Arresting experience

THOUGH The Track Of Sand finds Sicily’s most intrepid police chief in rather pensive form, Andrea Camilleri’s wonderful series of Inspector Montalbano novels hits its 12th instalment without a hint of staidness.

The mystery on offer this time is, as usual, cleverly conceived and meticulously spun. Montalbano awakens one morning to find a horse beaten to death on the beach beside his villa. But by the time he has put in a call to the station and roused his men, the cadaver of the horse has vanished.

Before the day is over, Rachele Esterman, a champion rider, beguiling temptress and friend of a most intimate friend, reports her horse stolen from the stables of the wealthy and powerful Saverio Lo Duca. From here, it becomes apparent that a second horse is also missing, and whispers abound of illegal high-stakes mob run night races.

There is a second mystery at play, too. Montalbano’s house is broken into and ransacked. Twice. Then it happens again, this time with fatal consequences. The inspector, who is involved as a state witness in an upcoming mafia trial, needs to decide if the two cases are somehow linked, if the break-ins are designed to intimidate or are motivated by a different intent.

All the pleasures associated with this series are to be found here in abundance, the delectable gastronomic ramblings, the crackling dialogue, the vicious stabs of humour, but it is the tight bindings of the plot that make this work.

As a series these Montalbano novels share more than vague similarities to Georges Simenon’s most brilliant creation, the French detective, Jules Maigret. What makes the series so pleasing is the development of the main character. With the lightest of touches, each book adds new colours to the mix. We find our man here with all the physical and emotional failings of advancing middle-age: he successful in his work, good at the job and with finely honed intuitions, but his eyesight is beginning to fade, his mind keeps losing focus and his life bears the visible scars of many failings. All that remains for him is to savour the small delights and to bear the torments of his guilt-ridden missteps.

Those familiar with the inspector’s previous outings will glean a deeper satisfaction than those encountering Montalbano and crew for the first time, but this should not deter newcomers. The Track Of Sand works impressively well as a stand-alone mystery, and fans of this genre will delight in the fact that there is no evidence yet of this series spinning itself out.