August Heat
by Andrea Camilleri
List Price:
Our Price: $5.97
You Save: $8.03 (57%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Andrea CamilleriTranslator: Stephen Sartarelli
Edition: Paperback
Audio: Italian (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2009-02-24
ISBN: 0143114050
Number of pages: 288
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780143114055
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
- Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices
Book Reviews of August Heat
Book Review: The Tenth Inspector Montalbano Mystery by Andrea Camilleri - La vampa d'agosto - August Heat
Summary: 3 Stars
Inspector Salvo Montalbano has been forced to stay in Vigata and work during August after a colleague extends his vacation. As luck would have it, Livia, his long distant love decides to join him, she doesn't expect Montalbano to be busy after all who would have the energy to commit a crime in this August heat. But to be on the safe side she's bringing her friends and their young son to keep her company. Montalbano secures a beach rental for the family while Livia spends evenings with him.
Montalbano is called to the beach house quite a few times over the next nine days as there seems to be a few problems, swarms of cockroaches, spiders and mice seem to have also taken up residents the family are not amused. Some would believe that this house was cursed especially when the little boy suddenly disappears. Montalbano rushes over to solve the case; the boy had fallen into a narrow shaft below the house, the boy is found and pulled to safety. Montalbano never satisfied decides to check what lays underneath the house, not only does he discover a small room below but within a chest a girls dead body. Montalbano mission now was to find out how this girl came to be at her final resting place and who was responsible to take a life so young. Sinister and corrupt forces build a bigger foundation.
Andrea Camilleri has kept this Interesting, he writes it, I read between the lines and pause for thought! Camilleri has chosen to write quiet clearly about the day to day levels of corruption in Sicily; even the little things in every day life and how Montalbano has to deal with those different levels of corruption to get his results. There are many different angles of corruption added to the layering of this book; Government corruption has profound effects on the country as a whole, but looking at a bigger picture Sicily's not the only country with that problem!, while no two countries are alike, there are common dilemmas for all to see. For instance; corruption and poverty affect both individuals and businesses, and they run in both directions: poverty invites corruption, while corruption deepens poverty. Another addressed in this storyline would be the corrupt markets and public bidding processes, inefficient firms and dishonest bidders have major advantages over honest competitors. Connections and cash, rather than innovation and excellence, become the way to win contracts. We all know in our own countries where a level of corruption starts and never ends. So while countries remain different, corruption anywhere share the same knock-on-effects!
Which now brings us to another hot topic Livia and Montalbano's relationship, a turn for the worst, normally they would argue it out in a healthy way of dealing with one another, and she in turn takes the no nonsense approach in his darker moods. But this time his dark mood goes too far, his only voice of reason has left him and Livia remains silent. He falls into quiet a deep melancholy mood spending time with a much younger women doesn't help as his questioning himself, age and life.
Montalbano character is always great to read, for his questionable brainstorms and unorthodox subversive opinions. Still the rebel, the thinker, not afraid to explore all areas even into obsession. Tenth book in this series and the story forms nicely enjoyable, but not as strong as others in the series, all Montalbano mysteries normally start in comedy but this one is darker than others more of horror and melodrama but there still remains a lot of human interest in every plot. Again the characterization and language the usage of dialogue has been kept real with sharp wit, the sly comments on Italian life and culture always keeps things for me amusing and interesting.
A special mention to poet Stephen Sartarelli, I'm thoroughly enjoying his clear translation of each book and for the informative notes given at the back on wording. Thank you.
Eleventh in the series is due out December 2009 - Le ali della sfinge - The Wings of the Sphinx!
Andrea Bowhill
Summary of August Heat
When a colleague extends his summer vacation, Inspector Salvo Montalbano is forced to stay in Vig?ta and endure the August heat. Montalbano's long-suffering girlfriend, Livia, joins him with a friend-husband and young son in tow-to keep her company during these dog days of summer. But when the boy suddenly disappears into a narrow shaft hidden under the family's beach rental, Montalbano, in pursuit of the child, uncovers something terribly sinister. As the inspector spends the summer trying to solve this perplexing case, Livia refuses to answer his calls-and Montalbano is left to take a plunge that will affect the rest of his life. Fans of the Sicilian inspector as well as readers new to this increasingly popular series will enjoy following the melancholy but unflinchingly moral Montalbano as he undertakes one of the most shocking investigations of his career.Literature & Fiction Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Audiobooks on Cassette
- Audiobooks on CD
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- e-Books
- Engineering
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Medicine
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Inspector Montalbano Books
The Voice of the Violin (Montalbano 4)by Andrea Camilleri
Picador USA; Published: 2006-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $13.91
![Voice of the Violin [With Headphones] (Inspector Montalbano Mysteries (Playaway)) Image](/images/Voice-of-the-Violin-With-Headphones-Inspector-Montalbano-Mysteries-Playaway-1433276259-X.jpg)
Voice of the Violin [With Headphones] (Inspector Montalbano Mysteries (Playaway))by Andrea Camilleri
Playaway; Published: 2009-04; Preloaded Digital Audio Player; Book
Best price: $54.99
August Heatby Andrea Camilleri
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 2009-02-24; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.98
Price in other shops:
Rounding the Markby Andrea Camilleri
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 2006-07-25; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.90
Price in other shops:
The Patience of the Spider (Inspector Montalbano Mysteries)by Andrea Camilleri
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 2007-04-24; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.76
Price in other shops:
The Smell of the Night (An Inspector Montalbano Mystery)by Andrea Camilleri
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 2005-11-29; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.75
Price in other shops:
The Snack Thief (Inspector Montalbano Mysteries)by Andrea Camilleri
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 2005-05-31; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.92
Price in other shops:
The Terra-Cotta Dog (Inspector Montalbano Mysteries)by Andrea Camilleri
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 2005-05-31; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.23
Price in other shops:
The Paper Moon (Inspector Montalbano Mysteries)by Andrea Camilleri
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 2008-04-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.80
Price in other shops:
Excursion to Tindari: An Inspector Montalbano Mysteryby Andrea Camilleri
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 2005-02-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.49
Price in other shops:
Similar Books and other products
Brunetti's Venice: Walks with the City?s Best-Loved Detectiveby Toni Sepeda
Grove Press; Published: 2009-04; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.92
Price in other shops:
The Snack Thief (Inspector Montalbano Mysteries)by Andrea Camilleri
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 2005-05-31; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.36
Price in other shops:
Voice of the Violin (Inspector Montalbano Mysteries)by Andrea Camilleri
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 2004-06-29; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.94
Price in other shops:
Excursion to Tindari: An Inspector Montalbano Mysteryby Andrea Camilleri
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 2005-02-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.00
Price in other shops:
Rounding the Markby Andrea Camilleri
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 2006-07-25; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.29
Price in other shops:
The Patience of the Spider (Inspector Montalbano Mysteries)by Andrea Camilleri
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 2007-04-24; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.76
Price in other shops:
The Smell of the Night (An Inspector Montalbano Mystery)by Andrea Camilleri
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 2005-11-29; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.94
Price in other shops:
The Paper Moon (Inspector Montalbano Mysteries)by Andrea Camilleri
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 2008-04-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.48
Price in other shops:
About Face (A Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery)by Donna Leon
Atlantic Monthly Press; Published: 2009-04; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $14.18
Price in other shops:
The Wings of the Sphinxby Andrea Camilleri
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 2009-12-29; Paperback; Book
Best price: $10.08
Price in other shops: