#Review: Murder in Florence by T A Williams @tawilliamsbooks @BoldwoodBooks @rararesources #blogtour #BoldwoodBloggers #cosycrime #MurderinFlorence

I’m delighted today to be joining the blog tour and sharing my review of Murder in Florence by T A Williams, the third in his Armstrong and Oscar cozy mystery series: published by Boldwood Books on 7th April, 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).

This series has certainly become a real personal favourite – yes, despite the fact that I very rarely choose to read a cosy mystery. But I’ve very much enjoyed Trevor’s Italian romantic escapes for quite a while now – if you pop his name into the search box on the right, you’ll find lots of reviews – and this series has the same really special touch with the settings, along with an exceptionally likeable lead character in retired police detective Dan. And then there’s his loyal companion Oscar the black labrador, wonderfully told stories where everyone becomes a suspect in turn, superb characterisation, and plenty of gentle laughter along the way. The first two books – Murder in Tuscany (review here) and Murder in Chianti (and here‘s my review of that one too) – were just wonderful, and I was really looking forward to a lazy Sunday afternoon and getting entirely immersed in the latest…

A brand-new cozy crime series set in gorgeous Tuscany…It’s murder in paradise!

 

A glamorous film star…

 

Life as a private investigator in the suburbs of Florence isn’t always as glamorous as Dan Armstrong imagined it to be, until he is asked to investigate a recent spate of violent attacks on a Hollywood movie set in Florence. The star of the show, movie-star royalty Selena Gardner, fears her life is in imminent danger…

 

Foul play on set…

 

As Dan investigates, he discovers secrets and scandals are rife within the cast and crew. But with no actual murder, Dan believes these attacks could simply be warnings to someone…until the first body is found.

 

A dangerous killer on the loose…

 

Now Dan and his trusty sidekick Oscar are in a race against time to catch the murderer. But the more Dan uncovers, the more the killer strikes and Dan finds himself caught in the line of fire too! Is this one case Dan and Oscar will regret?

 

A gripping new murder mystery series by bestselling author T.A. Williams, perfect for fans of Lee Strauss and Beth Byers.

This book really was tremendous fun from beginning to end, although Dan has found that life as a private investigator – even in lovely Florence – can have its less glamorous side. But there’s a Hollywood film crew in town, filming some Medici-related historical scenes at various locations – and it seems someone doesn’t want them there, firing arrows with a chilling but clear message wrapped around the shafts, “Stop filming or start dying”. And when the local police can’t spare the manpower to provide a constant presence, Dan is brought in as the investigator, dressed in full Renaissance costume to blend in with the cast (yes, including the tights…), getting familiar with the cast and crew and sometimes appearing in the crowd scenes – until things get serious, one of the crew is found dead, the threat becomes increasingly real, and the set becomes a dangerous place to be.

As always, the characters are wonderfully drawn, from producer and director (and I learned quite a bit about the difference) through the several intriguing lead actors to the technical team, the writer and historical consultant, the gophers and security team. The threat might well come from within – there are certainly enough undercurrents and complications – but then again there might be a different connection, all tied up with the bloody history of the Medicis and the Pazzi uprising. There are suspects aplenty, all moving in and out of the frame in turn – and the dynamics and relationships between them are simply fascinating and quite perfectly handled.

One of the things I really love about this series – and I must say that you could easily read this book as a standalone, but seriously, why would you? – is Dan’s first person narration. He has such a wonderful wry and self-deprecating humour that lightens every scene – and I just adore his relationship with labrador companion Oscar, the notorious womaniser and devourer of anything remotely food-related that comes his way (sometimes with unfortunate and less than fragrant consequences). There’s a nice little frisson of possible romance for Dan in this book too, not easy when it’s difficult to know who to trust and when the woman in question looks increasingly like a possible suspect.

The story itself is excellent – plenty of complications and subplots, some with unexpected links, and they’re all very satisfyingly brought together by the book’s conclusion. The settings, as always, are beautifully drawn – the author’s books don’t just have a Tuscan flavour, they entirely transport you to the location where you can taste the food and feel the warmth of the sun. And despite the strong thread of humour, this was a really compelling read – I read the whole book in a single sitting, entirely immersed in its many twists and turns as the tension steadily built, and loved every single moment.

Although I thoroughly enjoyed the first two books, I think this might have been my favourite in the series so far – and I’m really delighted that Dan and Oscar will have many more adventures to come…

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.

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