If you are a fan of dark thrillers of the Swedish/Barbara Vine type you might not like this book. On the other hand, whilst I like Mankell et al immensely, I found this a most enjoyable read on an entirely less serious level. It was fun rather than sombre and nothing wrong with that for a Bank Holiday Monday read! The plot, ostensibly about the search to find the killer of the wealthy old lady, was definitely secondary to introducing us to Inspector Bordelli and his back history combined with some very evocative descriptions of Florence in the intense heat of an Italian summer. I found this perfectly acceptable and indeed enjoyed it enormously. I also loved the quirky throw away humour - for example reflecting on his probable chance of living into a healthy old age Bordelli reminds himself that he has inherited good genes - after all his father died not from any age related illness but merely because he fell out of a window whilst painting some shutters! Black humour perhaps but definitely a laugh out loud moment! I am absolutely delighted to find that there are more Bordelli books to come and only sorry that, as my Italian isn't up to reading them immediately, I shall have to wait until they are translated. I recommend this as a light hearted holiday read for fans of Petros Markaris and Agatha Christie which is probably best avoided by self consciously serious students of complex of crime fiction.fjs