title: August Heat: An Inspector Montalbano Mystery
author:  Andrea Camilleri 
description: Camilleris alternately brooding and life-loving Sicilian police inspector Salvo Montalbano may be the most agonizingly human lead character in the mystery genre. The inspectors all-too-recognizable shortcomings, from lethargy to lust,are on view in this latest episode in which a summer rentalprocured by Salvo for friends of his girlfriend, Liviabecomes a kind of Italian Amityville horror. If an insect infestation isnt enough to turn the holiday into a fiasco, the body found in a concealed basement apartment does the trick nicely, leaving Montalbano on the outs with Livia and forced to contend with a six-year-old murder. As the inspector endures the August heat (often by sitting in his office in his underwear), he faces an even more formidable obstacle: his overwhelming attraction to the victims stunning twin sister. Montalbanos various weaknesses lead directly to the troubling finale, leaving him forcedto, yes, strip off his clothes one more time and dive into the sea, hoping to swim away his regrets. Combine the movies Body Heat and The Seven-Year Itch, blending the noir of the former with the farce of the latter, and you have something like this beguiling tragicomedy. --Bill Ott
zlib_text: ![](images/cover.jpg)
  
  
  
  
  
  Jean de LA HIRE
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The Nyctalope Steps In
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  With additional stories by
  
  
  Matthew Dennion, Emmanuel Gorlier,
  
  
  Julien Heylbroeck, Paul Hugli,
  
  
  Roman Leary, Randy Lofficier,
  
  
  Stuart Shiffman and David L. Vineyard
  
  
  
  
  
  Edited and translated by
  
  
  Jean-Marc & Randy Lofficier
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  BLACK COAT PRESS
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  TABLE OF CONTENTS
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Introduction 4](004.html#a40)
  
  
  [Jean de La Hire: The Nyctalope Steps In 8](005.html#a41)
  
  
  [Emmanuel Gorlier: Fiat Lux! 79](011.html#a44)
  
  
  [Emmanuel Gorlier: The Three Sisters 88](012.html#a50)
  
  
  [Julien Heylbroeck: The Season of the Shark 108](013.html#a55)
  
  
  [Emmanuel Gorlier: The Lesson of Captain Danrit 124](014.html#a56)
  
  
  [Matthew Dennion: The Hunters of Mars 135](015.html#a58)
  
  
  [Roman Leary: The Children of Heracles 151](016.html#a61)
  
  
  [Randy Lofficier: The English Gentleman’s Ball 192](017.html#a63)
  
  
  [Paul Hugli: Death to the Heretic! 197](018.html#a64)
  
  
  [Stuart Shiffman: The Nyctalope’s New Y