“. . .reading this novel is like being caressed by the voice of a velvet-tongued narrator while sitting in front of a warm fire on a cold night. . . Camilleri is as adept at the historical novel as he is at the detective story. Both are steeped in a deep and passionate knowledge of his subject. It’s a story told with the customary wit and light touch that only a consummate storyteller could manage. Once again the superb Stephen Sartarelli, poet and writer, has translated Camilleri into English. His understanding of the Italian master’s work is profound and obvious from the text. A delight.”
