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Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions (An Auntie Poldi Adventure)
by Mario Giordano
Published: 2018-03-06
Hardcover : 352 pages
Hardcover : 352 pages
12 members reading this now
10 clubs reading this now
2 members have read this book
10 clubs reading this now
2 members have read this book
A NATIONAL BESTSELLER
“Break out the prosecco! There’s a new detective in town – and she’s 60, sexy, wise and utterly adorable. In the first book of what promises to be a smash series, Poldi moves from Munich to Sicily, intent on cheerfully drinking herself to death with a view of ...
“Break out the prosecco! There’s a new detective in town – and she’s 60, sexy, wise and utterly adorable. In the first book of what promises to be a smash series, Poldi moves from Munich to Sicily, intent on cheerfully drinking herself to death with a view of ...
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Introduction
A NATIONAL BESTSELLER
“Break out the prosecco! There’s a new detective in town – and she’s 60, sexy, wise and utterly adorable. In the first book of what promises to be a smash series, Poldi moves from Munich to Sicily, intent on cheerfully drinking herself to death with a view of the sea. Instead her handyman goes missing, she finds his corpse, and what choice does she have but to solve the crime? To use her favorite saying: Namaste, Poldi!”—People (Book of the Week)
For fans of A Man Called Ove and the novels of Adriana Trigiani, a charming, delightfully sexy, and bighearted novel starring Auntie Poldi, Sicily’s newest amateur sleuth
An Auntie Poldi Adventure
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.
This “masterly treat” (Times Literary Supplement) will transport you to the rocky shores of Torre Archirafi, to a Sicily full of quirky characters, scorching days, and velvety nights, alongside a protagonist who’s as fiery as the Sicilian sun.
“Break out the prosecco! There’s a new detective in town – and she’s 60, sexy, wise and utterly adorable. In the first book of what promises to be a smash series, Poldi moves from Munich to Sicily, intent on cheerfully drinking herself to death with a view of the sea. Instead her handyman goes missing, she finds his corpse, and what choice does she have but to solve the crime? To use her favorite saying: Namaste, Poldi!”—People (Book of the Week)
For fans of A Man Called Ove and the novels of Adriana Trigiani, a charming, delightfully sexy, and bighearted novel starring Auntie Poldi, Sicily’s newest amateur sleuth
An Auntie Poldi Adventure
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.
This “masterly treat” (Times Literary Supplement) will transport you to the rocky shores of Torre Archirafi, to a Sicily full of quirky characters, scorching days, and velvety nights, alongside a protagonist who’s as fiery as the Sicilian sun.
Editorial Review
An Amazon Best Book of March 2018: Auntie Poldi is a stout, bewigged German widow who retires to a Sicilian fishing village so she can drink herself to death with a sea view. And death does arrive, not to Poldi but to the handsome Valentino, a young local she hired to do some odd jobs around her new house. Poldi puts the drinking on hold (sort of) to concentrate on fulfilling the promise she made to Valentino’s dead body that she would find his killer. The thing is, discreet inquiries are not Poldi’s strong suit; she’s Miss Marple by way of Auntie Mame, with a dollop of the Golden Girls. As she tells our narrator, her nephew, who records her madcap adventures during his dutiful monthly visits, “when the chips are down, show plenty of cleavage.” Hilarious, reckless, and endearingly melancholy at times, Poldi makes friends, enemies, sage comments, and even a little whoopee as the case winds to its satisfying and unexpected conclusion. --Vannessa CroninExcerpt
Describes how and why Poldi moves to Sicily and what her sisters-in-law think of it. Unable to function without her wig and a bottle of brandy, Poldi invites everyone to a roast pork lunch, makes her nephew an offer he can’t refuse, and gets to know her neighbours in the Via Baronessa. One of them goes missing shortly afterwards. ...
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Discussion Questions
1. Why do Valérie and Poldi hit it off immediately? What do they see in each other that leads to their strong friendship?2. Poldi is sexy and sassy, with a vibrant romantic life—characteristics we often see in younger protagonists, but not often in older ones. In what other ways does Poldi break with convention? Why do you think vibrant, sexy women of a certain age aren’t featured more frequently in movies and books?
3. The author evokes a very strong sense of place. What were you drawn to most, the descriptions of the food, or of the landscape?
4. Poldi is immediately accepted by her neighbors, perhaps in spite of her quirks. But while she is an insider in many ways, she is also still an outsider as an expatriate. How does she reconcile this contradiction? Have you ever felt like an insider and an outsider at the same time? How did you reconcile that?
5. Why do you think Poldi choose policemen to photograph? What does it say about her thoughts surrounding authority?
6. Do you have a friend or relative who reminds you of Poldi? What is your relationship with him or her and how does your dynamic relate to the dynamic between Poldi and her nephew?
7. If you could choose any place to retire, as Poldi chose Sicily, where would you go and why?
8. Why does Poldi feel so honor-bound to Valentino? Could her motivation to solve his murder also be driven by self-interest?
9. Poldi has a close but complicated relationship with each one of her sisters. At times, they can be a burden to her, but often they become her partners in crime. What are your relationships like with your siblings and how do you navigate and maintain those relationships as you grow older?
Book Club Recommendations
Recommended to book clubs by 1 of 2 members.
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