Nona Maria, a widow of twenty-five-years, is well known and loved on the Island of Ischai where she is a confident to many and sometimes solves crimes. She always has a pot of spaghetti, wine or coffee, and a listening ear for guests. Anna comes to Nona Maria because she is engaged to a man she doesn’t love and thinks something may be amiss.
Nona Maria makes arrangements for Anna to disappear for awhile while she tries to find out what is happening. But that’s not the only crime on the island. When she visits Captain Murino, the local carbiniere, she learns that an elderly tour boat captain drank too much, fell overboard, and drowned. Murino thinks it’s probably an accident, but Nona Maria has known the man for years and is convinced that no matter how much wine he had consumed he wouldn’t fall overboard. To his credit, Murino, respects Nona Maria’s judgment. With her extensive network of family and friends on the island and off she can be a valuable resource in solving crimes.
This is a lovely book filled with characters you’d like to know and magnificent views of the island. Nona Maria is a strong woman. She has decided opinions, but she also knows how to listen and to put what she learns together to understand what is happening. The pace of the book is leisurely as fits the setting and the charming grandmother sleuth. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and recommend it highly.
I received this book from Random House for this review.
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