Murder on the Vine

Tuscan Mysteries, Book 3

By: Camilla Trinchieri

Narrated by: Danny Deferrari

Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

Ex-NYPD homicide detective Nico Doyle investigates the murder of a local bartender in the Tuscan countryside.

On a late October Sunday morning in Gravigna, local maresciallo Perillo is having breakfast with ex-NYPD detective Nico Doyle when he is called back to the station in Greve. Laura Benati, the young manager of Hotel Bella Vista, is worried—her bartender and good friend eighty-year-old Cesare Costanzi has been missing for three days.

The next morning, Jimmy, co-owner of Bar All’Angolo, Gravigna’s local café, where Nico is a frequent patron, runs out of gas on his way back from Florence. When Nico meets him to help, Nico’s dog, OneWag, reacts to the smell coming from Jimmy’s trunk. Inside Nico finds a body wrapped in plastic: Cesare Costanzi, stabbed several times in the chest.

Why would anyone kill Cesare, and how did he end up in Jimmy’s car? That’s for Nico to find out, as Perillo once again turns to Nico for help with the investigation.

©2022 Camilla Trinchieri (P)2022 Recorded Books

Good addition to series!

cultural-exploration, dog, expats, family, family-business, family-drama, family-dynamics, friendship, law-enforcement, murder, murder-investigation, muted-humor, procedural, read, relationship-issues, relationships, relatives, restaurant, secrets, small-business, small-town, Tuscany, LGBT*****

Widowed ex-NYPD homicide detective (Nico) moves to Tuscany where he has good memories and his wife's family (and they need his help in the restaurant). Remember the adage about taking the man out of the job? He got to be friends with the local Carabinieri (Perillo and Daniele) last year over a murder and has made many other friends as well including a woman artist and a dog, OneWag.
I think that this can stand alone because the author references the past very well. I was surprised, however, that the cast of characters (pun intended) came at the end. There is quite a bit of personal stuff going on with the continuing characters as well as the new ones, and the integrated work by Carabinieri and retired NYPD is outstanding (especially with all the roadblocks erected by suspects).
Expect plot twists, beautiful countryside, believable engaging characters, red herrings, and mouthwatering menus. EXCELLENT read! Proof that books in series get better as they go along.
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Soho Press/Soho Crime via NetGalley. Thank you!

A nice trip back to Tuscany

The story was well written but the read was way to rushed. Sometimes I couldn’t tell which character was speaking making difficult to follow the story.

Slightly tough listening experience

I enjoy these stories and the characters are really interesting, but the narration makes the listening experience a bit of a drag. There is a slight clunkiness that makes it seem like this is a translation (?). The off word choice and turn of phrase, combined with the odd intonation of the narrator, and lack of unique voices for each character means it takes more work to listen. It’s one of those books I enjoy IN SPITE of the narration instead of because of it.

Fast talking narrator

I love this series. This time the narrator just spoke to fast. It made some of the good writing rushed. I found myself hitting the 30 second rewind many times.

A good story, though, that transports you to the Tuscan hillsides!

Good story, rushed narration

Another good story line from this author! As others have noted, narration was often rushed. *However* it was a joy to have a narrator who did an excellent job with the Italian!
I’ll read her next one.

Good story. The narrator was so-so.

This is a good story. I enjoyed the mystery and the further development of the characters. However, the narrator read way too fast, and had little expression. He read in an almost monotone, and did not pause or enunciate punctuation. Also, mispronunciation of certain English words was distracting.

Terrible Narration

Unfortunately the narration was so bad I literally couldn't stand to listen.
I read this book and really enjoyed the story but the narration was just awful. Don't waste your money.

Narrator ruins the book

Trinchieri writes a good book, good plot, dialogue with very nice local cultural detail. I don't wish to attack Deferrari. Nonetheless his reading is terrible - firstly, he doesn't actually quite grasp what he's reading so he misses or mis-expresses the meaning in sentences - rather her reads like an elementary school kid who is reading just to get the words out. Neither does having an Italian last name qualify him to read Italian words. He mispronounces almost all of them. If I were Ms. Trinchieri I'd be inclined to sue the publisher for giving her book such a poor narrator. He really does ruin the book. The narrator of the first book was much better. I cannot recommend this book - entirely because of the narrator.