THE ROAD TO MURDER
In the latest installment of the acclaimed Tuscan Mystery series, the sole witness at a crime scene speaks only English, and ex-NYPD detective turned amateur chef Nico Doyle is summoned by the local carabinieri to help.
Though it took some time to settle into his new life in Gravigna, Italy, following the death of his wife, former NYPD detective Nico Doyle has figured out a thing or two. The locals have not only welcomed him, but are giving him rave reviews on his cooking, and his budding relationship with Nelli, a local woman, is healing old wounds.
When Nico receives a phone call before dawn,
In the latest installment of the acclaimed Tuscan Mystery series, the sole witness at a crime scene speaks only English, and ex-NYPD detective turned amateur chef Nico Doyle is summoned by the local carabinieri to help.
Though it took some time to settle into his new life in Gravigna, Italy, following the death of his wife, former NYPD detective Nico Doyle has figured out a thing or two. The locals have not only welcomed him, but are giving him rave reviews on his cooking, and his budding relationship with Nelli, a local woman, is healing old wounds.
When Nico receives a phone call before dawn, he wants to ignore it. A phone call at that time can only mean trouble. Sure enough, it’s Perillo of the local carabinieri. A woman has been found dead in her home, slumped over her piano, and the sole witness speaks only English. Nico reluctantly agrees to help Perillo with the case.
Judging by the crime scene, Perillo and Nico determine foul play, and they don’t have to look long for suspects. Following the death of her husband, the late Signora Nora had taken on a number of lovers, her two daughters weren’t on the best terms with her, and there’s a lot to be gained from the sale of her residence. Nico and Perillo have their hands full as they try to solve the murder and restore peace to the otherwise sleepy Gravigna.
- Soho Crime
- Hardcover
- March 2024
- 336 Pages
- 9781641295567
Buy the Book
$27.95
About Camilla Trinchieri
Camilla Trinchieri worked for many years dubbing films in Rome with directors including Federico Fellini, Pietro Germi, Franco Rosi, Lina Wertmüller, and Luchino Visconti. She immigrated to the US in 1980 and received her MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University. Under the pseudonym Camilla Crespi, she has published eight mysteries. As Camilla Trinchieri, she is the author of The Price of Silence, Seeking Alice, and three other Tuscan mysteries.
Praise
“Most enjoyable. The Road to Murder takes the reader to Tuscany, where the scenery, the culture, and the food of that most beautiful part of Italy are as important as the main protagonists. Join the American expat detective as he solves this latest mystery. Warning: reading this will make you hungry.”
–T. A. Williams, author of the Armstrong and Oscar murder mysteries
“When la dolce vita in the Chianti region of Italy is interrupted by the murder of a wealthy widow, former NYPD homicide detective Nico Doyle joins the local carabinieri to get to the bottom of the crime in this fourth installment in Trinchieri’s delightful series that deftly serves up the warmth and spirit of Tuscany–along with family secrets, stolen jewels, and justice.”
–Stephanie Cole, author of the Tuscan Cooking School mysteries
“Such a pleasure to lose oneself in Camilla Trinchieri’s The Road to Murder, an expertly crafted whodunnit with a vivid cast of characters to enjoy almost as much as Nico Doyle’s mouthwatering dishes. Another welcome visit to Chianti in the company of the ex-NYPD detective and his loyal hound. One to savour.”
–Tom Benjamin, author of the Bologna-set Daniel Leicester mysteries
Discussion Questions
- Perillo admits to Nico that he has a hard time assessing many of the potential murder suspects because he has a “long-lived bias against the rich, the entitled, the people who think they own the world.” How do you think this affects the case? Did a similar bias (or any others) affect you as you were reading?
- Nora and Miss Barron met while reading the same Agatha Christie novel on a train, The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side? Are you familiar with this book? Do you think it holds a special significance?
- What do you think about Miss Barron’s love of a good story? Does it ever go too far?
- Miss Barron’s recounting of Nora’s final evening was quite dramatic. Nora, she alleges, died right after playing Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata on the piano. If you had to choose a song to go out on, what would it be? (We can assume, you’ve lead a long, happy life first.)
- Did you think Miss Barron killed Nora, as Perillo originally did, or did you suspect otherwise?
- Although the Tuscan mysteries feature men in the main investigative roles (Nico, Perillo, Daniele), the female characters are also quite important and intriguing. Who is your favorite female character, and why?
- In many ways, Nora was an unlikeable character. We’re told she married for money and caused Miss Barron great anguish. But Nora’s life wasn’t without hardship. Her husband cheated on her, she lost a pregnancy, and she wasn’t close to her children. How do these two sides of Nora color your perception of her?
- Independence is another theme of the book. Perillo’s wife, Ivana, takes a job outside the home, Miss Barron never married, and Nelli is afraid of losing her independence as her relationship with Nico becomes more serious. Do you identify with these characters at all?
- What did you think about the portrayal of gender norms in the book? Did you detect any feminist themes?
- And, finally, have you tried Taglierini alla Nico? (The recipe is include in the back of the book!)