#Review: Murder in Siena by T A Williams @tawilliamsbooks @BoldwoodBooks @rararesources #blogtour #publicationday #BoldwoodBloggers #cosycrime #MurderinSiena

I’m so delighted today to be helping launch the blog tour for Murder in Siena by T A Williams, and sharing my publication day review: the fourth (yes, already!) in his wonderful Armstrong and Oscar cozy mystery series, published today (1st August) by Boldwood Books, it’s now available as an ebook (free via Kindle Unlimited), in paperback, and as an audiobook. Thank you, as ever, 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’ll struggle to find many reviews of cosy mysteries here on Being Anne – they’re not my usual choice of reading – but I’m so enjoying this wonderful series. If you’ve enjoyed Trevor’s Italian romantic escapes as much as I have, you’ll find so much to love about these books too – the perfectly drawn Italian settings, the food and drink to make your mouth water, the well-drawn characters, and (of course!) a loveable labrador creating havoc. And then there’s Dan, and his distinctive voice as the narrator – with quite a lot of gentle laughter along the way. Could you pick one up as a standalone? Yes, each book is a complete investigation – but I’ve found particular joy in watching the main characters develop, so I would really recommend that you start with the first, Murder in Tuscany (you’ll find my review here) and read and enjoy them in order. I’m actually quite jealous of anyone discovering this series for the first time – you’re going to love it!

Let’s take a closer look at the latest…

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

 

A lazy weekend in the country…

 

Dan Armstrong and the new love of his life, Anna, are heading to a hotel deep in the gorgeous Tuscan countryside for a long weekend, looking forward to some time away from the stresses of their day jobs. With the beautiful and historic city of Siena just around the corner, it promises to be relaxing and enjoyable. What could possibly go wrong?

 

A mutilated body…

 

But when a mutilated body is discovered in the hotel grounds Dan is called in to help with the investigation. But who or what could have been responsible for such a vicious attack? Was it the work of wild animals, or is there a brutal murderer at large?

 

A killer who cried wolf?

 

Dan knows he is dealing with a clever killer – whether whether two- or four-legged! And as he sets out to solve the case he begins to worry about his own loyal canine companion. Could Oscar be in more danger than any of the other hotel guests or is a murderer trying to cover their tracks?

 

It’s another case for Dan and Oscar to solve!

First, a book signing – yes, Dan’s novel has finally made it to publication – shared with a romance author (hopefully not modelled on anyone we might know…) and a rather pushy children’s author whose path he’s destined to cross again. And then a rather welcome holiday near Siena, together with the irrepressible labrador Oscar, his new lady friend Anna, and his police chief friend Virgilio and his wife Lina.

There’s an environmental conference underway at the same hotel, and it soon turns out that our friends aren’t going to have quite the relaxing escape they’d hoped for – a body is found, apparently gored by wolves (they’d heard howling in the night – and farmers in the area are only too aware of their presence), but it turns out that the perpetrator is only too human. Dan and Virgilio help out the local force with interviewing suspects, gradually narrowing them down from the entire cast attending the conference – but the bloodshed isn’t over, and it becomes increasingly possible that there might be three assassins.

The author is so good at planting red herrings, while the reader tries (in my case, with little success…) to stay a few steps ahead. The characterisation of the more minor characters is just superb – the list of suspects is substantial, but every individual is so carefully constructed, moving in and out of the frame, their alibis slowly disentangled, the connections between them uncovered. But what most differentiates this series from other cosy mysteries is the engagement with Dan, his humorous take on life – and Oscar’s wonderful interventions – making the narrative so very entertaining. Anna hasn’t been round for long enough for me to decide if she’s right for him – although, as a historian, she’s certainly great to have around on their sight-seeing trips in such a beautiful area. And this time I was really sorry to see a few cracks in Virgilio’s marriage, with uncomfortable echoes of the failure of Dan’s own, the consequence of police work taking over your life – but also their gentle efforts to repair them.

The mystery and its resolution was everything I wanted it to be – and yes, of course I was looking in the wrong direction, as always. The slow progress and gradual unpeeling of the many layers might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s something I’ve found I really enjoy, reading this one in a single glorious sitting – punctuated, of course, by the many reasons to smile at Oscar’s antics and constant pursuit of food from every table. And the ending, that had my heart in my mouth at first, is quite brilliant – and leaves Oscar with an unexpected smile on his face too!

I just love this series, and this book was an excellent addition – that wonderfully drawn Tuscan setting, a compelling story, such strong characters, and that perfect thread of humour. I’m looking forward to the next book already – and this is one I’d recommend really highly.

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. Trevor lives in Devon with his Italian wife.

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