I’m delighted today to be helping launch the blog tour for Murder at the Matterhorn by T A Williams, and sharing my publication day review: the fifth in his quite wonderful Armstrong and Oscar cozy mystery series, published today (24th November) by Boldwood Books, 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’ll know that cosy mysteries aren’t my usual reading, but this lovely series is one I find totally unmissable. I’d always very much enjoyed reading Trevor’s romantic escapes – in fact, I reviewed his latest, Change of Heart, only a few weeks ago (you’ll find my review here). I must admit though, I did (briefly) find myself rather wondering when the first body might be found and Dan and Oscar appear on the scene! This series has absolutely everything I love about the romances – the wonderfully detailed Italian settings, the food and drink to make your mouth water, the well-drawn characters – but I’ve become particularly fond of Dan’s take on life, the gentle humour, and Labrador Oscar’s lovely interventions. Every book is readable as a standalone, but it’s been a joy to see the characters develop – and I really would recommend that you start with the first, Murder in Tuscany (you’ll find my review here) and read and enjoy them in order. Pop the author’s name into my search bar and you’ll find reviews of all the others too – no spoilers I promise!
But let’s take a closer look at the latest…
An old friend in need…
Despite being retired from the police, Dan Armstrong is always on hand to help with solving a crime. So, when he’s contacted by an old colleague in need of help, Dan readily agrees. The only problem Dan can see is the location – an isolated mountain-top campsite of UFO enthusiasts.
An unexplained death…
But these are no ordinary star watchers, and when Dan arrives one member of the group is already dead. Some of the group suspect alien abduction, but Dan is sure the killer is much closer to home.
An out of this world case?
Dan doesn’t believe in aliens, but faced with black hole of secrecy from the group of suspects, he and Oscar have their work cut out to catch the murderer…before they strike again.
It’s another case for Dan and Oscar to solve!
A gripping new murder mystery series by bestselling author T.A. Williams, perfect for fans of Lee Strauss and Beth Byers.
A call from an ex-colleague worried about his daughter, part of a group of UFO enthusiasts camping in the Alps where a body has been found, sees Dan and Oscar leaving Tuscany for a while and going undercover, providing translation help (and, as always, a little more) to the local police. Although some of the group might believe it was the work of extra-terrestrials – fire at the site where the body was found, signs of a spaceship having landed, and plenty of lights in the night sky to excite the ufologists – the perpetrator is far more likely to be human.
And there are certainly plenty of suspects at the camp – the victim turns out to be known by several of them, and there are plenty who might have their reasons to be glad to see his end. And it’s quite a substantial cast of characters yielding those suspects – many of them distinctly quirky, others with hidden secrets, all quite wonderfully drawn individuals moving in and out of the frame in turn.
The police team is led by a heavily pregnant inspector who’s initially none too keen on Dan and Oscar’s involvement – but won over as they work more closely together, and she appreciates the advantages of having them on her side if she’s going to bring the investigation to a necessary early conclusion. Oscar, of course, sets about charming all the ladies in turn – while Dan, as always, usually has to work rather harder. And there’s also a part to be played by the supporting characters we’ve become familiar with in the earlier books in the series – paving the way, doing some background digging, helping piece the facts together.
The mountain setting is just wonderful – so vividly described, with its villages and landscape (with plenty of pine cones and sticks for Oscar), the nearby hotel and convent-cum-eatery extending the focus of the investigation and providing places to convene and regroup out of sight from the group (and also providing Oscar with opportunities to stave off any possibility of starvation – the local police chief ensuring Dan is frequently well fed too).
There are, as you’d expect, plenty of red herrings – some skullduggery and surprises along the way, but the expected satisfactory conclusion with identification of the villain I’d entirely failed to spot. And without spoiling the story, I really have to mention how very much I loved the scene at the book’s ending – the quite perfect touch!
Every book in this lovely series becomes my new favourite – and this one is certainly no exception. Sheer enjoyment from beginning to end, but with plenty of substance to the investigation to keep more dedicated mystery aficionados happy and make it a wholly compelling read – I really loved it, and hope we have many more books 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. Trevor lives in Devon with his Italian wife.
Twitter | Facebook | Newsletter Sign Up
