I had a brain fart when I first read the blurb for Nonna Maria and the Case of the Lost Treasure (side note: for your sanity and to keep this review somewhat short, I will be using NM as an abbreviation). I quickly read the blurb and assumed that it was a middle-grade mystery. Please don’t ask me why because I don’t have an answer. My best answer is that my kids were asking me questions or fighting (more likely the latter), and I didn’t fully pay attention to the blurb. Anyway, I accepted, and I am glad that I did. NM was a good read.
NM is the third book in the Nonna Maria series. You can read it as a standalone, but as I always do, I recommend reading the first two books first. That way, you get a better understanding of the characters and their relationships.
I have a new location to add to my list of places to go. NM is set on the island of Ischia. I did a quick Google search, and oh boy, do I want to go there. The watercolor is fantastic, and I couldn’t get over how the beaches looked in the pictures. Plus, there is the castle (which does make an appearance in this book).
NM has two main storylines. One storyline centers around Nonna Maria, Captain Murino, and the assassin working for an outside mob boss. The other storyline centers around Nonna Maria, the map her deceased friend left his granddaughter, and the search for that. Each storyline was exciting and well-written. When the author merges them at the end of the book, it is almost seamless.
The storyline that centers around Nonna Maria, Captain Murino, and the assassin is interesting. The author goes back to years earlier when Captain Murino was part of an operation to bring down the mob in Florence. I got confused and had to reread the first couple of paragraphs to figure out what was happening. But that didn’t last long, and it was the only time in the book that it happened, so I let it slide. I wasn’t a big fan of Nonna Maria being put in the middle and used almost as bait. But it did lead to an exciting ending to that storyline.
The storyline that centers on Nonna Maria, the map, and the search for the treasure was also exciting. I did get a crash course on the island’s history and how the caves were used. The author also introduced two colorful characters, the Pirate and the Magician, and an American treasure hunter and his assistant. I couldn’t get enough of this storyline and was eager to see if the treasure was uncovered. Of course, there were hijinks (which Nonna Maria was left out of) that led to a race for that group to find the granddaughter’s treasure. Those hijinks were amped up to almost a fever pitch when this group figured out where the treasure was. The end of this storyline was interesting because it didn’t end. It was left up in the air and gave me a feeling that these characters and at least some of this storyline will appear in another book.
I liked Nonna Maria. She had eyes and ears everywhere and often got news faster than Captain Murino. She didn’t let her age slow her down. I also got a laugh that she only drank expresso and wine. But, most of all, I liked the devotion she had and that she inspired in other people.
The end of NM was interesting. While the two mysteries were solved, enough was left open on both to make me wonder if any of these storylines/characters would be reintroduced in another book.
Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Bantam, NetGalley, and Lorenzo Carcaterra for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Nonna Maria and the Case of the Lost Treasure. All opinions stated in this review are mine.