THE ROAD TO MURDER

Another baffling murder rocks the idyllic Tuscan town of Gravigna.

Very early one Monday morning, a ringing phone rouses Nico Doyle from a sound sleep next to Nelli, his new girlfriend. Salvatore Perillo, the local maresciallo, is again seeking the assistance of the retired Bronx detective, who’s only too happy to help. The remote Villa Salviati has been ransacked, and the owner, widow Eleonora Salviati Lamberti, has been strangled to death, her body carefully arranged. Laetitia Barron, the English houseguest who discovered the body, explains that Nora had been planning to sell the villa. With few leads, the investigation proceeds slowly. Nico and Perillo, accompanied by tech-savvy sidekick Brigadiere Daniele Donato, meet up periodically after separately questioning multiple persons of interest. Trinchieri’s colorful characters, from glamorous hotelier Laura Benati, who’s protective of Miss Barron, to earthy laundress Marta Macchi, who reveals that Nora’s deceased husband was a lech, give the novel an appealing texture, though sometimes at the expense of pace. Over the years, Trinchieri’s portrait of Gravigna has both broadened and deepened. Nico, accompanied by his faithful dog, OneWag, has evolved from a widowed newcomer to a beloved member of the community. Much of the action in this installment centers on local restaurants and watering holes. A lengthy appended list of characters will help readers keep track of suspects, and a recipe for “Taglierini Alla Nico” brings the mystery to a luscious conclusion.

A leisurely cozy with an Italian accent and a mouth-watering lust for cuisine.