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THE SNACK THIEF is the third in the excellent series featuring Sicilian Inspector Montalbano. It is a labyrinthine novel, set in Sicily and shows the dark underbelly of a society that operates by its own rules. The Inspector finds himself with two different cases; firstly, an elderly man is stabbed in a lift and secondly a crewman on a trawler has been shot by a Tunisian patrol boat off the coast of Sicily. Unsurprisingly he prefers to leave the 'international' case for his deputy Mimi Augello to solve while he contents himself with the 'local' matter. Initially both matters seem to be unconnected, but this is not the case. The 'snack thief' of the title, a boy stealing lunches from boys on their way to elementary school, is central to this entire story but to say any more on this and the effect that he has on Montalbano would spoil everything. On top of all this, his long-standing relationship with the woman in his life Livia (who finally makes an appearance) is fraught with uncertainty; while he is faithful to her, he scarcely has anytime for her. Montalbano is my kind of detective. He is strong-willed, impetuous, eccentric, stubborn, and driven by a strong morality. Most of his methods hardly conform to what is seen as correct police procedure. He is a passionate about food and the reader constantly salivates along with him as he finds it hard to pass a good restaurant without stopping. Furthermore, his attitude towards his staff is scathing but this is tempered by his keen intelligence, compassion, and humanity. There are a number of amusing moments as Montalbano tries in his own way to deal with his incompetent subordinates and crafty superiors all the while casting a cynical and rather infuriated eye over those he meets. While this book is not an easy read and one would benefit from having read the earlier two books, what in fact makes the series so good is the way in which Camilleri is able to combine hard-boiled fear with the humorous frustration of daily life. There is also a lot more going on in Montalbano's private life. This hugely entertaining series is one to enjoy and savour. Once again, the translation is spot-on and Sicily comes alive within the pages.
Reviewed by Ayo Onatade, January 2005
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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