In this debut book in the Nonna Maria series, Nonna Maria helps a woman betrothed to the wrong man, and looks into the suspicious death of an old friend.
*****
Nonna Maria, who lives on the beautiful Italian island of Ischia, is in her seventies, walks with a slight limp, keeps her thick white hair in a bun, likes espresso coffee laced with chocolate, enjoys white wine, loves to cook, and dines only at her own table - near a photo of her deceased husband Gabriel.
Ischia
Nonna Maria is a familiar presence in Ischia, and people there ask her for advice and help during difficult times. To assist folks in need, Nonna Maria makes wide use of her network of friends and family, spread throughout the entire island and reaching as far as Rome and Naples.
One day a distressed young woman named Anna tells Nonna Maria the following story: Anna was walking through some beautiful gardens when a stranger, Andrea Bartoli, began chatting her up. Andrea bought Anna a chocolate gelato, and the next thing Anna knew, she was betrothed to marry Andrea, with no idea of how that happened. Anna doesn't want to marry Bartoli, but she's afraid to break up with him.
Nonna Maria is convinced Anna was drugged with a substance called La Fattura and promises to help the girl. Nonna Maria then consults her friend, carabinieri Captain Paulo Murino.....
....and is shocked to learn that Murino's sister Clara, who lived in Florence, had a similar experience. Clara found herself engaged to Bartoli, married him, and died in a car accident three months later.....after which Bartoli collected the insurance money. Nonna Maria is CERTAIN Bartoli is up to no good with Anna, and makes a plan to set things right.
While this is happening, Nonna Maria is also looking into the death of her friend, 85-year-old tourist boat captain Pasquale Favorini.
Favorini and his first mate, Giovanni Buonopana, ferry tourists around the Tyrrhenian Sea, relating stories about Ischia's history. Favorini and Buonopana are like father and son, and Buonopana will inherit the boat when Favorini passes.
One night Favorini goes missing, as does his dog Peppo, who goes everywhere with his master.
First mate Buonopana says he was sleeping, and didn't see a thing. When Favorini's body is fished out of the water, the authorities determine that Favorini got drunk, fell off the boat, and drowned. This leaves Captain Murino with no remit to investigate.
Nonna Maria refuses to accept the official cause of death. She observes, "Hard to believe a man who knew every inch of that boat and who had crossed the sea, calm or angry, thousands of times could just fall overboard." Nonna Maria is sure something nefarious was going on and Favorini was murdered, and she sets out to find the killer(s).
There's plenty of danger, action, and adventure as Nonna Maria works to extricate Anna from her predicament, and to get justice for Captain Favorini.
The story is heightened by descriptions of the sights, sounds, and history of Ischia, along with mentions of tempting Italian delicacies. Nonna Maria loves to prepare food for her friends and relatives, and these goodies include tomato, basil, and red onion paninis; grilled calamari; linguini in red sauce with clams and mussels; chicken cacciatore; and marinated grilled Branzino.
Tomato, Basil, and Red Onion Panini
Grilled Calamari
Linguini in Red Sauce with Clams and Mussels
Chicken Cacciatore
Marinated Grilled Branzino
I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
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