Monday, August 09, 2021

The Bitter Taste of Murder by Camilla Trinchieri

First Lines: Gravigna, a small town in the Chianti hills of Tuscany. A Tuesday in June, 7:50 a.m. Ex-homicide detective Nico Doyle parked his red Fiat 500 under a cloudless sky that promised another hot day and followed his dog across the deserted main piazza.
 
Ex-homicide detective Nico Doyle has settled into his new life in the small town of Gravigna in Tuscany. He has a dog. He has friends. He has plenty to keep him busy. But when a prominent wine critic Michele Mantelli is murdered, the town is turned upside down. 
 
Mantelli held his influential wine magazine and blog over vintners and restauranteurs like a bludgeon. Some business owners welcomed the exposure his influence could bring them while he enraged others. Mantelli's lifestyle was lavish and larger-than-life, and he was often vindictive as well, so when Nico's friends in the carabinieri find their suspect list growing longer and longer, it's no surprise that they ask him for help.

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As with the first Tuscan mystery by Camilla Trinchieri (Murder in Chianti), I couldn't help but be reminded of Martin Walker's Bruno Chief of Police series as I read The Bitter Taste of Murder. The major difference is that the main character, Nico Doyle, is an American who moved to the small town in Italy where his wife grew up after her untimely death. However, there's the mouth-watering food and wine, beautiful landscapes, and camaraderie that fans of Martin Walker's series have come to love.  

Nico helps out at a local restaurant, and he often creates his own recipes. If you're a lover of Italian food as I am, don't read this book when you're hungry. He also has a routine that brings readers into contact with many of his fellow villagers and friends. It's these villagers and friends who really give The Bitter Taste of Murder its feeling of community and fellowship. Nico has adopted a street dog he named OneWag who has his own routine, but he's usually to be found at Nico's side. There's the old man everyone calls Gogol, who goes from place to place quoting Dante. There's a developing relationship between Nico and the artist Nelli, which can make readers smile because the two are so awkward around each other. But of all the townspeople, it's the local maresciallo Salvatore Perillo and his second-in-command who really keep Nico busy helping them solve mysteries. 

Perillo may be a fashion plate with his suede boots and jacket, and Daniele his second-in-command may be a sweetheart with his tendency to blush and his heart on his sleeve, but neither one is a slouch at investigating crime. However, they have learned that Nico can be very useful at getting into places and talking to people that they can't. Keeping him a secret from those higher up the chain of command can be difficult though.

The mystery of who killed the wine critic is a strong and ultimately sad one, but it is the land, the food, and the people of Tuscany who shine the brightest in The Bitter Taste of Murder. I'm certainly looking forward to my next visit.
 
The Bitter Taste of Murder by Camilla Trinchieri
eISBN: 9781641292849
Soho Press © 2021
eBook, 336 pages
 
Police Procedural, #2 Tuscan mystery
Rating: B+
Source: Net Galley

10 comments:

  1. You have me at the setting here, Cathy! It sounds like a great background to the story, and I like the sound of Nico's character (and the dog!). It all sounds like a great sort of 'escape' books, and I thought of the Martin Walker series, too, when I was reading your description.

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    1. I wish more series like this one and Walker's would pop up. I really enjoy the location/culture-infused mysteries.

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  2. Sounds right up my alley 🙂. Thanks for your thoughts!

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  3. Anything worthy of a comparison with Walker's Bruno series will definitely get a look from me!

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    1. And here I just received my copy of the latest Bruno from The Poisoned Pen!

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  4. The setting sounds so good I got drawn in immediately. Thanks for the review.

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