I'd like to thank the library docent who misfiled Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions (#1,157) in the New Books section of my local library. This is actually the first in a translated series by Mario Giordano set in a small village on the coast of Sicily. It features the eponymous sixty-year-old German widow whose stated aim in life, as she tells her three sisters-in-law, is to drink herself peacefully to death while overlooking the sea.
Well, Poldi manages to find the perfect house to meet her objectives, but she can't help but take an interest in those around her. When her handsome young part-time handyman goes missing, it just seems natural to ask around to see if anyone else has seen him. One thing leads to another after Poldi finds his body on the beach when she goes for an early swim...
This isn't quite like any other book I've ever read. Poldi herself is a bold, brassy, eccentric and delightful protagonist. The story is told mainly through the eyes of her German nephew whom she's invited to spend several months a year with her at her Sicilian home as he works on his book. The language paints a vivid portrait of the scenery, social mores and especially the food culture of Poldi's adopted country. She's not afraid to take the bull by the horns, and if that means making a play for the handsome police inspector assigned to the case, so be it. It's an absolute breath of fresh air. Now I can't wait to book my own Sicilian holiday! In the meantime, I have several more of Auntie Poldi's adventures to catch up on...
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