Il commissario Montalbano La pista di sabbia (1999– ) Online

When Montalbano looks out over the beach one morning he is shocked to find a dead horse there; it had clearly been killed nearby and dumped there. After the scene has been inspected he contacts the relevant authority to have the carcass collected but when he gets back to the scene it has gone! Mimi speculates that it had probably been used in illegal races so they'd be unlikely to here from anybody… however later in the day a beautiful woman named Rachele Esterman come to the station to report its theft. It turns out two almost identical horses had been stolen from a nearby stable… this raises several questions; which was the dead horse? Why would somebody steal a horse only to kill it and if killing the horse was just a way of getting to somebody which owner was being targeted? While Montalbano is investigating the horse somebody appears to be taking an interest in him and his house; it looks as if it could be related to a case he is going to give evidence at… but could it really be because somebody is looking for a piece of evidence they think he has?

There may have been no murders in this story but it was still entertaining. The case was sufficiently interesting and there were plenty of motives and suspects to choose from as well as a good number of laughs; the way Catarella introduced Rachele as Miss Ester Man was hilarious as was Mimi's reaction when he saw her leaving… he can be forgiven though as she did look stunning in her orange dress! It was good to see Isabell Sollman return again as Salvo's friend Ingrid; watching her tease Salvo about Rachele was a delight! Guest star Mandala Tayde did a fine job as Rachele; it was no surprise that her attempts to seduce the Inspector were successful despite his attempts to avoid her! I look forward to finding out if his relationship with Livia will survive; we seem to be seeing less of her these days; this time she was just a voice on the phone.

Love detective mystery dramas, particularly those from the UK and US ('Inspector Morse', 'A Touch of Frost', 'Foyle's War', 'Inspector George Gently', 'Midsomer Murders', 'Law and Order', 'Criminal Minds', 'Monk' and 'Murder She Wrote' for examples,, and non-English/American ones (i.e. The Swedish 'Wallander' and the Danish 'The Killing') also fascinate me.

'Inspector Montalbano' is one of the best and most entertaining examples. It is not easy breathing freshness into a well-worn genre but 'Inspector Montalbano' manages to do so with aplomb. Watching 'Inspector Montalbano' is like eating a delicious Italian meal that immensely satisfies and leaves you wanting more. There may be very familiar tropes, but in a way it's inevitable and doesn't detract from the enjoyment at all.

Even when 'Inspector Montalbano' is not at its best, which is the case with "The Track of Sand", it is still a heck of a lot better than most shows at their worst. Again that's the case with "The Track of Sand". There are episodes that are consistently easier to follow, the case here is intriguing and entertains and challenges with some nicely done twists, but there were parts that did come over as a little too over-complicated and gave off the sense that the episode was trying to do too much.

One always expects 'Inspector Montalbano' to look good. As always with 'Inspector Montalbano', "The Track of Sand" is beautifully shot and the scenery is stunning, making those who've never been to Italy want to book a holiday there as soon as possible and is a treat for anybody who loves all things Italian. The music is never over-bearing or low-key with a nice atmosphere and flavour, a lot of it is very cleverly used. The sound effects are remarkably authentic.

Writing is tightly structured and taut, with very funny to hilarious humour (count me in as another person who found Catarella's mispronouncing of Rachele's full name hilarious), nice tension and Montalbano's complicated personal life dealt with affectingly.

Characters may be stereotypes but well-written ones, especially one of the most fascinating foreign detective mystery dramas titular characters there is to me and the scene-stealing Catarella (hilarious comic relief but more than that). The supporting characters are well written, especially Rachele.

Acting is terrific, especially from Luca Zingaretti who is a treasure in the title role, having a perfect balance of comedy and drama and playing it straight while always engaging with his material. Angelo Russo's comic timing is a refreshing and always perfectly timed joy. Cesare Bocci is solid, and there is charming support from Isabell Sollman and particularly Mandala Tayde.

Summing up, over-complicated at times but engrossing. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Sometimes murder mysteries are broadcast whose plots are so complicated that they are simply incomprehensible to viewers. This is the case with "La Pista di Sabba." Suffice to say that the plot involves a dead horse, a woman of suspect morality who happens to be a friend of Ingrid (Isabell Sollman), the Mafia, and a man shot in self-defense by Agente Galluzio (Davide Lo Verde).

In thematic terms, this episode looks to have run out of ideas: there are plot-developments which have already been used in previous episodes of MONTALBANO, such as the seduction of the eponymous central character (Luca Zingaretti) by a beautiful woman, putting his relationship with the long-suffering Livia in doubt. The interplay between Montalbano and Catarella (Angelo Russo) tends to be irritating rather than humorous: we wish that the junior police officer wasn't quite so terrible at mispronouncing names. Oh, and we must not forget the old chestnut of Mimi Augello's (Cesare Bocci's) wandering eye, despite being happily married with a child.

Perhaps the most disappointing episode of the entire series so far, "La Pista di Sabba" feels like a palimpsest of clichés already over- used in previous episodes.