Murder on the Vine by Camilla Trinchieri
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Nico Doyle is a retired detective who moved to Italy to be closer to his wife's family after she died. Murder on the Vine is the third in the Tuscan Mystery series. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Nico has been pretty helpful to Perillo, the area's marshall of the carabinieri when the occasional murder pops up. He is not exactly made a temporary deputy, but he has experience from the NYPD detective squad that a small town in Italy just does not have, despite the number of murders they appear to be experiencing lately. In Murder on the Vine, the bartender from one of the local hotels is murdered. The murder in itself is not the odd thing. Where the body is found is the most interesting part of this murder. Jimmy, the co-owner of Nico, runs out of gas, and Nico is recruited to take him a can of gas and is on hand when the body is discovered in Jimmy's trunk.

Nico just wants to create dishes for his wife's family's restaurant, help out in the restaurant, and tend to his garden. Okay, occasionally, his curiosity is sparked when a murder crops up. He agrees that Perillo, Daniele, and he do make a great trio pitching in to solve crimes, even though he is retired. I guess you can take the police force out of the detective, but you cannot take the detective out of Nico. It has also been a few years since Nico's wife died, and he has possibly found love again. The issue is he does not know what to do with it and if he is betraying his wife's memory. Nico has a lot of introspection to do before he misses out on something that could be very good for him, as pretty much everyone in the town is not-so-subtly letting him know. There is a great mystery in Murder on the Vine, not just in how the victim was killed but also in who the victim is as a person. Camilla Trinchieri does a great job of drawing the murder for the reader and also providing the reader with a good bit of armchair travel in Italy, even if the town is fictitious. This is still a good book for armchair travel because this series draws a picture of Italian villages, despite the fictitious name. A traveler who likes to visit Italy can recognize a bit of other Italian towns like Pienza or Lucca, Italy. With each installment in this series, I become more enamored of the characters in the Tuscan Mysteries and of Italy.

The Blonde Identity by Ally Carter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What could be more fun than The Blonde Identity? I loved it! It was Ally Carter's writing style and storytelling with a bunch of action thrown into it. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. A woman wakes up in the snow in the middle of the night in the middle of Paris. Who is she? How did she get there? She doesn't know, and those who do are treating her like she is some kick-a-** spy. So maybe she is. She has no id and no money, just a keycard. As she tries to figure it out, she is hunted and harassed across Paris. She gets to put those skills to the test. She is lucky enough to run into someone who seems to be another agent on her side, and he is a big help in determining why all these people are trying to kill her.

One of the things I love about Ally Carter's writing is her sense of humor. As soon as I saw the title and the cover, I knew I would love this book. It is fast-paced. The action scenes just keep coming and coming. Now, do not get me wrong. I am not saying she is just this weapon cutting her way across Paris. I have to admit that I was thinking more in terms of amnesia and that she just doesn't remember who she is and what she can do. She did a pretty good job of just "throwing" herself out there and doing what she needed to do to survive. I like to think that I could do as well and maintain that level of humor and wit as it is done. Her thoughts, which sometimes made their way out of her mouth, were, at times, just hilarious. Interestingly enough, I did not think much about the book title. I recommended the book to a cousin, who saw it immediately as he read the synopsis. He is looking forward to reading it. I wished there was a way to stay in touch with these characters, as I love a good action book combined with witty characters.

Best Served Cold by David P. Wagner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It is no secret. I love this series and pretty much drop anything else I am doing outside of work to inhale these books. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Rick Montoya leads a really interesting life. He spends most of his time in Roma, Italy unless he travels to serve as an interpreter. His business is taking off, and his current job takes him to Assisi to help a college friend who needs a replacement interpreter quickly because the hired interpreter disappeared after arriving in Assisi. A group has come over from New Mexico, Rick's home state in the US, where he attended college. Unfortunately, the missing interpreter is found dead, and Rick is in the right place to help the Italian police as they appear to need the help of an interpreter to interview the tour group from New Mexico.

Interestingly, Betta, Rick's girlfriend, had a different role in the storyline. I enjoyed the methodology but do not want to spoil the change for other readers. Of course, his Zio Piero is his usual self, a bit cantankerous but still a loving uncle. Rick is always a good proxy to Piero and seems closer to him than he is to his own parents. It could just be proximity. However, we get to meet another family member in Best Served Cold. That is another area of the book I will leave for the reader and not spoil. The reader can count on the author's excellent armchair travel and food descriptions, as Rick provides vivid descriptions of parts of Umbria and the food he ate throughout his travels in Italy. The mystery is more cozy but still a good addition to the Rick Montoya Italian Mysteries. I look forward to Book 9 and Rick's next case and Italian location.