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.
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