One year after moving to his late wifeâs 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-lawsâ 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 Gravignaâs vintners and restaurateurs. Some of Gravigna's residents are impressed by his reputation, while others are enragedâespecially Nico's landlord, whose vineyards Mantelli seems intent on ruining.
Needless to say, Mantelliâs 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 handsâand once again turns to Nico for help.
âCamilla Trinchieri gives us another clever mystery set in the enchanting hills of Chianti. With a simpatico protagonist, a cast of sometimes quirky characters, and the ever-present aromas of Tuscan dishes, what's not to like?ââDavid P. Wagner, author of the Rick Montoya Italian Mystery series