The Road to Murder
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3.8 • 9 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
In the latest installment of the acclaimed Tuscan Mystery series, the sole witness at a crime scene speaks only English, and ex-NYPD detective turned amateur chef Nico Doyle is summoned by the local carabinieri to help.
Though it took some time to settle into his new life in Gravigna, Italy, following the death of his wife, former NYPD detective Nico Doyle has figured out a thing or two. The locals have not only welcomed him, but are giving him rave reviews on his cooking, and his budding relationship with Nelli, a local woman, is healing old wounds.
When Nico receives a phone call before dawn, he wants to ignore it. A phone call at that time can only mean trouble. Sure enough, it’s Perillo of the local carabinieri. A woman has been found dead in her home, slumped over her piano, and the sole witness speaks only English. Nico reluctantly agrees to help Perillo with the case.
Judging by the crime scene, Perillo and Nico determine foul play, and they don’t have to look long for suspects. Following the death of her husband, the late Signora Nora had taken on a number of lovers, her two daughters weren’t on the best terms with her, and there’s a lot to be gained from the sale of her residence. Nico and Perillo have their hands full as they try to solve the murder and restore peace to the otherwise sleepy Gravigna.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Trinchieri's tasty fourth mystery for former NYPD detective Nico Doyle (after Murder on the Vine) finds the newly minted sous-chef investigating the murder of a wealthy widow in the small Tuscan village of Gavigna. Fresh off a promotion at fine dining establishment Soto Il Rico, Nico receives an early-morning call from his friend, police marshal Salvatore Perillo, informing him that Eleonora Salivati Lamberti has been found slumped over her piano and strangled to death by a curtain cord. What's more, Lamberti's watch fob and valuable cache of ruby- and pearl-encrusted jewels are missing. While Nico is initially reluctant to get involved, Salvatore convinces him to come aboard because he needs help translating a statement from the surly English-speaking friend who found Lamberti dead, and the two wind up launching a wide-ranging investigation. Suspects include Lamberti's housekeeper, cook, and gardener, plus her greedy daughters and their romantic partners. Meanwhile, Nico's involvement with the case strains his budding relationship with winemaker Nelli even as it boosts business at Soto Il Rico, with diners gunning for proximity to the case, and Salvatore's colleagues on the police force face various romantic entanglements. Trinchieri keeps the food, wine, and sumptuous descriptions of the Italian countryside flowing, and she offers a surprising yet satisfying resolution to the central mystery. This will satiate armchair sleuths and armchair travelers alike.
