If you’re a fan of David P. Wagner’s Italian mysteries, you might want to sample Camillia Trinchieri’s Tuscan Mysteries. Murder on the Vine is the third in the series. With the addition of a character list, you can easily pick up the stories about the regular characters, including Nico Doyle, a widower and ex-NYPD detective who moved to Gravigna, his wife’s hometown, after Rita’s death.
Nico has made friends in town, and he has helped Salvatore Perillo and his team of caribinieri investigate a murder a time or two. In fact, Perillo and Nico are together when Perillo is asked to return to his office. Signorina Laura Benati, manager of Hotel Bella Vista, insists on speaking to the top officer. Her bartender, Cesare Rinaldi, an eighty-year-old man, has been missing for three days. She insists they investigate. Cesare hasn’t missed a day in eight years, and he’s been working at the hotel for thirty-eight years.
It’s just a fluke that Nico’s the one who finds Cesare’s body. His routine includes breakfast six days a week at Bar All’Angelo. Sandro owns the cafe, and his husband, Jimmy, calls to say he ran out of gas on his way back from Florence. Since Sandro refuses to close the cafe, Nico heads out to meet Jimmy with a canister of gas. But, Nico’s dog OneWag shows an unusual interest in Jimmy’s car. When Nico opens the trunk, he finds Cesare’s body.
Roped into helping with the investigation, Nico is sure that Jimmy isn’t a killer, and has no reason to have killed Cesare. But, it’s a small group of people who had opportunity and a reason to want the bartender dead. And, Perillo won’t let go of his suspicions about Cesare’s boss, Laura Benati. It’s a complex case that leads to another murder and a cold case from years earlier.
Murder on the Vine is an atmospheric mystery filled with the food, the wine, and the people of Tuscany. If you enjoy all the talk of food in Wagner’s books, you’ll be equally hungry when you read this one. It isn’t only the mystery that’s complicated. The people themselves are complicated. Nico has fallen for an artist, Nelli, but worries that he might be betraying his late wife. Laura Benati, one of the suspects, has a complicated family history. And, Daniele, Perillo’s right-hand man, is struggling with a long-distance relationship.
Although I only discovered Camilla Trinchieri with this third book, Murder on the Vine is an enjoyable treat with its interesting cast, the setting, and, of course, the wonderful food. This series provides one more way to explore Tuscany via your chair.
Camilla Trinchieri’s website is https://www.camillatrinchieri.com/
Murder on the Vine by Camilla Trinchieri. Soho Crime, 2022. ISBN 9781641293662 (hardcover), 336p.
FTC Full Disclosure – I received a .PDF to review for a journal.
