Retired Met DCI Dan Armstrong is back for his 14th Italian adventure – accompanied as always by his trusty Labrador sidekick, Oscar. This fabulous cosy series has taken us all around Italy, from North to South, to the islands… but this tale takes place closer to Dan’s adopted home in Tuscany.
When a wealthy Englishman is found shot inside a confessional in the Duomo, Dan is called in to assist. Things escalate quickly when the victim is revealed to be Tristan Angel, former army Major and now CEO of a company dealing in arms. While most of the business is legitimate/government sanctioned, such a high profile murder is likely to draw the attention of national police and secret services. Meanwhile, the spectre of the seedier side of arms dealing looms large over the case.
A murdered arms dealer is a difficult victim for readers to sympathise with, but the writing focuses on the relationships between the victim and his inner circle, all of whom are staying at the company villa near Florence, and I enjoyed learning more about each and uncovering their motives for wanting Angel dead.
Oscar the lab definitely needs a pay rise!
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