Murder on the Italian Riviera: Another instalment in the bestselling Armstrong and Oscar cozy mystery series from T A Williams (An Armstrong and Oscar Cozy Mystery)

by T A Williams

Simon Mattacks (Narrator)

The next instalment in bestselling author T. A. Williams' Armstrong and Oscar cozy mystery series!

Another cozy crime series set in gorgeous Tuscany...It's murder in paradise!

An ex-con…

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…

A suspicious death…

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.

A very revealing case!

But when Dan arrives at the resort, he's in for a shock. He finds that the place is a naturist retreat, and everybody is walking around stark naked! Dan is determined to discover the truth, but this is going to mean revealing a whole lot more of himself than he expected.

Can Dan sniff out the truth about this case before Oscar's cold wet nose causes havoc?

A gripping murder mystery series by bestselling author T.A. Williams, perfect for fans of Death in Paradise, Lee Strauss and Beth Byers.

Readers love Dan and Oscar!

'The story line is brilliant no boring parts and kept me guessing to the end. Can't wait for the next one!' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reader Review

'Well written, good plot, lovely descriptions of Tuscany and Italian way of life. Looking forward to the next in series, love the dog' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reader Review

'I highly recommend these books . Tremendous fun and very witty and written with a light touch' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reader Review

Praise for T.A. Williams!

"The perfect combination of character, setting and plot, heralding an addictive new cozy mystery series!" Bestselling author Debbie Young

"Watching unassuming detective Dan Armstrong weddle the truth out of folks is great fun. Highly Entertaining read!" Bestselling author Kelly Oliver

“Dan and Oscar are great company in a sun-drenched mystery that keeps you guessing right till the end.” Bestselling author Michelle Salter

• ISBN13: 9781835187470
• Publish Date: 2 May 2024
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Boldwood Books Ltd
• Format: eBook (EPUB)
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Murder on the Italian Riviera is the seventh Armstrong and Oscar cozy destination mystery by T.A. Williams. Released 2nd May 2024 by Boldwood books, it's 252 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free. The other books in the series are also currently available on KU. 

This is a beautifully descriptive and well written destination mystery mostly set in and around a naturist (nudist) retreat on the Italian Riviera. Expat former policeman Dan Armstrong and his trusty canine sidekick Oscar are again called on to untangle a local murder/accident, which soon escalates into direct danger to the intrepid duo. Dan's ostensibly along to facilitate translations in English for the police and witnesses, but his insights are valuable and he and the local official investigation work well together. 

The plotting is solid and the dialogue and characterizations are believable. The mystery, denouement, and resolution are self contained in this volume, so it works well enough as a standalone, but the writing is so engaging and immersive, that it would make an excellent weekend binge or buddy read. The author is exceptionally good at weaving (seemingly) extraneous information into the text. There's a lot of humor as well. The situations where Dan and Oscar are forced to shed clothing to blend in and interact with the locals are warmly and humorously described.

It's not derivative at all, but it reminded me in a lot of good ways of Leon's exceptional Brunetti books as well as Walker's lovely Bruno, chief of police books. Fans of those authors will find a lot to enjoy here.

Four and a half stars. Highly recommended. All of the books are exceptionally well written and fun. The author seems to be on a twice a year output schedule at the moment without sacrificing quality or length. Definitely one to watch develop. There's an 8th book due out in Aug 2024 from the same publisher.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.