Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions: A Novel

It is unbelievable that a male writer invented such a quirky and unusual heroine. Auntie Poldi is quite unconventional, choosing to live out her dotage in sunny beachfront Siciliy rather than her native Germany. Auntie Poldi likes to drink and favors other sensual delights. One might find sixty-year-old Auntie Poldi making breakfast in the buff or pursuing handsome detectives.

When Poldi’s handsome young handyman disappears, it sets her on a quest to locate him and discover what mysteries the Sicilian town of Torre Archirafi holds. Is the mafia behind the disappearance? Why is the young French girl, Valerie, so eager to be her friend, and why is the stone lion missing from her estate? Indeed, why is the neighboring estate so well guarded and hostile to visitors? Of course, this doesn’t stop Poldi from trespassing into danger.

This is the author’s first book to be translated into English. He has to be commended for creating such noteworthy characters and keeping the plot moving from one vicinity to the next. This would be a good book club selection with thought provoking questions included in the appendix.