Product Review

(In Italian with English Subtitles)Before Detective Salvo Montalbano became the seasoned and mature chief detective we already know, he was just Salvo, new to Vigata and new to being a police chief. He didn't always live in that glorious house by the sea, or have Deputy Chief Mimi Augello as a best friend, or Fazio as a loyal assistant. He didn't always go out with the beautiful Genoese architect, Livia Burlando. Perhaps the only constants have been his unbridled quest for good food and the inability of his overly enthusiastic deputy, Catarella, to pronounce anyone s name correctly. In this prequel series to Detective Montalbano, watch the genesis of the friendships, the rivalries and the romance as the players arrive to take their places in the beautiful Sicilian town of Vigata. In the crucible of solving crimes together among the unforgettable people of Vigata, they become a team. Savor these stories that set the stage for the group s transformation from rookie cops to the experienced crime-solving ensemble we ve come to know and love. Episode 1: The First Case A promotion brings young Detective Salvo Montalbano from a small mountain village to the city of Vigata. There he finds himself supervising a group of agents that include Carmine Fazio, many years his senior, and quirky Sicilian Catarella. Together they investigate a murder that's been pinned on a young woman who may be smarter and angrier than anyone knows. Episode 2: New Year's Eve A bullet shot from outside a hotel kills a guest in his room on New Year's Eve. Montalbano learns that rooms were switched just before the shooting, which changes the tenor of the investigation. HIs work isn't made any easier when Dr. Pasquano from forensics arrives to check out the body, without giving much respect or deference to the young police chief. Episode 3: Back to Basics Montalbano finds himself threatened by the arrival of Deputy Chief Mimi Augello. They investigate a kidnapping case together while Montalbano secretly wonders whether his new colleague is friend or foe. Together they also meet a friend of the victimized family, the beautiful Genoese architect, Livia Burlando.