The Incredibly Delightful Auntie Poldi Series by Mario Giordano
Mario Giordano’s Auntie Poldi books are a delightful treat of a series starring a 60-year-old Bavarian woman living in Italy who is a force to reckon with! And by that I, mean she drinks a lot, speaks her mind–asked or not–and it’s best, and wise, to always get out of her way. My kind of woman!
Auntie Poldi (Isolde Oberreider) may have retired to Sicily with hopes for a calm and tranquil life, but this is a murder mystery series, so there will be none of that–her retirement will be spent solving murders, of course! If you’ve yet to discover this quirky and fun series, it’ll be my pleasure to guide you through the books!
A thing I especially love about this series is that it reminded me of the way The Princess Bride was written because the narrator of the book is Auntie Poldi’s nephew, who recounts the story as she told it to him. It allows for Poldi’s story to have comical interruptions so that her nephew can talk about his failed writing attempts–of course, he’s a failed writer!–and he and Poldi can quibble. See, fun!
Anyhoo, in the first book, Poldi’s young and cute handyman (she likes the fellas!) goes missing. And then he turns up. Dead. Murdered! Based on how I’ve already described Poldi, and this being a mystery, you know she’s going to go poking around and find herself in trouble. She may also find herself a gentleman.*eyebrow dance*
Auntie Poldi may have fallen into a routine of enjoying retirement and the beautiful Torre Archirafi village, but that’s not going to last...because of murder! Toss in a neighbor’s poisoned dog, another body (found in a vineyard!), the mafia, and pillow-talk with Poldi’s on-again, off-again beau Chief Inspector Montana, and we have another fun adventure to follow along!
Poldi on her Vespa, meddling and charging forward at full force, plus, her nephew visiting from Germany, make for another fun, delightful, and oh-so-enjoyable read. Whether you’ve made it to Italy or not, you’ll fall in love and feel transported. May this series go on forever!
Oh look, the publishing gods have gifted us with another Auntie Poldi mystery in 2020. May 5, 2020 to be exact! *Circles calendar* And it seems this time, Auntie Poldi’s peaceful village life is interrupted not only by a mystery case but also by her ex-husband. Who she has no desire to ever see again! But if she wants to get rid of her ex and get back to smooching Chief Inspector Montana, she’ll have to figure out where her ex’s half-brother is and the ten-million-dollars he has with him.
Oh, and did I mention there are now two mafias involved? Guess it’s smart that Auntie Poldi traded up her Vespa for an ‘80s Maserati Cabrio–faster getaway! I can't wait to see what trouble and fun Auntie Poldi will get herself into before saving the day again!
Whether you’re looking for a beach read, spring park read, a fall companion for your pumpkin-flavored something or a book to curl up with during winter Auntie Poldi will surely delight and entertain you. And maybe inspire you to retire to a small village, take up a lover, and start solving murders!
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Jamie Canavés is a Book Riot contributing editor and Tailored Book Recommendations coordinator who always has a book in one hand. She writes the Unusual Suspects mystery newsletter, never says no to chocolate or ‘80s nostalgia, and spends way too much time asking her goat-dog “What’s in your mouth?!” Tweets: @Oh_Dinky.