annieb123's Review of Nonna Maria and the Case of the Missing Bride

by Lorenzo Carcaterra

When a crime on a beautiful Italian island stumps the police, locals turn to the trusted elderly widow Nonna Maria in this transporting mystery from #1 New York Times bestselling author Lorenzo Carcaterra, “one of the all-time greats” (Jeffery Deaver).

“An utterly delightful tale starring one of the most charming amateur sleuths ever created.”—Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of Listen to Me

Nonna Maria has lived on Ischia, an island in the Gulf of Naples, her entire life. Recognizable by the widow’s black she’s worn every day for decades, she always has pasta on the stove and espresso in the pot for the neighbors who stop by to ask her advice on life and love. Everyone knows her, and she knows everyone’s business. So if something goes wrong, islanders look to her, not the local carabinieri, to find the solution.

When a recently engaged woman confesses that she’s afraid her fiancé, a stranger to Ischia with a murky past, might not be who he seems, Nonna Maria helps her disappear so she can investigate the true nature of her betrothed. The stranger has also raised the suspicions of Captain Murino of the carabinieri, but he’s occupied investigating the death of a tour boat captain who drowned in the wee hours of the morning. Captain Murino believes it was an accident, but Nonna Maria knows the man was a born sailor and too good a swimmer to drown, no matter how much wine he might have drunk. While Captain Murino has his hands full, she pours herself a glass of white wine and gets to work, even though getting involved will expose her to the dangers lurking just beneath the surface of her idyllic home.

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Nonna Maria and the Case of the Missing Bride is a delightfully rustic island cozy mystery with a wonderful octogenarian protagonist, a whimsical cast of secondary characters and a very well constructed story by Lorenzo Carcaterra. Released 3rd May 2022 by Penguin Random House on their Bantam imprint, it's 272 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.

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 carbinieri.

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 surprisingly tense 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 the denouement and resolution. I'm looking forward to more from this capable author featuring this island setting and these appealing characters.

Four and a half stars. Very well done.

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

Nonna Maria and the Case of the Missing Bride

by Lorenzo Carcaterra

Reviewed by annieb123 on May 15, 2022

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