Italian Cozy

Private investigator Dan Armstrong is no stranger to working with criminals, but when he’s approached for help by Bianca Moretti, he’s on high alert. Bianca is intelligent and beautiful, and Dan likes her, but he also once sent her to prison…Bianca explains that a guest has been found dead at her father’s luxurious and private retreat on the beautiful Italian Riviera. The police are sure the death is accidental, but Bianca is convinced the man’s been murdered. Dan’s sure he can get to the bottom of things…as long as Bianca is telling him the whole truth.

On the surface, Bria's Mediterranean life radiates beauty—the kind her late husband, Carlo, dreamed about when he concocted the romantic idea to start a bed and breakfast on the breathtaking Amalfi Coast. With the grand opening of Bella Bella approaching six months after Carlo's tragic death, Bria and her eight-year-old son Marco brace for a bittersweet new beginning by the sea . . . Before celebratory vino flows on opening day, a stranger appears in an otherwise pristine guest room, lifeless and covered in blood. Bria can't understand why murder would check into Bella Bella.

Six months after her husband's death, Tessa Esposito is hoping to drum up reservations for her restaurant's grand opening. And since a signing with best-selling author Preston Rigotta is sure to draw a crowd, Tessa agrees to cater her cousin's bookstore event - whipping up some of her famous Italian desserts. But the event soon takes a sour turn when Preston's publicist, an old high school rival, arrives and begins to whisk up their old grudges.

With snow dusting the ground and sauce sizzling on the stove, local chef Tessa Esposito is ready to serve up some holiday cheer. And with the annual Festival of Lights underway, it seems nothing can dim her spirits. Not even Mario Russo, the newest scrooge in town whose espresso bar has been quickly disrupting businesses and stealing customers from Harvest Park's favorite coffeehouse. But when Mario is discovered at the festival's opening, face down in a Santa suit, Tessa realizes the bah humbug runs deeper than she could have imagined.

As the food and cocktails columnist for the Island Times, it's Hayley Powell's job to stay on top of the latest eateries in town. Just in time for the summer tourist season, Chef Romeo, a successful restaurateur from New York City, has opened an establishment called - naturally - Romeo's. But between his over-the-top temperament and his no-holds-barred diet, Chef Romeo may not live through the grand opening.

Perished by Pasta In the charming, aroma-filled town of Cinque Terre, murder's scent mingles with the sea. When Alistair, a feared food critic, is found dead, my beagle Pepperoni uncovers the trail. With wine bar owner Marco by my side, we navigate a sea of suspects among the town’s elite, during the Harbour Festival. I must solve the mystery and save the reputation of our tourist town before my involvement is discovered, and my fate is sealed by their deadly threats. Peril by Pinot At the Riley’s Harbour Wine Festival, chef Anya faces a deadly mystery when a critic is poisoned at her ...

Local chef Tessa Esposito is struggling to get back on her feet following her husband's fatal accident. And when the police knock on Tessa's door, things just get worse. They've discovered Dylan's death wasn't an accident after all, and they need Tessa to start filling in the blanks. Who would want her beloved husband dead, and why?

Mia Russo's life takes an unexpected turn as her boyfriend, Aidan Morgan, inherits an estate in Ireland. There's just one catch. He has to remain in Ireland for one full year before he can claim his inheritance. When Mia joins him there, she discovers the Emerald Isle has kicked her extrasensory "gifts" into high gear. She will need them as she and Aidan are confronted with hidden passageways, cryptic codes and an Irish mobster. Their happiness hangs in the balance.

Some people dream of a gentle retirement enjoying crochet or cricket, but for two sexagenarians, a more cadaverous future awaits… Newly retired teachers, Etta and Dora, take a walk along an old mule track connecting their mountain-top villages, each hoping to soothe the distress she feels at the paltry pension she will receive. Meeting at the fabled Witches’ Cave, they put aside their woes – the naked body of Sibilla, Castelmezzano’s beautiful witch, lies dead at the foot of the old oak tree. Did she plummet from the sky during a Sabbath flight as the superstitious locals are ...

Cinque Terre, a quant Italian harbour town, normally boasts of the aromas of garlic, basil, tomato sauce and crisp sea air, not the smell of murder. The pastel buildings and cobblestone streets are lined with Italian trattorias including my famous La Nonna’s Nonna, named after my grandmother. But when Pepperoni, my clue sniffing beagle, leads me to the dead body of the notorious food critic, Alistair, the normally bustling restaurant halts to a stand still. Marco, the charming wine bar owner, offers his help digging through the endless suspects and rumors. As investigations into the many ...

When a renowned wine critic is poisoned at the annual Riley’s Harbour Wine Festival, Anya, the talented chef at La Cucina, suddenly finds herself embroiled in a chilling mystery. Anya is no stranger to pairing wine with gourmet Italian dishes. But when a notorious critic drops dead in front of her tasting booth, she’s haunted by the dizzying tale of secrets and murder. She’s a chef, not a sleuth, but when the charming detective, Ethan, asks her to use her wine expertise to assist in this chilling case, Anya can’t help but dive in deep. Afterall, murder spoils their idyllic Italian ...

When Dan Armstrong is asked to provide security at a private villa on the outskirts of Pisa, he’s pretty sure it will be an easy job. Villa Gregory is remote; the gathered guests are rich – what could possibly go wrong? Inside the high walls of the palatial villa, Dan discovers the gathered guests are some of the most powerful tycoons in the media world, with plans for world domination. With so much at stake, Dan redoubles his efforts to keep everyone safe. But when one of the group is found murdered, Dan’s heart sinks – especially considering Anna’s own daughter is in the frame.

L'americana Amelia Bennett, fan accanita di Jane Austen, abbandona il noioso tour di una magione inglese, solo per imbattersi in un uomo ancor più fascinoso dello stesso Mr. Darcy. Il bell'aristocratico Tom Calder, in procinto di perdere la dimora avita divorata dai debiti di famiglia, invita la sua ospite ad approfittare della pregiata scelta di vini della tenuta. Ma quando l'indomani si svegliano a letto assieme, entrambi ancora preda dei fumi dell'alcol, si convincono di aver assistito a un omicidio.

When Mia Russo meets Aidan Morgan, she finds the man of her dreams. But she must fight through the nightmare of an Italian gangster who is stalking her and an Irish vixen who is intent on having Aidan for herself.

The plan was to start over here with the picture-perfect Genova’s pastry elite; not to catch the culprit who iced the last chef. When Paolo’s death goes from natural causes to murder, my trip to the beautiful Italian harbour town turns into a case of spine-chilling whodunit. I whip up confections, not conspiracies. But my scruffy clue-sniffing beagle has different plans for us in this sun-kissed town; to remove the stench of murder. Motives linger as the sous chef, Enzo, craves the spotlight, while Luca, the supplier, has a sour taste left behind after a heated argument. Even Giulia, ...

The Whitstable Pearl restaurant has been busy all summer while Pearl’s detective agency has brought few interesting cases - until a prospective client calls. Christina Scott confides that seven years ago she had the perfect life with a seaside home, a confirmed pregnancy and Steven, a loving husband - until one morning, she woke to find herself alone. Christina’s husband had vanished, taking nothing with him but his car - which was later found abandoned at the beautifully mysterious Oare Marshes.

Eliza Bennett, textile scientist and amateur sleuth, is back for another thrilling adventure, this time in the picturesque vineyards of Italy! When Eliza travels to the renowned Calbretti's Vineyard for a fabric dye research project. She’s accompanied by her ever-faithful and paranormal orange tabby cat, Merlin. But their idyllic getaway turns sinister when a murder shatters the vineyard's tranquility. As secrets entwine with the vines, Eliza and Merlin must navigate a web of deceit and danger. Between uncovering hidden motives and evading perilous traps, the duo faces their most ...

Auntie Poldi, sassy, brassy, and 60, moves to Sicily for a quiet alcohol-fuelled retirement. A murder spoils her plans. This is the first novel in a charming new mystery series set in Sicily and laced with Italian sensuality and humor. It features an amateur sleuth, the sassy and foul-mouthed Auntie Poldi. Recently widowed Poldi moves to Sicily in order to quietly drink herself to death with a sea view, but fate intervenes. When she finds the corpse of a young man on the beach, his face blown off with a sawn-off shotgun, she becomes a potential suspect in his murder case.

Murder is the deadliest art...An invitation to an exclusive event during the Venetian Biennale gives Honorary Consul Nathan Sutherland the perfect chance to drink prosecco in the sunshine and meet some of the greats of the art world. And then a world-famous critic is decapitated by one of the installations in the British Pavilion. A terrible accident, it seems, until a postcard is discovered in the victim's pocket: an image of Judith beheading Holofernes.

The city of Rome is agitated and distraught as every news broadcast opens with coverage of the shocking murder of two women, committed by an incredibly clever serial killer, who manages to vanish without a trace and who repeatedly mocks the police with the sarcastic notes he leaves behind at the murder scene. Money, power, drug cartels, and street gangs are mixed up in this affair, and everyone suspects everyone else. The murdered women worked as prostitutes in a nightclub with a dubious reputation, La Casa, located on Rome’s prestigious and famous Veneto Street, and the young chief of ...