Bria Bartolucci #1
Few sights and experiences rival that of the coast of Italy, and the beautifully colored buildings of Positano balanced along cliff faces and overlooking stunning stretches of ocean. Michael Falco launches a new mystery series set in this idyllic place. The first book is Murder in an Italian Village and it follows widow and single mom Bria Bartolucci as she also starts a new life running a B&B called Bella Bella. While she has lived near Positano, she has only recently made it home for herself and her son Marco. She is not only striving to make her business thrive, but also to become an accepted part of the Positano community and not be seen as a tourist or outsider.
One way to certainly throw a wrench into such plans is to find a dead man in her unopened B&B. In such a small, tightknit community, Bria is right to fear that this could very well mean the end of Bella Bella before it even has a chance to start. Luckily, her best friend Rosalie Vivaldi lives nearby on her houseboat and is ready to come help Bria. It is also handy that Rosalie’s brother Luca is the chief of police and is willing to have police arrive as discreetly as possible as to not cause too many questions or suspicions from the locals. Bria is at first more than happy to let the local authorities figure out who the man was, and who might have wanted to make Bella Bella his final resting place. However, things go too slowly and there are too many possibilities of herself or those close to her becoming suspects and Bria finds that she cannot just leave it to the authorities. Thanks to the Vivaldi siblings, she has a partner in crime whether her investigative tactics are traditional or a bit more unorthodox. Regardless, she is always ready to share what she learns with Luca in hopes that he can get that much closer to finding the killer.
All of this is happening while Bria is also facing some personal anxieties about opening Bella Bella without her husband, Carlo. The B&B was their dream together, and sadly Carlo did not live to see it come to fruition. But she did not let the dream die with him, and she is determined to make it a success in memory of Carlo, for herself, and for their son, Marco. It would be so much simpler to move back home to be nearer to her parents and lean on them rather than trying to make a new business flourish, or even go to her mother-in-law to raise Marco amongst the upper class in her private villa. But Bria is determined to not only keep the B&B on schedule to open for the tourist season, but also to unravel the mystery that was literally laid before her.
I highly recommend this book for anyone with a love of Italy and Italian culture. Murder in an Italian Village perfectly captures the close knit community feel of an Italian town, from everyone knowing everything about everyone to the dedicated Catholic presence. Also, for Italian enthusiasts, there are many Italian phrases and words peppered throughout the book to help submerge readers into Michael Falco’s world. I love the Italian language, so I was delighted to see so many phrases used to increase the authenticity of the locals. However, for those who do not have any Italian background they can still enjoy the language use thanks to a quick reference guide Michael Falco included in the back of the book. Careful, reading Murder in an Italian Village might just have you looking to the Amalfi coast and Postiano for a possible future vacation. – Carla Schantz