The Track of Sand (Inspector Montalbano Mysteries)

"The novels of Andrea Camilleri breathe out the sense of place, the sense of humor, and the sense of despair that fill the air of Sicily."
-Donna Leon

Inspector Salvatore Montalbano wakes from strange dreams to find a gruesomely bludgeoned horse carcass in front of his seaside home. When his men came to investigate, the carcass has disappeared, leaving only a trail in the sand. Then his home is ransacked and the inspector is certain that the crimes are linked. As he negotiates both the glittering underworld of horseracing and the Mafia's connection to it, Montalbano is aided by his illiterate housekeeper, Adelina, and a Proustian memory of linguate fritte. Longtime fans and new readers alike will be charmed by Montalbano's blend of unorthodox methods, melancholy self-reflection, and love of good food.

Customer Reviews:

Aging ungracefully in Sicily

By Patto - October 29, 2010

Inspector Montalbano is now fifty-six - and not liking it. His appetite is off. He actually skips lunch more than once! He's not seeing as well and fears he may need glasses. He's even getting forgetful! At least he's still got it as a lover, but sex leaves him feeling used.

And the case he has to solve with his blurring vision and beleaguered brain is peculiarly confusing.

One morning Montalbano finds the carcass of a horse in front of his house. It's been horribly beaten to death. The rage the inspector feels does not bode well for the perpetrators.

His investigation of the case has to be unofficial, for reasons I'll let you discover. It's a weirdly meandering investigation, too, with red herrings as big as whales, serious distractions presented by all too attractive women - and the Mafia breathing heavy in the background.

As always, the charm of the story is the inspector's eccentric interactions with his staff and associates. Montalbano... read more

a series better than chocolate!

By mellu - October 26, 2010

Andrea Camilleri's Inspector Montalbano series is so very good that I just sit around and look at the copy for a while before beginning to read, because I know in a couple of hours it will be gone and I'll want another one!

Montalbano is a wonderful character and as with all great characters you feel you know him and can't wait to see what he's up to next. The setting, Sicily, is a fascinating character in itself, and takes you into a world that few Americans ever experience.

Start with the first one and work your way through the series. You won't regret it. A great read for lovers of detective fiction.

Camilleri and Montalbano in top form

By Blue in Washington "Barry Ballow" - October 30, 2010

Here is one of author Andrea Camilleri's best tales yet in the wonderful Inspector Montalbano series. In this serpentine story of murder, passion and cuisine, there is great wit, wonderful characters, a highly original plot and clever homages to Swedish counterparts Per Wahlo and Hankell, Monty Python, and even French impressionist Edouard Manet, among others. A general context is provided, as usual, by ever unique Sicily and Sicilians. Salvo Montalbano's ongoing ruminations about the aggravations of aging provide a secondary theme that helps drive the story line.

"The Track of Sand" starts with the brutal killing of a horse near Inspector Montalbano's beach house. The body of the animal quickly disappears and Montalbano's house is ransacked. The apparent owner of the horse--a stunningly beautiful Roman equestrian--shows up at the Vigata police station to report the animal missing, thus beginning a complicated relationship with the Inspector. The murkiness of the crime... read more