The Cook of the Halcyon

By: Andrea Camilleri

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

The new novel in the transporting New York Times best-selling Inspector Montalbano mystery series

Two deaths, the suicide of a newly laid-off worker and an unscrupulous businessman found murdered, lead Inspector Montalbano to inspect the Halcyon, a nearly abandoned mysterious ship with no passengers.

©2019 Sellerio Editore. Translation © 2021 by Stephen Sartarelli (P)2021 Blackstone Publishing

Dated sexist

Couldn’t get past the descriptions of the women in the first chapters. Women so beautiful and sexy that they stopped traffic. Men unable to speak or walk a straight line. When was this book written? Hopefully it was a free one.

Pretty good but not quite up to his usual effort.

Pretty good but not quite up to his usual. Plot seemed a bit forced to me.

Grover Gardner just gets better

I have so many books narrated by Grover G, and his contribution adds so much to my enjoyment, Montalbano would hardly be tolerable without him, but as it is, the books are always worthwhile. I hate to think this might be the last one, but kind of got that feeling. I hope not. At least let the poor guy retire for real.

Different from other books in the series

I love this book, and I love the reader, Grover Gardner.

Mr Gardner is a perfect reader for the Inspector Montalbano books.

This story was originally intended to be a script for a tv show, but that didn’t work out, so it’s now on Audible in book format.

The Inspector goes under cover in order to apprehend some big time criminals. The story is more cinematic than other books in the series.

It’s quick and entertaining to listen to.

Come on .....this series should have ended at 24

The Inspector is so critical of everything when half the time he behaves like a bumbling idiot and has no compunction about lying to suit his own desires. Are Italians really so proud of blatant infidelity? These goofy Italian men are reduced to jelly at the sight of a pretty woman.......and I feel certain there cannot be so many blondes in Sicily. Once the interesting stories and plots were no longer part of the series it has became very tiresome.......I won't bother with the last.

A good reader with zero substance to work with.

Terrible. One if the worst I’ve ever listened to. Not worth the money. Grover Gardner is a favorite reader of mine. He had nothing to work with.