Review of The Cat and the Goldfinch

After ten episodes the series, as aired on BBC4, has come to an end which is a pity as it has been a lot of fun; I just hope they will air the remaining episodes in the not too distant future. This episode's main story is about a mugger who is targeting elderly women on their way to church; there is one thing very odd about the case; after the women hand over their bags he shots at them with a revolver yet appears to miss despite being very close… once could be nerves but on the second occasion Montalbano has an idea; perhaps the gun was loaded with blanks. Of course it doesn't stop there however the third victim is shot and wounded and the fourth killed… why would a mugger start using live ammunition after starting off firing blanks? That isn't the only mystery they have to deal with; a doctor has disappeared and it seems likely that he has been murdered as he had recently got a young patient pregnant and her father is known to the police for his violent temper… although with no body it is impossible to be sure. The episode isn't just about crime; Mimì is on leave getting ready for his wedding day and his replacement, Barbara Bellini has created a bit of a stir at the police station which isn't surprising given her stunningly good looks.

I'm going to miss watching this excellent series and hope is returns soon. It has been uniformly entertaining and this episode is no exception. Once again Luca Zingaretti is great as the eponymous Inspector and Mariacristina Marocco made a welcome addition to the cast as the beautiful Barbara; I hope her character stays in the show a while longer. The central mystery was interesting and although there was a slight link between the two cases I was pleased it avoided the cliché of having the two cases become one as the episode progressed. As always there was plenty of humour; much of it provided by Mimì who is still flirting with any pretty woman despite his imminent marriage.