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There are currently 20 member reviews
for Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions
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Elizabeth K. (Glenshaw, PA)
Auntie Poldi Sicilian Lions
This book did not "grab" me right away. Perhaps the translation wasn't perfect. But, once I got past all that, it was a fun light read. Auntie Poldi, a sixty year old Auntie Mame type character, was of Italian ancestry but raised in Germany. After her parents died she sold the family home and moved to Sicily where her sisters lived. She became immersed in the community and involved in a murder that she was determined to solve. Her joy of life shines throughout.
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Shawna (TX)
Welcome Auntie Poldi!
A delightful light mystery set in Sicily centered on Auntie Poldi and her community of family and friends. Easy reading with details of Sicily and food, Poldi's adventures make for an enjoyable afternoon curled up with a book. I did discover my Italian was lacking, and I looked up several phrases. Auntie Poldi will be a welcome newcomer to the genre of cozy mystery detectives.
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Randi H. (Bronx, NY)
A fun start to a new series
Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions is the first in a new series about Auntie Poldi, a German widow who moves to Sicily to live near her sisters-in-law. Very opinionated, she soon finds herself embroiled in the disappearance of her employee Valentino Candela. She enlists the grudging assistance of a local police detective to help her search for Valentino.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Auntie Poldi is a fun character. The descriptions of Sicily and its food added to my pleasure of the book. This is a great book for anyone who enjoys mysteries set in international locations, similar to the Inspector Montalbano series by Andrea Camilleri and Donna Leon's Commissario Brunetti books. I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.
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Mary C. (Plano, TX)
Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions
Mysteries are my favorite type of pleasure reading. Auntie Poldie and the Sicilian Lions did not disappoint. The beginning was rather slow with Auntie Poldie seeming to be more of a caricature with her slipping wig and her generous cleavage as she tries to come to grips with her life in Sicily. But Poldie endears herself to me as she is a list-maker like I am and she does not buy the great-looking strappy sandals, but rather uses that money to further her crime investigation. Enter Vito Montana, a pensive heart-throb, and the book springs to life for Poldie and the reader. Montana is expertly drawn for the reader, so much so that we wish Poldie and Vito a happy ending. There is a large cast of suspects for the murder that occurs early in the book. Poldie tries to solve the murder and finds herself often in hilarious and sometimes dangerous situations. The little dog Totti and the three sisters are pals who try to help our our friend, Poldie. There is great ambience with Torre Archirafi as a setting, a place that I want to visit again in the second book, Auntie Poldie and the Fruits of the Lord. "Namaste," as Poldie would say.
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Carol C. (Troy, NY)
Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions
Part travelogue, part cultural tutorial, and part character study, this leisurely paced murder mystery is a good fit for those who enjoy tales involving European settings, good food, and singular characters. The latter includes an overly curious protagonist - a Bavarian widow who has moved to Sicily to be near relatives - and a narrator who is heard but not seen. The murder plot seems almost an excuse to provide interesting and entertaining descriptions of Sicily and its culture, yet this isn't a drawback.... I look forward to more Auntie Poldi novels.
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Norma R. (Secaucus, NJ)
Aunt Poldi
Aunt Poldi and the Sicilian Lions by Mario Giordano is a fun detective story set in Sicily. The protagonist, Aunt Poldi is a quirky amateur detective. The residents of her small town harbor decades long secrets and grudges. She investigates a murder with the help of her sisters and brothers in law. Of course there is a handsome police detective and a few encounters with dangerous criminals. I enjoyed the few words and phrases in Sicilian that were spread throughout the book. I recommend this novel to anyone who likes mysteries set in a beautiful location.
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Audrey M. (Overland Park, KS)
Auntie Podi and the Sicilian Lions
I thought this book was average. There is nothing that really stood out for me.