It was fun an enjoyable! if you're after a fun, light read... dive in. the first book in the series was a lot better in my opinon....

Auntie Poldi is back! - causing mayhem in the streets of Sicily - in this second outing. Our slightly bonkers protagonist is still basking in glory from her previous escapades but is soon to become embroiled in another mystery - no one (and nothing) is above suspicion. A well written, fun read in a glorious setting.
(Many thanks to NetGalley/Author/Publisher for the ARC)

A happy afternoon of Poldi!
Oh, these Poldi books make me smile! They are funny and witty, and give us a little dose of Sicily. When is the next one out...?

I would like to thank Netgalley and John Murray Press for a review copy of Auntie Poldi and the Fruits of the Lord, the second novel to feature amateur detective Isolde Baureitter.

Poldi, as she is known, moved from Munich to Sicily with the intention of drinking herself to death but fate has ways of intervening. Poldi is already dealing with no water in the house when her neighbour Valérie's dog is poisoned which she sees as the Mafia putting pressure on her when she stumbles across the murdered body of local psychic, Giuliana Sahara. Determined to investigate Poldi is ably assisted by new teammates Signora Cocuzza and Padre Paolo.

Auntie Poldi and the Fruits of the Lord is a bit of a mixed bag. It is extremely amusing in parts but gets bogged down in this humour and extraneous detail in others so I felt that at times the author loses sight of his plot. He continues his conceit of the first novel in an unusual narrative style. The novel is a first person narrative by Poldi's unnamed nephew who flies in regularly from Munich to cheer her up, work on his novel and listen to the latest instalment of her adventures. Does it work? Yes and no. He spends a fair amount of time describing the plot and progress of novel which, while being amusing, is not germane to the main plot and seems rather unnecessary. I found the first few chapters rather slow going and they didn't hold my attention but it picks up as it goes on. I have to say that I loved the last sentence in the novel.

The plot itself is rather slim and not particularly enthralling but it's not the main thrust of the novel which is Poldi's larger than life character, her escapades and interactions with other characters. Again they are amusing, especially brother-in-law Martino's theory on links between the Knights Templar and the CIA which probably sum up the the essence of the novel. Poldi, herself, is a sensual, hard drinking sexagenarian with a tendency to depression and melancholy which doesn't really come across in the novel as she seems to have such a zest for life. She is a loveable character. Sicilian life and attitudes are a character themselves. It helps the novel that both Poldi and the narrator are German so that they can look at them with a fond outsider's eye and provide explanations.

I would also like to mention the excellent translation. Mr Brownjohn has done a great job of making the novel sound natural and free flowing with no stilted dialogue.

Auntie Poldi and the Fruits of the Lord is not a bad book it just seems like more of the same without the sharpness of its predecessor, Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions.