It’s a real pleasure today to be joining the blog tour and sharing my review of Murder in Chianti by T A Williams: the second in his Armstrong and Oscar cozy mystery series, published by Boldwood Books on 27th January, it’s now available as an ebook (free via Kindle Unlimited), in paperback, and as an audiobook. Thank you, as always, to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation and support, and to the publishers for my advance reading copy (provided via netgalley).
You will, I’m sure, be far more familiar with the author’s wonderful Italian romantic escapes – I’ve become a particular fan, and if you pop his name into the search box on the right, you’ll find lots of reviews of his lovely books. So when I first saw he’d turned his hand to cozy mysteries, I did wonder if they’d be my personal cup of tea – it’s a genre I very rarely read. But I have to say that I absolutely loved Murder in Tuscany, the first book in this new series – a singularly likeable lead character in retired detective Dan, his trusty sidekick black labrador Oscar, a wonderful setting, great characterisation and a nice thread of humour, as well as a great story that had everyone in the frame in turn as a murderous suspect (you’ll find my full review here). And I was rather delighted that there wasn’t too long to wait for the follow-up…
Murder in broad daylight…
When millionaire magnate, Rex Hunter is found with his head bashed in on the eighth hole of his prestigious golf and country club in beautiful Chianti, it’s a clear case of murder. Hunter was rich and successful and the envy of many, so retired DCI Dan Armstrong thinks the case will be a hole in one to solve….
A despised victim…
But as Dan and his trusty sidekick Oscar begin to dig deeper into Hunter’s lifestyle, they discover a man despised by many. A renown womaniser, ruthless boss and heartless family man, it seems no one is particularly sorry to see Hunter dead. And the list of possible suspects is endless…
A murderer covering their tracks.
Dan is determined to catch this clever killer, but it seems every new lead brings another dead end. Will this be one case Dan and his canine companion won’t solve?
When Australian country club owner Rex Hunter is found battered to death in a bunker on his own golf course, it seems it might be difficult to find anyone who’ll mourn his passing. When Dan goes in undercover at the request of his police chief friend Virgilio – rather regretting signing up for tennis lessons in the scorching Tuscan sun – he finds there is a whole slew of individuals who are credible suspects in his murder, all with their own good reasons to be glad he’s dead. He was a notorious bully and womaniser – and with a distinctly dysfunctional family, the many women in his life, his dodgy business partners, his disgruntled employees, and a local vineyard owner involved in a bitter dispute over some land, the problem looks like it might be finding out which one of them got there first. But when other deaths follow, and a number of other unexpected secrets are uncovered, things get even more complicated – and Dan’s in his element, helping with the investigation while continuing to settle into his new life in Italy.
This book was just wonderful – a complex story that would certainly satisfy hard-core fans of murder mysteries, but with all the charm we’ve come to expect from the author’s writing. There’s a strong cast of characters – some distinctly sympathetic (and you hope they won’t turn out to have been wielding the golf club that delivered the final blow) and others you rather hope might get the comeuppance they deserve. And then there’s Dan’s own relationships – his marriage that’s not quite in the past yet, the police team he helps out with his “translation” skills, the community he’s now part of – and his life with Oscar, the endearing labrador who’s become his faithful companion.
The voice of the book is Dan’s, and he’s such a likeable character, with a wonderful self-deprecating sense of humour – and there are plenty more laughs provided by a badly behaving Oscar, who turns out to be quite a womaniser too. The Chianti setting is beautifully done – with all the food and drink and detailed descriptions readers of the author’s romances have come to expect. And the story telling is just superb, laced with red herrings as the many suspects move into and out of the frame, on the way to a conclusion – with more than a little heart-in-mouth drama – that was totally unexpected but always in plain sight amid the many twists and turns and clever misdirection.
At the story’s end, Dan is contemplating his future, with a few interesting choices and opportunities – and I’m really looking forward to seeing the direction his life takes (with Oscar at his side, of course). I loved this one – and if all cozy mysteries were this good, I’d read them far more often than I do. Highly recommended!
About the author
T A Williams is the author of over twenty bestselling romances for HQ and Canelo and is now turning his hand to cosy crime, set in his beloved Italy, for Boldwood. The series will introduce us to retired DCI Armstrong and his labrador Oscar and the first book, entitled Murder in Tuscany, was published in October 2022. Trevor lives in Devon with his Italian wife.
