I received a free digital advance review copy from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Auntie Poldi is an endearing eccentric woman who has retired to a small town in Sicily, and can't resist getting to the bottom of a murder in need of solving. I was eager to read Aunte Poldi and the Handsome Antonio, as the previous book in the series ends on a cliffhanger with John, Poldi's estranged husband from Tanzania unexpectedly appearing at her door. Poldi's time in Tanzania is alluded to in the earlier books, and I would have liked to have learned more about that backstory. John's appearance in this volume connects to the mystery at hand, though we don't learn how they met or get much insight into what happened in Tanzania. Perhaps Giordano will pick up these plot lines in a later book.

Handsome Antonio has a bit of a different feel than the earlier two books in the series. Poldi's nephew, an aspiring novelist, tags along with Poldi and directly participates in some of the events, while in prior books, he is the narrator of the story, reporting what happens as told to him by Poldi after the fact. Some of the scenes in this book felt more far-fetched, with Poldi portrayed as more of a caricature as opposed to having experiences that could actually have happened. For example, there is a "fight scene" that describes "Poldi, now in full-ninja mode." I could see the cartoon lettered "Bam" and "Pow" reminiscent of Batman superimposed on the image of Poldi in my mind. Then again, as Girodano writes, "Reality is full of magic. One has to want to see it, that's all." Her off-handed name-dropping of celebrities she's interacted with takes on a more prominent role in the plot as well. I will be interested to see which direction the next book in the series takes.

As in earlier books, Giordano includes enticing descriptions of the Sicilian landscape and food. I would recommend this series to anyone looking for a strong independent female protagonist. Poldi solves murders, but overall, the book is a light-hearted and entertaining escape in a beautiful settings with a colorful cast of characters.

This is a witty and entertaining series. I read the first one but need to go back and read the others in between. Aunt Poldi is a somewhat eccentric sixty year old living in Sicily who continually gets herself mixed up in crazy and often dangerous situations. Her nephew accompanies her and is the narrating sidekick.

I’m not entirely sure how to rate Auntie Poldi and the Handsome Antonio. The publisher’s description made it sound like a fun romp, a comical cozy mystery of sorts, just what I was looking for, between more “serious” reads, and I suppose it did live up to those things. However, the writing style just didn’t appeal to me. As a “woman of a certain age” I was happy to read about a 60-year-old woman with a healthy sexual appetite and sense of adventure, but I felt the emphasis on Poldi’s sexual activities was just a bit too much, especially in the early part of the book. This was my first Auntie Poldi book and perhaps I would have enjoyed this more if I had read the first two. I enjoyed the bits of magical realism with Death showing up to talk to Poldi. I also enjoyed the descriptions of Sicily and its people and would love to go there, if we can ever travel freely again.

Recommended for readers who like madcap adventure and unlikely situations with a happy ending.

Thank you for NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

laugh-riot, situational-humor, verbal-humor, Sicily, mafia, law-enforcement, family-dynamics, friendship

"Italy is complicated. Something always intervenes." "In Poldi's case, a statistically significant cluster of handsome Antonios."
The nephew is back recounting his Auntie Poldi's escapades in Sicily with lots of laughs, innuendos, magic, the Mafia, police and the carabinieri, old spies, and even Mr Death. I thought that she couldn't get any more hilarious, but I was SO WRONG! This book is absolutely the very best antidote to the news media right now! I don't know if I laughed any harder with this one and I don't really care, I just know that I LOVED IT.
I do want to make certain to thank John Brownjohn for translating it into English so that my part of the world can enjoy it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt via NetGalley.

This book is about Auntie Poldi and her nephew along who embark on an adventure to search out for Antonio and Mafia.

What worked for this book was the characters of Auntie Poldi and her nephew (narrator of the story) and their chemistry. It also has a madcap adventure mystery vibe during the journey. There are some moments of humor that have you laughing along.

Although the book did have an intriguing storyline and imagery (beautiful Italian areas), I found that sometimes the details of the scenes could have a little less detail. Overall, it was a good read, and I would say this book is for
adventure-mystery fans.

Thank you to Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the ARC.

#AuntiePoldiandtheHandsomeAntonio #Netgalley

This is the third in the auntie Poldi series and having read the previous two , I knew I was in for another eccentric , comical adventure. It was good I had read the earlier books as the characters had been established and enjoyed even more. The plot is a surreal comical romp peppered with profound thoughts from our heroine and comical ,banter between nephew and aunt. The dead pan and nervous approach taken by the nephew counteracts Poldi’s risk taking and bravado. There are some intermittent beautiful descriptions of Italian locations and life which add another dimension to the book but ultimately this a crime caper high in some ways made me think of European comedies of the sixties and seventies. Sicily is complicated and something always intervenes. Dont take it seriously and enjoy the ride- of which there is a journey with a zen relative and a farting dog. A summer time delight

It has been a while since I read the earlier Poldi books but I was often muddled and confused with this new book in the series. Maybe it was all the Antonios. However, Sticking with it often lead to a paragraph or phrase that resonated in my soul and I would linger over it for a bit. At the end when the overall picture became clear I was so pleased to have read the book. And I am certainly well-informed about Sicily. It is a book to return to now that I know what happened next I can slow the pace and savor the moments.

Auntie Poldi is the perfect antidote for a COVID afternoon. Since we can’t travel, to escape to Sicily with her is a blessing, as I think of her as Auntie Mame crossed with Miss. Marple. Fun characters and a twisty plot, amp up the thrills, and allow the reader to disappear from our daily toils for a minute.

A completely enjoyable romp! Part mystery. part magical, realism, part travelogue,, it all adds up to a lot of fun. Aunt Poldi is a comic delight and the Sicilian setting makes one want to fly there immediately!