13 April 2023.
ISBN: 978-1-52941-538-4 (HB)
Italy, 1900. Pellegrino Artusi, famous chef, is invited to the castle of Senor Gazzolo, purveyor of tinned foods. One of the other guests dies in the night – inside a locked room...
This novel is great fun. The plot
is pure John Dickson Carr: an atmospheric castle, possible secret passages, a
door which only people wearing a fencing mask can enter, a man dead in a sealed
room (the solution is also Carr’s) and a cast of interesting people.
There’s D’Ancona, the dead man, and his Turkish counterpart, Alydin, whose job
was scrutinising contracts between Italian entrepreneurs and the Ottoman
government. There are Signor Bonci and his enigmatic daughter, Delia; Signor
Gazzolo and his wife, along with the castle staff.
The plots cleverly worked out and fairly clued, with a neat ending twist. The
historical detail is impeccably researched. The storytelling style is modern
and witty, with character thoughts given in speech style, and Malvaldi’s an
intrusive author, cutting in to give historical facts and comparisons with
today. The book ends with recipés from the story.
A fun whodunnit set in 1900
Italy with enjoyable characters and a clever plot.
-------
Reviewer: Marsali Taylor
Marsali
Taylor grew up near Edinburgh, and
came to Shetland as a newly-qualified teacher. She is currently a part-time
teacher on Shetland's scenic west side, living with her husband and two
Shetland ponies. Marsali is a qualified STGA tourist-guide who is fascinated by
history, and has published plays in Shetland's distinctive dialect, as well as
a history of women's suffrage in Shetland. She's also a keen sailor who enjoys
exploring in her own 8m yacht, and an active member of her local drama
group. Marsali also does a regular
monthly column for the Mystery People e-zine.
Click on the title to read a review of her
recent book
A
Shetland Winter Mystery
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