I’m so delighted today to be joining the blog tour for Murder in Portofino by T A Williams, and sharing my review: the eighth in his excellent Armstrong and Oscar cozy mystery series, it was published on 1st August by Boldwood Books, and is 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).
Ok, you’ll know by now how much I love this series. And don’t you agree that’s the best cover yet – if he turned his head, you just know Oscar would have a smile on his face! There’s so much I’ve enjoyed about these wonderful books – you’ll find my reviews of them all if you pop the author’s name into my search bar (without spoilers – promise…!) – including the intriguing mysteries Dan and Oscar are called on to resolve, always ending with me pointing a finger in entirely the wrong direction. Every book is readable as a standalone, but it’d be such a shame to miss any of Dan’s personal story or Oscar’s antics and I’d really recommend to start at the beginning with Murder in Tuscany, published in October 2022 (you’ll find my review here). But my goodness, they could really do with a proper holiday – and where better than beautiful Portofino. But it’s not really going to work out that way, is it…?!
A much-needed holiday…
Dan Armstrong hasn’t done much retiring since moving to Tuscany, and with his new career as a successful private investigator taking off, it seems murder seems to follow him. He’s hoping a much-needed trip to beautiful Portofino will give him the break he needs and quality time with girlfriend Anna.
A gathering of celebrities…
Portofino is a celebrity paradise, and holidaying on a nearby superyacht is a group of British media stars, all famous for being infamous. Dan isn’t impressed by their status or wealth, but when he overhears an argument between two of the group, he suspects something fishy could be going on…
A cold-blooded killer?
And then a body is washed up on shore and Dan’s hopes for a holiday go overboard. Could this simply be a tragic accident or is there a killer amidst the assembled celebrity cast? Dan and Oscar have their work cut out before the tide turns…
It’s another gripping case for Dan and Oscar – it’s murder in paradise!
Dan’s former marriage fell apart because of the job – when he was a DCI with the Metropolitan Police, and the long hours made life with him impossible – but, now he’s a private investigator living and working in Italy, he’s finding it every bit as difficult to switch off. And poor Anna – she was hoping a proper break in Portofino would be good for their new relationship, but a missing girl, an overheard conversation and the discovery of a murder victim find her frequently abandoned and left on the quayside when Dan feels compelled to offer his assistance to the beleaguered local police, who are only too pleased to have him on board (in more ways than one).
The murder victim is one of a group staying on one of the luxury yachts – a collection of people from the TV industry, some of them well known, many of them particularly difficult and unlikeable, and all with differing reasons for not being particularly distressed about the loss of one of their own. A second grisly discovery complicates the picture even further – and Dan and Oscar get increasingly involved in making the necessary links, sorting out the suspects, and trying to establish what happened.
As always, every single character is quite wonderfully drawn – and the plot is overflowing with red herrings and false trails, making you convinced you’ve solved it all ahead of them, only to find yourself at another dead end. I enjoyed the insights into the complexities of law enforcement in the area too – different areas of administration and responsibility, frequently tripping over each other. And we also see the darker underbelly of the rich people’s playground – but it takes a while to establish its connection with the investigation.
Oscar, as always, proves invaluable in winning people over, especially enthusiastically if they’re female or carrying food – and while he might not get the chance to throw himself into the onboard pool, he certainly has his moments in the water, as well as being particularly pivotal in concluding the investigation. There are the loveliest touches of humour throughout, from Oscar’s interventions and Dan’s observations – and, of course, the most beautiful setting, so vividly drawn and infused with Italian sunshine, along with plenty of opportunities to taste the local cuisine.
Such an engaging story, so entertaining throughout but with more than enough complexity to the plot to satisfy any crime reader – this was a wonderful addition to this lovely series, and I really couldn’t recommend it more highly. But as for Dan’s relationship with Anna – I do hope she thinks Dan’s worth it and can put up with being sidelined for just a little longer…!
About the author
T A Williams is the author of over twenty bestselling romances for HQ and Canelo and has now turned his hand to cosy crime, set in his beloved Italy, for Boldwood. Trevor studied languages at University and lived and worked in Italy for eight years, returning to England with his wife in 1972. Trevor and his wife now live in Devon.
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