I started this book but halfway through, it just hadn’t captured my attention. Perhaps it was just the plot just wasn’t what I’d hoped for, or the author’s writing style. I’m hopeful other Auntie Poldi adventures will be more engaging.

A worthy new installment in the Auntie Poldi series. This series is equal parts smart and silly; I hope we have more books to look forward to.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review. This book is well written and the characters are described well. I enjoyed this authors writing style. But I would recommend reading the first book in this series to get to know the characters better. Overall this book is well written. This book is set in Sicily, Italy. It is a entertaining read. This book is in stores for $15.99 (USD).

This mystery's main character was a 61 year old, eccentric, flamboyant sex-starved, woman with a black beehive wig that kept slipping. Her character -Auntie Poldi- was an insulting personification of senior citizens.
Between the slapstick (ridiculous} antics and the purple prose (most of which was irrelevant to the story) this book was a disappointment to me. Add in the constant changing point of view and the sexual innuendos,
I was expecting a fun romp of a mystery taking place in one of my favorite areas of Italy but instead got an complex plot that was loosely woven together, with several extraneous characters, implausible situations and irreverent events such as literally bumping into the Pope in his private quarters (oh yes, as if a woman could actually or accidently wander into this fortified area of The Vatican).
The plot -the search for the Lost Madonna - is really secondary to Auntie Poldi's antics. The book lacked tension, suspense, and any real base in reality.
I think it could have been improved if most of this fluff and exaggeration was edited out of the book and it developed in a linear manner to follow reasonable clues to find the statue.
I received an ARC of this book for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Forza, Poldi! With a pair of mysterious twins dogging her every move and a mandate to maintain sobriety, will Poldi be able to unmask her mysterious doppelgänger, find the lost statue in time, and survive her sixty-first birthday?

Review of Auntie Poldi and the Lost Madonna by Mario Giordano
Quite a fun, light and silly book to read. Forget what you think you would be reality and sit back and enjoy the fun mystery.

Auntie Poldi and the Lost Madonna is the fourth silly, slightly inebriated romp featuring Auntie Poldi and her hapless Watson, by Mario Giordano. Originally published in 2019 in German, this English language translation from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt was released 18th May 2021. It's 352 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats.

These are silly books. This one in particular is exceedingly silly and slapstick and full of completely inappropriate juvenile sexual innuendo. Auntie Poldi is very much like an incorrigible 14 year old boy trapped in an (almost) 61 year old's body. She is insatiable, drinks (way) too much, and does things like breaking into the Vatican and literally tripping over the Pope (knocking him flat on his behind in the process). That being said, this is a sweetly affirming cozy mystery with its heart in the right place. The plotting is over the top, the characters are beyond quirky, the prose is somewhere firmly past purple, but the overall effect is hilarious and touching in some ways. It's about life and love and The Universe And Our Place In It.

Although the plot contains a number of seemingly supernatural agents and plot elements, there's (almost) always a rational explanation and Auntie Poldi's dogged determination eventually brings the truth to light. The mystery itself wasn't the main attraction for me. It's clever enough and ridiculous, but isn't the main event. Seeing Poldi careening around Rome and the awe (and cringe) inspiring hilarious devastation in her wake are worth the price of admission.

I found that I enjoyed the read much more if I were already in a good mood or full of the necessary suspension of disbelief to be carried along. Even those days when I wasn't already in good humor, my mood was much improved by the time I was done reading for the day.

Four stars. This is a well written and irreverently funny tale, well told.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Have you read any of the Auntie Poldi series by Mario Giordano? Contains such large, hilarious characters with a fun plot, every single read! Auntie Poldi is that aunt you always wished you had, but couldn‘t because you weren‘t Sicilian. A large heart, mouth like a sailor, clothes like the rainbow, & the smartest sleuth you‘ll ever encounter in Sicily!

Don‘t miss this book if you love a good mystery & larger than life characters!

In the continuation of the Auntie Poldi chronicles, told by her aspiring writer nephew, we find Poldi in even more outlandish, outrageous and farcical situation than ever before as she is targetted by police, her neighbors, and the Church after a nun died after an exorcism where she yelled out Poldi's name.

While I love mysteries in translation, and I adore older women protagonists, I am not a fan of stories that stretch credulity to the point of snapping. And this may make me sound boring but I am also not often a fan of comic novels. This definitely employs that liberally. I get the fun of something like this, but there seem to be no guardrails for the author so it ends up feeling just a bit silly.

I had liked the first one but as the series progresses, the form commits more to the wild escapade romp than I enjoy. I won't be moving on with the series.

I've enjoyed the different Auntie Poldi stories to varying degrees. I think this latest entry was up with the first one as a highlight. Any humorous crime/mystery romp that passes through the Vatican is going to be a good time. And, I think it was full of humorous references to a Vatican-themed thriller series written by the same author, which I'm sure would have been even more humorous If I could read German (or French, or one of the other languages the series has been translated into, since it's not in English!)

I thought I'd love this book but I didn't. I appreciate outrageous aunts who drink too much and are unabashed in their enjoyment of sex (or "it" as it's referred to in this book). Perhaps if I started reading from the first book in the series, I'd follow along more easily.

The book is madcap and Auntie Poldi is a lot of fun (only 60, not "elderly" as referred to by other reviewers) but the constant switching from past to present confused me, as did the comparative lack of dialogue. The settings (primarily Sicily) and characters are fun and unique, but it still couldn't hold my interest. I did enjoy the inclusion of the Pope as a character, although I'm not sure the Vatican would be so thrilled. #AuntiePoldiandtheLostMadonna #NetGalley

This was enjoyable read but there is so much going on in the story. I loved revisiting with some of the characters and the mystery was good. Auntie Poldi is such a fun character.
Many thanks to Houghton Miflin Harcourt and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Auntie Poldi has become one of my favorite series,I’ve enjoyed each book in the series all the characters.Inam always recommending the series the author, I’m always looking forward to the next in the series as soon as I finish the current one. #netgalley#hmh

This was the first Auntie Poldi book that I've read. The summaries have always intrigued me and I was attracted to the title character's quirkiness, as well as the setting in Sicily. There is a great mix of humor, mystery, and family drama. The characters are very realistically portrayed and the plot keeps one's attention. I'm going to see if I can read more of this series! NOTE: I actually listened to the audiobook version, but think I would have enjoyed reading this more than listening, due to the un-natural accents on the narration.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and the author for giving me the opportunity to review this book. Auntie Poldi is one of my favorite series to read. I will definitely be buying a hard copy for my library.

What can I say? Amazing, colourful, fun, exciting and addictive. I'd love to read all Auntie Poldi adventures now.

Auntie Poldi (even though her full name is a lot more) and her long-suffering nephew come together at Poldi's Sicillian house to discuss all things love and life. Nephew is even writing the story down, hoping to use it in his great Italian/Bavarian novel. And what a story it is.

You get Vatican, lost statue of Black Madonna, long-time Poldi's nemesis, good mafia boss, Auntie Poldi lovers and friends, lots of food and lots of alcohol. Mix is with Italian spring, sea and sunsets on the outdoor patio. But hold on, add to the mix Auntie Poldi's special kind of life wisdom, her wit, her passion for life and 'it', her colourful life and even more colourful friends. And you'd get yourself a cocktail that will make you laugh your head off. And how can one forget Death. Yes, you've heard me right. Death here is a person and he is ever-present, watching, checking, writing notes and adding up.

Yes, the story is a mystery and whodunit. But who cares who's done it when you can witness the chatter between aunt and nephew. It's more exciting and fun than any goings on on Mafia Island. And you do get a happy end.

As I said, I can't get more of Auntie Poldi...

I really wanted to like/enjoy this story. Even though I started it several times and kept going back to it, my digital copy expired before I finished it. Actually, I was relieved when it did. I couldn't get into it.

Auntie Poldi is one of my favorite wacky characters in all of literature. She is a little Murder She Wrote and a little Sophia Loren or Blanche from Golden Girls. She loves alcohol, men in uniform, and solving mysteries. This series (this is the fourth book) is a book in translation. I am so glad I found this series and I always look forward to the next installment! I would completely recommend listening to this on audiobook as the character's quirkiness and sticky situations are just more fun that way. Auntie Poldi is great for a road trip.
In this fourth book, Poldi finds herself in trouble with the church and looking to uncover a mystery involving a mafia. She encounters the Pope, takes her relationship to the next level, and has a surprising run in with a person from her past. She deals with everything in true Poldi form and manages to solve the mystery, of course.
Auntie Poldi books are tricky to recommend and maybe not for everyone (but clearly for me). This year my husband gave her a chance and loves these books to0. If you want a completely original and fun detective, something set in Sicily, or a book in translation, pick these up. Please do yourself a favor and do them on audio. You never know what Poldi will do. (Please start with the first one but the third is still my favorite.)

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance readers copy. The audio version was purchased separately.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Not my cup of tea. really wanted to like this and perhaps if i read the first books i would like it more but super weird.

My favorite 60-year-old, sexually liberated, cursing, drinking, amateur sleuth is at it again! Auntie Poldi finds herself embroiled in a mystery outside of Sicily this time, one that entangles her with none other than the pope. Like all of her prior adventures, this book is absurd, outrageous, unpredictable, and had me laughing at every turn. I'll always take the time to see what Auntie Poldi has gotten herself into.

After the initial pages, I found myself not connecting with the story or characters, so I decided to pass on this book. Did not finish