Read more
Published on Dec 3 2003 by W Boudville
5.0 out of 5 stars
Rejiggering the Jig-Saw Puzzle
The Snack Thief is a worthy successor to the remarkable police procedural, The Terra-Cotta Dog. Although few books could hope to match The Terra-Cotta Dog for plotting, The Snack... Read more
Published on Dec 3 2003 by Donald Mitchell
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Mystery of the Tunisian Housekeeper
The is hugely popular (in Europe anyway) Inspector Montalbano series continues, with this installment following The Shape of Water and The Terra-Cotta Dog. Read more
Published on Aug 26 2003 by A. Ross
5.0 out of 5 stars
Montalbano does not rest
First, a Tunisian patrol boat shoots at a local fishing trawler and kills one person. Next, retired Mr. Lapecora is killed in the elevator of his apartment house. Read more
Published on Aug 6 2003 by lvkleydorff
5.0 out of 5 stars
strong police procedural
At about the same time a Tunisian patrol boat kills a worker on an Italian fishing trawler, an unknown assailant stabs to death a retiree, Mr. Read more
Published on May 17 2003 by Harriet Klausner
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