The Road to Murder

October 1, 2023

After the death of his wife, NYPD detective Nico Doyle moved to her Italian hometown, Gravigna, and built a new life; the locals even praise his cooking. Sometimes the local carabinieri have needed his help, as they surely do in this latest venture; the one person found at the scene of a local woman's murder speaks only English. Since widowed Signora Nora had several lovers and two disgruntled adult daughters, suspects abound. A satisfying series. Prepub Alert.

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January 15, 2024
Trinchieri’s tasty fourth mystery for former NYPD detective Nico Doyle (after Murder on the Vine) finds the newly minted sous-chef investigating the murder of a wealthy widow in the small Tuscan village of Gavigna. Fresh off a promotion at fine dining establishment Soto Il Rico, Nico receives an early-morning call from his friend, police marshal Salvatore Perillo, informing him that Eleonora Salivati Lamberti has been found slumped over her piano and strangled to death by a curtain cord. What’s more, Lamberti’s watch fob and valuable cache of ruby- and pearl-encrusted jewels are missing. While Nico is initially reluctant to get involved, Salvatore convinces him to come aboard because he needs help translating a statement from the surly English-speaking friend who found Lamberti dead, and the two wind up launching a wide-ranging investigation. Suspects include Lamberti’s housekeeper, cook, and gardener, plus her greedy daughters and their romantic partners. Meanwhile, Nico’s involvement with the case strains his budding relationship with winemaker Nelli even as it boosts business at Soto Il Rico, with diners gunning for proximity to the case, and Salvatore’s colleagues on the police force face various romantic entanglements. Trinchieri keeps the food, wine, and sumptuous descriptions of the Italian countryside flowing, and she offers a surprising yet satisfying resolution to the central mystery. This will satiate armchair sleuths and armchair travelers alike.

January 15, 2024
Another baffling murder rocks the idyllic Tuscan town of Gravigna. Very early one Monday morning, a ringing phone rouses Nico Doyle from a sound sleep next to Nelli, his new girlfriend. Salvatore Perillo, the local maresciallo, is again seeking the assistance of the retired Bronx detective, who's only too happy to help. The remote Villa Salviati has been ransacked, and the owner, widow Eleonora Salviati Lamberti, has been strangled to death, her body carefully arranged. Laetitia Barron, the English houseguest who discovered the body, explains that Nora had been planning to sell the villa. With few leads, the investigation proceeds slowly. Nico and Perillo, accompanied by tech-savvy sidekick Brigadiere Daniele Donato, meet up periodically after separately questioning multiple persons of interest. Trinchieri's colorful characters, from glamorous hotelier Laura Benati, who's protective of Miss Barron, to earthy laundress Marta Macchi, who reveals that Nora's deceased husband was a lech, give the novel an appealing texture, though sometimes at the expense of pace. Over the years, Trinchieri's portrait of Gravigna has both broadened and deepened. Nico, accompanied by his faithful dog, OneWag, has evolved from a widowed newcomer to a beloved member of the community. Much of the action in this installment centers on local restaurants and watering holes. A lengthy appended list of characters will help readers keep track of suspects, and a recipe for "Taglierini Alla Nico" brings the mystery to a luscious conclusion. A leisurely cozy with an Italian accent and a mouth-watering lust for cuisine.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

February 9, 2024
Trinchieri's Tuscan Mystery series continues (following Murder on the Vine, 2022). In the small town of Gravigna, Italy, a pre-dawn phone call from the maresciallo of the local carabinieri wakes retired New York City police detective Nico Doyle and summons him to a crime scene. A woman has been found dead, seemingly strangled while playing the piano, and the only witness only speaks English. Nico is needed as a translator and reluctantly joins the case. When it is discovered that the victim's priceless jewelry has been stolen, they investigate the small list of suspects who harbor motives of revenge, hatred, and greed. Nico divides his time between pursuing his relationship with a local woman, cooking, and helping the maresciallo solve the case. Filled with mouthwatering meals and a picturesque setting, Nico and his adorable dog OneWag once again prove they are needed in this sleepy village. Fans of food-forward international mysteries will enjoy this cozy whodunit.

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