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Inspector Montalbano is at it again. His friend Gege, who runs the pasture -the field of prostitutes from the previous book - has arranged a tête-à-tête with the mob. Montalbano is uncomfortable with the meeting; however, it ends with an arrest and improves his reputation. The consequences of this action will shape the entire book. On a tip, Montalbano finds a huge cave full of stolen and or contraband items. Behind this main cave is a grotto where they find two dead bodies and a life-sized terra-cotta dog, which dates back to World War II. Not only does Montalbano have these crimes to solve he must also find the criminals responsible for a supermarket heist and find the person who is attempting to kill him. THE TERRA-COTTA DOG makes an effort to deal with the ideas and fears that resulted from WWII. This book by no means makes a comprehensive study of the events that occurred or how Italy went through cultural changes. This book was concerned with the idea of how the events of WWII could lead to someone placing bodies in a grotto. Inspector Montalbano is still the slightly disgruntled, lone wolf seen in THE SHAPE OF WATER. He does not like change in either his personal or professional life. Whether this is due to his sensitivity regarding the changes in weather or simply due to a slight obsessive-compulsive nature is unclear; however, both conditions are likely. As an example of this desire for stability, he convinces one of his co-workers to stay rather than transfer, because he promises to share more information and credit with him. Montalbano realizes the improbability of this happening; yet, to prevent change he will lie about his motives. In addition, he is constantly trying to get his promotion blocked so he is not forced to relocate. Even though Montalbano is not an appealing character, one cannot help but empathizes with his need for stability in a dangerous world. THE TERRA-COTTA DOG is the second book to feature Inspector Montalbano.
Reviewed by Sarah Dudley, January 2004
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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