The Bitter Taste of Murder
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- £7.49
Publisher Description
The follow-up to Murder in Chianti finds ex-NYPD detective Nico Doyle recruited by Italian authorities to investigate the murder of a prominent wine critic.
One year after moving to his late wife’s Tuscan hometown of Gravigna, ex-NYPD detective Nico Doyle has fully settled into Italian country life, helping to serve and test recipes at his in-laws’ restaurant.
But the town is shaken by the arrival of wine critic Michele Mantelli in his flashy Jaguar. Mantelli holds his influential culinary magazine and blog over Gravigna’s vintners and restaurateurs. Some of Gravigna's residents are impressed by his reputation, while others are enraged—especially Nico's landlord, whose vineyards Mantelli seems intent of ruining.
Needless to say, Mantelli’s lavish, larger-than-life, and often vindictive personality has made him many enemies, and when he is poisoned, the local maresciallo, Perillo, has a headache of a high-profile murder on his hands—and once again turns to Nico for help.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Between the irresistible characters and the constant twists they find themselves navigating, this is just the kind of cozy murder mystery you’ll want to curl up with. In a peaceful Tuscan town, a snooty wine critic dares to threaten the livelihood of a beloved local vintner. Then the critic turns up dead. So it looks like former NYPD detective Nico Doyle is about to tackle his second case in his adopted hometown of Gravigna, where he normally enjoys watching sunsets with friends, consuming exquisite food, and enjoying the endlessly flowing wine. Seriously, with something delicious being sautéed, marinated, or served on every page, this novel is a whole sensory experience. Camilla Trinchieri’s writing evokes the easygoing atmosphere of the Mediterranean in a whodunit that’s so clever, it’s a book to be savoured—with or without a glass of wine.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In Trinchieri's savory sequel to 2020's Murder in Chianti, former Bronx homicide detective Nico Doyle, who has been living in his late wife's hometown of Gravigna, Italy, for the past year, investigates the death of unpopular wine critic Michele Mantelli, who lost control of his car and plunged down a ravine. An autopsy report suggests Mantelli was probably dead before he ran off the road, a victim of methanol poisoning. It appears someone spiked his whiskey with wood ethanol. Maresciallo Salvatore Perillo and his brigadier, Daniele Donato, help sort out the many suspects, who include the victim's soon-to-be ex-wife, an irate husband who threatened to kill him, several vintners, and Nico's landlord. Meanwhile, Nico tests recipes at Sotto Il Fico, his wife's relatives' restaurant, where he enjoys seven-layer eggplant, zucchini lasagne, almond biscotti, and other treats. Though the mouthwatering cuisine at times distracts from the detective work, Trinchieri generally does a good job balancing food with folly as the action builds to an unexpected but satisfying solution. Fans of Martin Walker's Bruno Courrèges series should take note.
