Bria Bertolucci #2
Michael Falco takes readers away to the village of Positano, Italy, in his second Bria Bartolucci Mystery, Murder in an Italian Café. The Amalfi coast is one of the most gorgeous spots on earth. The ocean views, the warm people, the villages built into mountainsides that seem to defy gravity, and, of course, the food, draw people from all over the world. Bria Bartolucci has made a home her for herself and her son Marco by running a bed and breakfast called Bella Bella. She and her late husband Carlos shared the dream of opening Bella Bella, and she is doing her best to live her life and honor his memory. Things were off to a rough start when she first opened and found herself pulled into a murder investigation, but now has settled in and become a part of the village. Her bed and breakfast is now seen as a staple of the village, and Bria and her son as firm members of the community.
However, Bria is facing one of the biggest challenges anyone can face – Marco’s arguing grandparents. Her parents and Carlos’ mother both have very different and strong opinions on where Marco’s communion should be celebrated. Making everyone happy is impossible, so Bria is grateful to become very preoccupied with guests, some of whom are from a production crew that are there for the famous Chef Lugo who will be filming in Positano. Everyone is excited, not only for the attention this will bring to their village, but also to get the chance to meet the rising Italian cooking sensation himself. One thing no one could have prepared for was for Chef Lugo to die on-camera — well, no one but the killer, that is. Bria feels herself pulled into the investigation not only for the sake of her friend who owned the café Lugo passed in, but also because she was the last person that he saw as he died. The trauma of that experience drives her to find answers as much for herself as to help his soul find justice, and luckily, she has plenty of help, not the least of which comes from the Vivaldi siblings. Rosalie Vivaldi is Bria’s oldest and closest friend, and her brother Luca Vivaldi is the chief of police. Luca might give his sister and Bria the side eye more than once as they come up with theories, but only so that they will prove what they suspect. He has already learned that his force of nature sister and the clever Bria are invaluable assets to the police force.
Another personal issue that Bria is facing is that she is finding herself attracted to Luca, and this is a problem as she is still very much in love with, and loyal to, her late husband Carlos. Moving forward with her personal life seems nearly impossible, not only because she loved Carlos so deeply, but because of how much time and attention Bella Bella and Marco both demand and deserve from her. Add a killer on the loose, and Bria finds it very difficult to find the time to sort out her feelings. Despite his own attraction, Luca remains objective and does not leap at every theory and lead that Bria brings him. He is very careful to gather real evidence and follow solid leads so that when they do unveil the culprit, they have good solid police work to back up the arrest.
Readers looking for an Italian escape will love Murder in an Italian Café. From the descriptions of the landscape, to the people Bria encounters, everything pulls readers in. The use of the Italian language further immerses readers and I loved learning more phrases. Bria is such a wonderful protagonist that readers cannot help but be drawn into her life and cheer on her success with both her personal life as well as finding a killer. First time readers will be given plenty of context and background for the various characters and settings. The only thing is that, when done, they will want to read more, and luckily they’ll have the first book to get their hands on (Murder in an Italian Village). Those who enjoyed the first book will be glad of this new addition to the series, and like myself will eagerly await any news of book three. I have deeply enjoyed both of the Bria Bartolucci books, and love being given a little mental vacation to Positano. Michael Falco really does capture the feeling of being inside an Italian village and I eagerly await his next work. – Carla Schantz