Cover Image: Auntie Poldi And The Sicilian Lions

Auntie Poldi And The Sicilian Lions

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Member Reviews

After reading the many good reviews of this book, I am surprised at how I could not get into this book. I believe the premise and characters seemed entertaining and witty, except I found the narrative to be unimpressive. I understand it is a translation and told from a nephews second hand words, but the wit and humor was lost on me.

Thank you Netgalley for this opportunity to read this e-galley.

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60 and sure of herself, Auntie Poldi decides to move to a remote part of Sicily to live out the remaining days of her life drinking wine and looking out across the sea. Of course this is not to be as her personality is bigger than the island and she finds herself wig deep in investigating the death of her handyman, Valentino. Auntie Poldi is what Miss Marple would be if she were a German, living in Sicily, with an overactive imagination and sex drive. The combination of nationalities, the story of Valentino's murder being interjected into the story Auntie Poldi is telling her nephew, and it being a translation creates a bit of mayhem, but Mr. Giordano's writing style inspires visions of lush Italy and a craving for wine and granita!

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Book Description
On her sixtieth birthday, Auntie Poldi retires to Sicily, intending to while away the rest of her days with good wine, a view of the sea, and few visitors. But Sicily isn’t quite the tranquil island she thought it would be, and something always seems to get in the way of her relaxation. When her handsome young handyman goes missing—and is discovered murdered—she can’t help but ask questions.

Soon there’s an investigation, a smoldering police inspector, a romantic entanglement, one false lead after another, a rooftop showdown, and finally, of course, Poldi herself, slightly tousled but still perfectly poised.

My Thoughts
I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway which judging by the number I have entered versus what I have won, I should really buy lottery tickets since the odds seem more favorable. Before I knew that I had won the giveaway, I was approved for a digital copy on NetGalley and felt book fate was telling me this book was meant to be read by me! I was hooked when I read in the book description that Aunti Poldi planned to move to Sicily where she could enjoy retirement in a beautiful location, drink good wine and maybe even 'drink herself to death'. Alas, life has a way of not always giving us what we think we want and a murder draws her away from relaxation and into the heart of the mystery.
Aunti Poldi is an eccentric character and if she was my relative I would adore her because as an only child of only children, I can only imagine how much fun I would have with a large family full of quirky relatives.( Probably easy for me to say since I don't have any!) I could picture her nephew, the book's narrator, feeling love along with a lot of head shaking at how she chooses to live her life. It is the disappearance of her young handyman that shakes up her world and when he is murdered, well Aunti Poldi has no intention of letting the police solve the crime without her assistance. Many facets of her personality are revealed as the story progresses, and I often found myself laughing out loud at her antics while being fairly certain that Aunti Poldi would figure out the murder before the police.
I found this to be a fun read that transported me to a beautiful, sunny place on a cold winter day. Aunti Poldi to me was a great character and if you like a cozy mystery with a dash of murder and an interesting and beautiful locale, perhaps you will enjoy some time spent in her world.
Thank you, Mario Giordano, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Goodreads, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

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From the publisher: On her sixtieth birthday, Auntie Poldi retires to Sicily, intending to while away the rest of her days with good wine, a view of the sea, and few visitors. But Sicily isn’t quite the tranquil island she thought it would be, and something always seems to get in the way of her relaxation. When her handsome young handyman goes missing—and is discovered murdered—she can’t help but ask questions . . .
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Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions is a delight. Although it is the first book in a mystery series, there is a lot more going on here than is often the case with mysteries. Auntie Poldi is at a crossroads, not sure what to do with herself. She is a bit depressed and is drinking too much. When accidentally pulled into a murder investigation, she puts herself in harm’s way with a kind of indifference as to whether she lives or dies. But Poldi is a fighter who, it turns out, is not going to go gently into that good night. Along the way she finds new passion and a new lease on life.

Although translated from the Italian, I actually thought that added to the charm, in the way of Fredrik Backman’s A Man Called Ove. The book is narrated by Poldi’s visiting nephew. I thought this worked really well. It added a hint of both unreliability and believability to the tale. Parts of the story are absurd – but they could happen, if you had the right eccentric relative to tell you about them. The nephew is supposedly an author, and a pretty bad one from what little he says about his novel in progress. Both the nephew and Poldi are Germans living in Italy, and their outsider view is ours as well. I've only visited Italy twice, but I thought the author did a great job of capturing the feel of Italy and its people. I’ve yet to travel to Sicily, but this book made me want to go now!

This is a book that does a great job showcasing a strong older woman and her zest for life, a complicated and messy but loving family, and life in Sicily. I recommend it for fans of Fredrik Backman and Helen Simonson’s Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand.

I read an advance reader copy of Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions. It is due out in March 2018 and will be available at the Galesburg Public Library in print and as an ebook.

One minor spoiler and caution for animal lovers: <spoiler>two animal deaths occur, one a stray cat and one a guard dog </spoiler>.

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Fans of Andrea Camilleri and Donna Leon may well enjoy this mystery featuring a woman of a "certain age" who moves to Sicily. Enjoy the setting, the views and watch what happens to Auntie Poldi as she gets involved in solving a mystery. The book is narrated by Poldi's nephew who is an aspiring author. Each chapter begins with an italicized summary.
This book was not compelling but was a fine read.

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A great mystery with the character of Aunt Poldi. I want to read more.

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I enjoyed the plot of Auntie Poldi moving from Barvaria to Sicily. She may drink too much to morn the death of her husband, but she hasn't lost her love of living a full life. The sisters-in-law were had full roles as secondary characters.
I struggle with translated books - probably because I don't read enough of them. The style of the book was different and I couldn't tell if it was the intent of the author, which would have been fine, or a relic of the translation.
Hopefully there will be more Auntie Poldie stories.

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Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for providing an e-galley of Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions by Mario Giordano in exchange for an honest review. This mystery is narrated by the nephew of Auntie Poldi, a sixty-year-old retiree from Munich who has decided that Sicily will be ideal for her quiet, alcohol-imbued retirement. However, life changes unexpectedly when her handyman is murdered and our heroine becomes an amateur sleuth. Her meddling ways cause problems for the police officer charged with the investigation. And she also makes a nuisance of herself with the individuals that she suspects of the murder. This mystery flows well and is often quite amusing. A most enjoyable read.

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I'm a fan of Italian mysteries, and Auntie Poldi ... a German woman who married a Sicilian-German and has recently retired to Sicily ... sounded like a fun character. Given that the narrator is Poldi's nephew, an aspiring author, I was expecting an Auntie Mame sort. Unfortunately, I wasn't that caught up in the story, and found Auntie Poldi rather annoying. I gather that there is a sequel, and would probably read that just to see if she improves with acquaintance.

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Sadly I could not get into this book -- a surprise since I usually love books set in Italy and stories with a mystery and quirky characters. Unfortunately, this one didn't captivate me. I can't even give a good explanation why. The writing was in third person and the descriptions seemed to be without emotion or attachment. I just didn't care about the characters or what happened to them. Just not my "cup of tea" , I guess.

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When Isolde Oberrieter, better known as Poldi moves from her native Bavaria to Sicily, the homeland of her former husband Peppe, her in-laws think it might be due to depression. They also think that she might intend to settle in her apartment with a view and drink herself into oblivion.

When Poldi's handyman Valentino goes missing and eventually turns up dead, she suddenly has
more on her mind than alcohol. She decides that she will find the killer before the police. Of course, that may be easier said than done. But then again larger than life, Poldi isn't one to give up once she gets her teeth into something.

I loved this book. The fact that the story was told by Poldi's nephew, a struggling writer, meant that I got a fascinating glimpse into Poldi's character and lifestyle. The descriptions were fabulous and after this adventure I'm hooked. I'm hoping that Poldi will have another case soon, so that I can get lost in Sicily once again. I certainly felt this one would make a fantastic movie.

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Auntie Poldi is quite the character, full of life, drama, and eccentricity. After a murder takes place, Auntie Poldi tries to solve the mystery, while becoming involved with the inspector on the case. The story is told by her nephew, and is a fun filled romp.

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This is the first in a new cozy mystery series. In this case, the setting is Sicily and the amateur sleuth is a 60 year old retiree. Aunt Poldi is a bigger than life character, literally and figuratively, and is a lot of fun.

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