Murder Returns to Gravigna

Nico Doyle, an American ex-homicide detective, is once again coerced into working with Gravigna’s local police in the final installment of Trinchieri’s “A Tuscan Mystery” series. Maresciallo Perillo, the town’s highest ranking police officer, is weary of his work and gladly accepts Nico’s assistance in determining who murdered Gravigna’s butcher, Sergio Macchi. Amid the beautiful scenery of the Chianti region, bad feelings and secrets lurk and soon the townspeople are suspicious of everyone. As readers meet the shopkeepers and restaurateurs and spend time with OneWag, Nico’s adorable dog, a picture begins to form of a town and its people in transition. There’s even a developer interested in building a high-end hotel complex, much to the chagrin of the locals. After the owner of the enoteca dies by apparent suicide, the search for the murderer picks up speed—what good is a Tuscan town without meat and wine?! Trinchieri brings this deliciously plotted (yes, there is much good eating and a recipe included) mystery imbued with the everyday loves and lives of the locals to a satisfying conclusion. Fans of contemporary mysteries who are craving a trip to the Tuscan countryside without the airfare will find much to relish in this series conclusion.—Dodie Ownes