Review by Booklist Review
After her husband's death, Bria Bartolucci continues to pursue the couple's dream of opening a bed and breakfast in beautiful Positano, Italy. Unfortunately, before she is due to welcome her first guests, she finds a dead man in one of the bedrooms. Panicked, she calls her best friend, Rosalie, whose brother, Luca, happens to be the chief of police. After reporting the death, Bria begins her own investigation to save her fledgling business from rumors and possible cancellations, identifying the victim and delving into the reasons for his murder, which may be connected to a long-ago counterfeit ring and involve prominent residents, including Bria's formidable mother-in-law. Not above a little breaking and entering with Rosalie, Bria shares some, but not all, of her findings with Luca. Plot twists, the lovingly described Amalfi Coast setting, Italian-culture frame, and fully realized characters--including the smart, determined Bria coming to terms with her widowhood--make this first in a series a satisfying cozy mystery.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Falco's haphazard debut cozy delivers beautiful descriptions of the Amalfi Coast pinned to a largely uninvolving murder mystery. It's a few weeks before peak tourist season in the Italian town of Positano, and recently widowed Bria is preparing to open a bed and breakfast in her late husband's honor. Returning home after a trip to town center, she discovers the body of a man in one of her bedrooms, his shirt covered in blood. She immediately calls her best friend, Rosalie, sister of Positano's chief of police, to plan her next move. After police arrive on the scene, suspicion starts to float toward Bria; in order to safeguard her reputation and that of her budding business, she and Rosalie team up to investigate the killing on their own. With the reckless energy of the Hardy Boys, the duo chases down red herrings, flying into a ridiculous number of false accusations and placing targets on their own backs in the process. Despite starting off with a bang, Falco weighs down the proceedings with a repetitive structure and a handful of inaccuracies (Italy does not, as one character asserts, try anyone by "a jury of peers"). Armchair travelers might get by on the passages about Italy's sights and smells, but readers looking for a satisfying mystery will be disappointed. Agent: Evan Marshall, Evan Marshall Agency. (Oct.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
DEBUT Bria Bartolucci, a widow with an eight-year-old son, Marco, is about to fulfill her late husband's dream and open a B&B in Positano on the Amalfi coast. But when she returns home from dropping Marco at school, she finds an unknown dead man in one of her bedrooms. She panics and calls her best friend Rosalie but doesn't immediately think to call Rosalie's brother Luca, the chief of police. When the police take Bria's handyman in for questioning, she's worried that no one will come to her B&B if it's known as the scene of a murder. Together, she and Rosalie investigate, even breaking into the mayor's office. It's one thing to try to connect the man with an old counterfeiting case. But when Bria realizes that her distinguished, wealthy mother-in-law could be involved, the investigation becomes serious. Although Luca doesn't want Bria and Rosalie involved, there are clues that only clever women would recognize and secrets only women will share. VERDICT Despite an excess of Italian phrases and a story that goes off-track occasionally, the characters and setting are appealing. Fans of Lorenzo Carcaterra's "Nonna Maria" mysteries might want to try this atmospheric cozy.--Lesa Holstine
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Murder threatens an Italian innkeeper's dream. To the Positanesi, Bria Bartolucci, who grew up in neighboring Ravello, might as well have been from Australia. But when her husband, Carlo, announced he was buying a bed-and-breakfast in the seaside town, Bria was swept up in his enthusiasm for the unexpected but welcome adventure. Now, a year later, Bria's on the verge of unveiling Bella Bella, although without Carlo, who was killed in a plane crash. Her determination to open despite her loss is a tribute to her love for Carlo and her desire to provide for their 8-year-old son, Marco, in her own right. (Carlo's immensely rich mother, Imperia, has already set up a trust fund that will secure Marco's future.) A week before the scheduled opening, Bria is jolted by discovering a stranger stabbed to death in one of Bella Bella's upstairs bedrooms. In a panic, she calls her friend Rosalie Vivaldi even before calling Rosalie's brother, Luca, who happens to be Positano's chief of police. Bria's closest friends rally to her side, along with her mother, Fifetta D'Abruzzo, and even the chilly Imperia. Bria, afraid that the murder will become one more reason for the larger Positanesi community to reject her, does her best to solve the case on her own. But there are many looming questions. Who is the dead stranger? How did he find his way to Bella Bella? Why was he in possession of a bag filled with counterfeit lire, a currency no longer in use? Even if these may take a village to answer, Bria's adopted home proves itself up to the challenge. A promising debut highlights the pleasures of the sunny Amalfi coast. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
