SYNOPSIS
A remote retreat…
Nestled high in the Tuscan hills lies Villa Volpone, home to renowned crime writer Jonah Moore and his creative writing course. It’s also the last place retired DCI Dan Armstrong expected to spend his retirement! Dan’s no writer, but maybe this break will help him to think about the next chapter in his own life story?
A gruesome murder…
But only days into the course, Jonah Moore is found stabbed to death with his award-winning silver dagger! And Dan finds himself pulled out of retirement with a killer to catch.
Eleven possible suspects.
The other guests all seem shocked by Jonah’s death, but Dan knows that one of them must be lying. And as he and Italian Commissario Virgilio Pisano begin to investigate it quickly becomes clear that everyone at Villa Volpone has secrets to hide…
But can Dan discover who the murderer is before they strike again?
Title: Murder in Tuscany
Author: T.A. Williams
Series: Armstrong and Oscar #1
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Publication date: October 18, 2022
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, will be published in October 2022. Trevor lives in Devon with his Italian wife.
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REVIEW
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
After countless romance novels (I’ve read and enjoyed quite a few), T.A. Williams has strayed into the dark side with this, his first murder mystery. But don’t be afraid, this is a cozy mystery so his trademark elements are still present here. Did anyone say black lab?
Retired DCI Dan Armstrong got from his colleagues a creative writing course in the Tuscan hills as a retirement gift. His new life will be upended when his host is found stabbed with his award-winning silver dagger. Forced out of retirement, he will collaborate with the Italian police to bring the killer to justice.
When you’re good at something and it works well, it might be difficult and scary to try something different, that’s why I’m so glad to say that the change from rom-com to cozy mystery worked perfectly. From the endearing, charming and quirky characters to the gorgeous setting, everything was really enjoyable in this fun mystery that is the first installment in a new series.
The story started out a bit slow, setting up all the pieces on the board, but once the murder happened it turn into quite a fast read.
The murder mystery was quite intriguing as right from the start it wasn’t clear the number of perpetrators, so theories were legion! I had a fully formed one I was sure would be the correct one but, although I guessed the who, I got the why completely wrong, so it was fun being misled right until the end.
He may have changed genres, but the author’s love of Italy is still palpable in every page. From the wonderful descriptions to the mouth watering foods the characters keep having (why so much torture, why??!!), he makes the reader fall in love with all of it at the same time Dan did.
The elderly (and quite shameless) ladies in the story put the note of humor that mixed so well with the general feel of the story.
Great start to what promises to be a fun and delightful series.
Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review and to Rachel’s Random Resources for my spot on the Blog Tour.
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