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

Murder in Chianti by Camilla Trinchieri

First Lines: Monday, 5:13 a.m. The sun wouldn't show up for at least another hour, but Nico got out of bed, shrugged on a T-shirt, pulled on a pair of shorts and socks, and laced up his sneakers.

Former NYPD homicide detective Nico Doyle has moved to the village of Gravigna in the heart of Tuscany. Still mourning the death of his wife, Nico is getting by with the help of Rita's relatives, but he still feels out of place. That all begins to change one morning when he's getting ready for his daily run. Hearing a gunshot and the barks of a dog, Nico discovers a body in the nearby woods.

When the investigating policeman, Maresciallo Salvatore Perillo, finds out about Nico's background, he insists on Nico's help. Discovering the dead man's identity takes a bit of time, but once it's known, Nico and Perillo learn that more than one person in this corner of Italy knew the victim. Nico has a small pool of suspects-- including his own in-laws--and finding the killer means that he's going to have to dig up every last one of their secrets in order to get to the truth.

Even though the mystery seemed to take a backseat from time to time in Murder in Chianti, I didn't really mind because this first Tuscan mystery reminds me very strongly of Martin Walker's Bruno Chief of Police series set in southwestern France.

Just what does that mean? Lots of mouth-watering food (I'm going to try my hand at making "stingy spaghetti"), getting to know the townspeople of the village of Gravigna, a very interesting main character, and a puzzling mystery to solve.

Nico Doyle has a backstory that, once uncovered, explains so much about his character. He is a man who believes in justice, but he also has a great deal of empathy for victims. He's a man who can't turn away a stray dog he names "OneWag," and he experiments with various recipes in his kitchen with some of his food being served in the family restaurant where he works a few hours per week.

The local maresciallo, Salvatore Perillo, is also a strong character. He grew up in the south of Italy, so in his own way, he is out of place in Tuscany, too. His partner is a young man, Daniele, who learns a lot during the investigation while contributing good ideas of his own. Being so young, he feels that his two biggest problems are being without a girlfriend and having the misfortune of blushing at the drop of a hat (even when he's not embarrassed about anything). Ah, the young!

If you're a fan of Martin Walker's series, expand your reading range to include Tuscany. I really think you'll enjoy Murder in Chianti. If you're not acquainted with Bruno Chief of Police, try Trinchieri's book anyway. You're going to love Tuscany, love the food, love the characters, and love solving this mystery.

Murder in Chianti by Camilla Trinchieri

eISBN: 9781641291804

Soho Press © 2020

eBook, 312 pages

Police Procedural, #1 Tuscan mystery

Rating: A-

Source: Net Galley