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Ratings: ★★★★☆ (4.3/5)
Genre: European Comics / Comedy / Mystery / Classic Graphic Novel

Book Review:
''The Castafiore Emerald'' is the twenty-first adventure in the Tintin series, first published in 1961. This book is unique in the entire Tintin canon – it is a comedy of manners and a parody of detective stories.

The story takes place entirely at Marlinspike Hall. The famous opera diva Bianca Castafiore (nicknamed ''the Milanese Nightingale'') arrives for a visit, much to Captain Haddock's horror. She brings her maid, her pianist, and her precious emerald necklace. When the necklace disappears, everyone suspects a theft. But nothing is as it seems.

What makes this book brilliant is what it subverts. There is no villain, no chase, no exotic location. Instead, Hergé creates suspense through misunderstandings, bad timing, and hilarious coincidences. Captain Haddock's attempts to avoid Castafiore, the deaf Professor Calculus mishearing everything, and the bumbling detectives Thomson and Thompson – all create pure comic gold. A delightful, clever, and wonderfully funny book that shows Hergé's mastery of comedy.