"There was no question that he was a brilliant - and ruthless - businessman with a nose for a lucrative deal, and not too many scruples about how he made his money. According to what I'd read, in his private life he was also far from mundane".
"Murder's never pretty, but in a city of such overwhelming beauty, it appeared even more squalid".
Murder at the by T.A. Williams is a marvellous and highly entertaining murder mystery set in Italy.
This is the 6th book in the Armstrong and Oscar Cozy Mysteries series. It reads perfectly as a standalone, but it might help understand the dynamics between the main characters, as well as their back story, if you've read some or all of the previous books in the series.
Blurb:
A cozy crime series set in gorgeous Tuscany... It's murder in paradise!
A secluded villa...
When Dan Armstrong is asked to provide security at a private villa on the outskirts of Pisa, he's pretty sure it will be an easy job. Villa Gregory is remote; the gathered guests are rich - what could possibly go wrong?
A glittering gathering...
Inside the high walls of the palatial villa, Dan discovers the gathered guests are some of the most powerful tycoons in the media world, with plans for world domination. With so much at stake, Dan redoubles his efforts to keep everyone safe.
A detective under pressure?
But when one of the group is found murdered, Dan's heart sinks - especially considering Anna's own daughter is in the frame! When the police arrive, Dan meets formidable Inspector Adolfo Vinci, a man whose main talent seems to be for getting things wrong. It all goes from bad to worse for Dan as the man from the Leaning Tower starts leaning on him.
It's another case for Dan and Oscar to sovle and this one won't be easy!
Dan Armstrong is pretty content with his life in Italy. He has a decent job, a comfortable place to live, a loving girlfriend, and a loyal companion, his dog Oscar. "Now that I had resigned from the Met, moved to Tuscany, and set up my own business as Dan Armstrong, Private Investigator, I once again found myself doing my own legwork, and it wasn't always a bundle of fun."
One day he is approached by a Business Development Executive with a request, "My boss is hosting an important meeting there in two weeks' time and he'd very much appreciate it if you could be responsible for security while the meeting's taking place".
Thus Dan agrees to provide security for the top secret meeting of media and finance moguls. "The people taking part are all major players in the field, some household names, and if news of what's being discussed at the meeting were to get out, there would be hell to pay".
The meeting takes place in a remote Villa Gregory, known for its quirky previous owner and the replica of the Leaning Tower in the grounds.
When one of the guests is found dead in their room, the local police make one blundering mistake after another. The local Inspector called Vinci "fancies himself as a tough guy, like one of those bad Hollywood cops... He likes to think he's a character from a movie - although he doesn't have Clint Eastwood's looks".
The murder victim wasn't universally popular, and though the pool of suspects is limited, it appears quite a few of them would have wanted to see this person dead. Jealousy, and financial misdoings are possible murder motives. Money and sex could be the prime motivators.
Vinci who thinks he's "God's gift to policing" coming with the ludicrous assumptions, one of which is accusing the daughter of Dan's girlfriend.
In a way, this is an Agatha Christie-esque type of plotline, with all the suspects being confined to a secluded villa. Dan has to read the clues and eliminate suspects one by one, if he wants to find the murderer(s) before the time runs out.
There are so many elements that make this series great fun - a gentle humour, a wonderful relationship between man and dog, spectacular settings (a new location in each book), descriptions of social mores and food, vivid characterisation.
This is cosy crime at its best. As enjoyable and delectable as an Italian gelato on a hot summer day, or a glass of zesty Aperol spritz by the seaside.
You may find many dog characters in cosy crime fiction, who accompany the main protagonist and bring humour into the narrative, but Oscar is by far my favourite.
Murder at the Leaning Tower is a hugely enjoyable mystery, clever and well-plotted, with pleasingly ironic notes.
This post is part of the blog tour for Murder at the Leaning Tower.
Many thanks to T.A. Williams, Boldwood and Rachel's Random Resources for my e-copy of the book!
.jpg "Murder at the Leaning Tower")
Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/MurderTowerSocial
Author Bio –
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.
Social Media Links –
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TrevorWilliamsBooks
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