Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions

Auntie Poldi, Book 1

By: Mario Giordano

Narrated by: Matt Addis

Fiction at its most charming - A Man Called Ove meets Andrea Camilleri. Auntie Poldi is this summer's most unlikely hero.

Auntie Poldi can think of no finer place to wait for death than Sicily. All she asks is a sea view, fine wine (and plenty of it) and her family close around.

When death instead takes her handsome young friend Valentino - and under mysterious circumstances at that - Poldi will not take it lying down.

Perhaps it's in her blood (her father was a detective chief inspector); perhaps it's a diverting excuse to spend more time with men in uniform; or perhaps it's just the promise she makes to Valentino while holding his poor dead hand.

But Auntie Poldi's hunting instincts have never felt more alive. Justice must be served - if it's the last thing she does....

©2015 Mario Giordano (P)2018 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Critic reviews

"Alive with a tang of lemons to set the senses zinging." ( The Spectator)

entertaining but . . .

really enjoyed this first (hopefully) book in a series but the italian and german names of people and places was confusing. by the end, i didnt know who the perp was. will have to listen to it again to get it fully. im thinking that reading the text instead of listening to it may have been more understandable. love the narrator though.

More fun and murder in Sicily!

Sicily, amateur-sleuth, women-sleuths, murder-investigation, law-enforcement, verbal-humor, situational-humor, cultural-exploration ------
What a great read! As soon as I poked my nose into this book it held on and made me finish it in one day! Auntie Poldi is wonderful with her towering black wigs, risqué attire, fashion sense, and involvement in life even when she is battling depression. She involves herself in the investigation and won't let go until the right person is charged with the murder. The publisher's blurb gives hints and there is no need for spoilers, but that can't begin to prepare you for all the laughs! The whole thing is told by her nephew as she fills him in during his monthly visits from Germany while he tries to write a novel. Don't miss this, especially if you enjoy Comissario Montalbano. I don't speak Italian or Sicilian, but everything flows well so I credit that to the work of the translation team.
I originally won an uncorrected proof in a LibraryThing Giveaway, had some problems with sight reading, then saw that it would soon be on audio, so I bought it. I actually prefer narrated books when I suspect that I would screw up the other language's pronunciations. Matt Addis is really super at narrating this one and I hope that he will be doing the others.

Love of life AND a good mystery

The book is charmingly narrated in the person of Auntie Poldi's nephew, an aspiring author who hasn't yet recognized the stories in front of him while he struggles to create sweeping multi-generational epics. The plot interweaves Poldi's engagement with life and sorrow, the good things of life Sicily, a romantic interest and a slowly unfolding mystery that Poli doggedly (sometimes literally) pursues.
I hope the remaining books in the series are rapidly made available in English audio formats! I'm hooked.

Interesting characters

Nice plot, fun new sleuth. Enjoyed the relationships. Not bad for a first effort.
Blah blah blsh blah blah blsh blah.

Slow at start but got better

The book was slow at beginning but got better as it went along . Glad I stuck with it.

Auntie Poldi is bold and fierce

I love Auntie Poldi’s character! I admire her bravery, will, and persistence. She is unforgettable in all the ways.

Boring

Our book club chose this book so I had to finish it. We all agreed that If we had been reading/listening just for ourselves we would not have wasted our time.