Riccardino

The Inspector Montalbano Mysteries, Book 28

By: Andrea Camilleri

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

Length: 6 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's Summary

The long-awaited last novel in the transporting and beloved New York Times best-selling Inspector Montalbano series.

Montalbano receives an early-morning phone call, but this time it’s not Catarella announcing a murder, but a man called Riccardino, who’s dialed a wrong number and asks him when he’ll be arriving at the meeting. Montalbano, in irritation, says: “In 10 minutes." Shortly after, he gets another call, this one announcing the customary murder. A man has been shot and killed outside a bar in front of his three friends. It turns out to be the same man who called him.

Thus begins an intricate investigation further complicated by phone calls from “the Author” in tour de force of metafiction and Montalbano’s last case.

©2020 Sellerio Editore. Translation © 2021 by Stephen Sartarelli (P)2021 Blackstone Publishing

An insult to his readership

I have read all of the Inspector Montalbano Mysteries and have enjoyed them to a lesser or greater degree. I found the earlier ones to have more gravitas than the later ones where the story lines that transcended the individual books, girlfriend, associates and superiors slowly became mawkish and frustratingly without any resolution or development. However this last book is just an insult to those of us who hung in there, hoping to get some closure to the loose threads developed in the previous 27 books, that's right, 27 books. Instead we get some stupid, and I do mean stupid meta fiction where the author has a dialog with the main character and the series ends apparently because the author/character is too lazy or doesn't know how to resolve any of these threads. What a jerk. I want my credits back.

Out, not with a bang, but a whimper

Montalbano deserved better. I have loved this series from the beginning. I found this last book unsatisfying.

Goodbye, Salvo

aworthy end to the series. I put off reading/listening to this book knowing that it was the last. I am glad that Salvo Montalban ended on his own terms. While I was sad when I read of Andrea Camilleri' death a few years ago, I sobbed at the end of this book. Goodbye old friend, I will miss you..

The End

I loved the book. It showed that after so many years a character becomes real. I cried at the end.

What a way to go Salvo-Bravo!

You never know what to expect of a last volume by a favorite author. In this case, it was perfect, moving, funny, and satisfying, the last bite of an excellent meal.

Awful

The author's use of the 3rd wall is trite and boring. The "artistic license" employed is a horrible way to end an enjoyable (up to this point) series.

Highly anticipated, highly disappointed!

The narration was great. Big fan of Grover Gardner especially in this series. I had a very hard time getting to the end of this story. There was very little interaction with the regular characters. The ‘character’ of the ‘author’ was extremely annoying and in my opinion didnt add anything to the overall case. By the end i didnt care who was guilty or not. If the series is going to continue with conversations between the inspector and the author, i am not interested in continuing.

Entertaining

Andrea Camilleri's stories are always entertaining and enjoyable to read or listen to. Grover Gardner does fabulous job narrating his books. Highly recommend.

Meta meta meta

I don’t want to spoil it but it’s one star off because it got so meta. But it also is great because how else do you end a 26 book story? Anyway. Enjoyed every story over the month of December. Thank you.

Sad

So sad that this series has come to the end. I will listen again and again to relive the town the people and the inspector. RIP Andrea Camilleri