Nonna Maria and the Case of the Lost Treasure

 

Nonna Maria and the Case of the Lost Treasure is the third cozy mystery featuring the wonderful, wise, and practical octogenarian Nonna Maria alongside a whimsical cast of secondary characters and featuring another cleverly constructed puzzle by Lorenzo Carcaterra. Released 7th May 2024 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 2025. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

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 Brunetti, 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. Nonna Maria is thoroughly likeable and wonderfully warm and it's just an engaging and enjoyable read.

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.