Andrea Camilleri is a Sicilian author who in fact writes in an Italian that has a sprinkling of Sicilian phrases and grammar that is sufficient enough to make it a real pain for yours truly to translate. He has created another famous detective Inspector Salvo Montalbano, a fractious Sicilian detective in the police force of Vigàta, an imaginary Sicilan town. Of course, the Mafia play a big role as does Sicilian cooking. You can read more about Andrea Camilleri in Wikipedia.
“The Terracotta Dog” is number 2 in a series of 16 Montalbano novels. The last two have not been translated into English. This is my first Montalbano and again I am hooked and will read more. In this particular novel in addition to a main plot, there are side episodes, discussion of food, sex scenes, and problems with personal relationships.
Kurt Wallander is a fictional police detective created by Swedish crime writer Henning Mankell. “Before The Frost” is the tenth Wallander book to be translated into English. You can read more in Wikipedia. Moreover, Kenneth Branagh has made 3 TV adaptations, one of which is shown regularly on public television.
“Before the Frost” is a bit different in that it features not only the aging Kurt Wallander but also his daughter Linda who is about to enter the police force as a young rookie. Religious fanaticism is the central theme (a flavor somewhat like “The DaVInci Code” but MUCH better written).
I’m hooked, so I will probably read the entire Wallander series.
For 2008 the guest editor is George Pelecanos who, as usual, had to pick 20 short stories from the hundreds submitted to him by the series editor Otto Penzler. Note that this book is NOT “The Best American Short Stories (2008)” which is a different book in the same series. Lately I have enjoyed the mystery stories more than the general short stories. Beware: “mystery” does NOT mean detective or murder. Instead, there is something as yet undiscovered in the story which is generally revealed at the end.
Please note that at the back of the book there are biographies of the authors as well as the author’s comments on the short story in the book. Even the biographies are fun because it always amazes me how people’s lives change.
Mist James Lee Burke
Drug addict fighting overpowering odds after having suffered through hurricane Katrina.
Mulholland Dive Michael Connelly
Really cool plot twist and surprise ending from a well-known detective author. Clever title.
The Hour When The Ship Comes In Robert Ferrigno
Redemption for a thug.
One Good One Chuck Hogan
What one lie can lead to. Terrific surprise ending.
The Monks of the Abbey Victoria Rupert Holmes
Incredibly well architected scam.
Proof of God Holly Goddard Jones
Marvelous suspense right up to the end.
Tunis and Time Peter Lasalle
FBI versus CIA, who is using whom ? Ramblings of an aging agent. Surprise ending.
A Day Meant To Do Less Kyle Minor
Near the end of the life of an aged stroke-victim mother who has suffered from a brutal rape (explicitly described in the story), there is a scene of bathing care as viewed first by her minister son and then by the woman herself in her own distorted way.
Child’s Play Alice Munro
Alice Munro (Canadian, born 1931, age 78 AND STILL WRITING !!!) strikes again. At first this story about young girls seemed too genteel, almost dull. But hang in there, the ending blew me away. This story also appeared in “The Best American Short Stories (2008)”. So somebody must have really liked this story!
Win’s Girl Thisbe Nissen
A woman down on her luck is taken advantage of. Good revenge ending.
The Blind Man’s Sighted Daughters Joyce Carol Oates
Joyce Carol Oates just doesn’t write anything easy to read. In this case a truly horrible father has aged and is making life very difficult for his two daughters. The mystery is the past sins of the father.
The Empty House Nathan Oates
Powerful and fateful story about the murderous government of Guatemala in the 1980’s.
Car Trouble Jas. R. Petrin
Aging gangster protects his elderly woman barber from being victimized by a car salesman.
The Emerson, 1950 Scott Phillips
Series of connected vignettes involving a newspaper crime reporter.
At The Top Of His Game Steve Rhodes
Don’t miss this tense and exciting story of Wall Street warriors trying to destroy one another.
Hothouse S.J. Rozan
Unusual story about a escaped convict who helps a woman fix a city plant conservatory (hothouse) whose windows have broken in a snowstorm.
The Invisibles Hugh Sheehy
An “invisible” is someone that others just don’t notice. An imaginative (delusional ?) young girl thinks she is an invisible and the notion influences this story about serial killings.
A Different Road Elizabeth Strout
An older woman goes to a hospital with something like food-poisoning. Two young men try to hold-up the hospital for drugs. The stressful situation causes the woman to say hurtful things to her husband.
Given Her History Melissa Vanbeck
Girl orphaned because her sociopath brother Billy killed the family is passed among families until finally a somewhat strange woman takes her in. And then Billy shows up. Great ending.
St. Gabriel Scott Wolven
Man avenges five men who tried to kill his younger logger brother.
Films Tony is comfortable recommending.
