Series: Armstrong and Oscar Cozy Mysteries #12
Publication Date: 05th August 2025
Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/MurderItalianIsland
Goodreads Book Page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/232029031-murder-on-an-italian-island
Genre: Contemporary Cosy Mystery,
Italy
4
Stars
One Liner: Mystery and history
Book Blurb:
A holiday island…
When private
investigator, Dan Armstrong, and his girlfriend, Anna, are invited to the
gorgeous island of Elba for a much-needed break, he jumps at the chance. The
thought of sun-drenched shores makes Dan promise Anna he won't “play detective”
for a whole week…
A luxury hotel…
Their luxurious
hotel, with its wonderful food and picturesque seaside views, seems the perfect
escape, especially with Dan's best friend Virgilio and his wife joining them.
But the calm shatters with a sinister encounter and a sudden, suspicious death…
A decades old case…
Virgilio's past
connection to the victim casts a long shadow, pulling Dan into a decades-old
case. But beneath Elba's beauty lie secrets and resentments – the victim was
universally hated – but was his death the result of foul play or just a tragic
accident?
With his faithful
canine companion, Oscar, Dan must unravel the island's mysteries, a task that
soon takes a decidedly personal and unsettling turn.
***
My Thoughts:
The story comes in Dan’s first-person POV.
So, the 12th book in the series should work as a standalone. Go ahead and grab them all if you want to read the rest. It’s like going on a virtual tour of Italy.
I like how we also learn something about
the situation in the region with every book in the series. This time, it talks
of how thriving occupations like farming, winery, etc., were replaced by
tourism and its adjacent industries. By catering to tourists, many locals lost
their family lands and professions and had to adjust. Sadly, this has become a
common pattern around the world.
The mystery is nice enough with
resolutions we can guess as more clues are revealed. It is still low-stakes,
though there are some interesting developments and other departments involved
for a while.
Oscar, the adorable black Lab, is his
usual best – being cuddled by everyone and fed treats coz he has the best ‘I’m
starving’ face. Of course, our dog is also a hero who can save lives.
And food, there’s loads of it. The
Italians (like Indians) serve food in generous proportions, so there’s more
than enough for the characters and the readers! If only they developed AI that
made it possible to grab an ice cream from the book instead of writing a story
for me. I can do my writing. Give me food!
To summarize, Murder on an Italian Island
is a lighthearted and quick mystery set on a lovely island. It combines
history, mystery, and entertainment with ease. The windsurfing scenes were
hilarious.
Thank you, Rachel’s Random Resources and
Boldwood Books, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest
opinion about the book.
#NetGalley
***
About the Author – T A Williams
T. A. Williams is the bestselling author of the Armstrong and Oscar cozy mystery series. Trevor studied languages at University and lived and worked in Italy for eight years, returning to England with his wife in 1972. Trevor and his wife now live in Devon.
Follow the Author:
Facebook: @TrevorWilliamsBooks
Twitter: @TAWilliamsBooks
Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/TAWilliamsNews
Bookbub Profile: @trevorwilliams3
***
This has been a stop on the #MurderOnAnItalianIsland
blog tour by Rachel's Random Resources (@rararesources).
Thanks for stopping by!
Warmest thanks for a lovely review. I really appreciate the support. So glad you are enjoying the antics of Dan and Oscar
ReplyDeleteIt shows how poor I am at the Internet. This came across as anonymous but in fact I am the author, TA Williams. Thanks again
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, dear author! I love reading about Oscar's antics in these books, as well as the virtual tours of Italy and its beautiful locations. :)
Delete