Return to Umbria by David P. WagnerMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Return to Umbria is the fourth installment in the Rick Montoya series. I just love this series more and more. I received an early released copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This time, we find Rick and his new girlfriend, Betta, in Orvieto where Rick has been sent by his family to talk his cousin into coming home and stopping his current extracurricular activities. Along the way, Rick falls into a murder mystery. Three women are on the funicular that Rick and Betta take up to Orvieto. They get a first-hand look at the victim, who is not quite the nicest person anyone has met. It turns out that not only are her traveling companions possible suspects but, the victim has history in Orvieto which means there are several more possible suspects from her past.
The victim attended school in Orvieto many years ago and she appears to know several people that are still in Orvieto or the surrounding areas. Most importantly, she was involved in something that has put her life at risk once she steps foot in Orvieto. As these things go in any good Rick Montoya mystery there is another murder and Rick works with someone from his past to determine who is committing the murders before Rick becomes a victim. This is a story that looks back to multiple shady characters, one of which is from Rick and Betta's past. Rick has his hands full putting his Uncle the commisario off who wants Rick to become a police detective, investigating two murders, handling Betta's history, not to mention his original purpose in traveling to Orvieto. He still has to work on getting his cousin Fabrizio to go home. None of these tasks turns out to be easy.
The reader is treated to a wonderful armchair trip to a different part of Italy, Umbria. One of the great things about this series is that Rick moves across Italy a lot. The reader is treated to a new area of Italy in each book along with a great mystery and Return to Umbria no exception. It has the reader ready for the next book and trip to Italy.
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