Nonna Maria and the Case of the Stolen Necklace: A Novel

by Lorenzo Carcaterra

Nonna Maria, “one of the most charming amateur sleuths ever created” (Tess Gerritsen), sets out to clear her goddaughter’s name and uncover the checkered past of an unidentifiable victim in this transporting mystery from #1 New York Times bestselling author Lorenzo Carcaterra.

Nonna Maria has a lot on her plate—and it’s not just fresh pasta. Two crimes have rocked the sun-drenched island of Ischia, and once again the island’s denizens have called upon the espresso-brewing, sage-counsel-giving sleuth.

A wealthy woman alleges that a valuable necklace has been stolen from her hotel room. She blames one of the young women working on the cleaning crew as the most likely suspect—a young woman who turns out to be Nonna Maria’s goddaughter. Loretta takes the heat, but privately she proclaims her innocence.

Nearby, the body of a woman is found on a curved road near the borough of Barano. The woman is not known to anyone on the island. She has no purse, carries no identification. The one suspect is a young friend of Nonna Maria’s who drove by the area that very night and thinks that he might have hit something—a pothole, or an animal, or maybe the woman in question.

It turns out that this woman had a decades-old history on Ischia, but why did she return, and more important, who killed her? It’s up to Nonna Maria to string together the clues—like the links of the beautiful missing necklace—and solve these two mysteries before death comes to Ischia again.

• ISBN10: 0593499182
• ISBN13: 9780593499184
• Publish Date: 2 May 2023
• Publish Status: Remaindered
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Random House USA Inc
• Imprint: Bantam Dell Publishing Group, Div of Random House, Inc
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 288
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780593499184

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Nonna Maria and the Case of the Stolen Necklace is the second delightful cozy mystery featuring the wonderful, wise, and practical octogenarian Nonna Maria alongside a whimsical cast of secondary characters and another cleverly constructed puzzle by Lorenzo Carcaterra. Released 2nd May 2023 by Penguin Random House on their Bantam imprint, it's 288 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback format due out from the same publisher in first quarter 2024.

This was such a relaxing and enjoyable read. It's redolent of the setting, with the local cuisine and lifestyle pace and rhythms of the island of Ischia off the coast of Naples and the charming and intelligent chief protagonist, Nonna Maria. Everyone knows her and she knows everyone and their extended family histories and interrelationships, so she's naturally sought out for advice and help when the locals don't need or want to go to the official police. 

In some ways this reminded me of the pacing and atmosphere of the Bruno, Chief of Police, novels or Guido Bernetti, or even Bannalec's excellent Georges Dupin novels. The pacing is similar, the storytelling unhurried, but it's not at all derivative. The mysteries small and large entwine closer to a satisfyingly constructed climax and denouement. 

Nonna Maria herself, though age and craftiness comparisons will surely be made to Miss Marple, strikes me as tough, resilient, and resourceful and more compassionate than Christie's inimitable sleuth who could be cold as ice and brilliantly calculating. I found Nonna Maria thoroughly likeable and wonderfully warm and really enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to more from this capable author featuring this island setting and these appealing characters.

An epilogue chapter at the end of the book teases the next book in the series. Readers who enjoy intelligent, well plotted cozies would be wise to have this author on their radar. It would make a nice choice for public library acquisition as well as for home use and mystery book club or buddy read.

Four stars. Very well done.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.