BOOK REVIEW: Murder in Venice

MURDER IN VENICE
by T.A. Williams
Available November 3

Detective/mystery author Dan Armstrong and his faithful dog Oscar have solved a number of mysteries together. As Murder in Venice begins, it looks like the sleuth may get a bit of a break. He's been invited to take part in a murder mystery dinner hosted by film and TV superstar Alice Graceland. The event will feature a number of Hollywood luminaries, but it's not a friendly gathering. The themed event is the lead-in to a planned confrontation between Alice and her Tinseltown peers, giving them an opportunity to atone for their indiscretions before her tell-all autobiography goes to print.

Unfortunately, murder seems to follow Armstrong wherever he goes, and Alice's masked murder mystery dinner in her secluded Venetian home is no exception. A very real murder takes place that night as the scripted mystery is playing out. And since Alice's guest list is made up almost exclusively of people with grudges, the culprit could be just about anyone. Before the weekend is out, more than a little dirty laundry will be aired.

In my previous Armstrong and Oscar mystery review, I noted that my only complaint was a bit of last-minute monologuing to tie up the mystery. Murder in Venice goes down much more smoothly, with exceptional pacing (especially considering the massive cast of "day players"). We also get looks in from Armstrong's own family as he introduces his fiancée to his parents... including his father, who's a bit of an amateur sleuth himself!

The "cozy" of these mysteries boils down to two things: the presence of the extremely good boy Oscar, and multiple descriptions of tantalizing Italian food and drink. While the mystery itself is strong, with multiple twists that figure into the overarching mystery, the atmosphere is where this series really stands out. If you prefer your cozy mysteries a little more sun-drenched, this is the way to go.

TEA PAIRING: Poetic Peach
While it would feel more proper to pair wine with this book, given the many Italian menus described in this book, this breezy peach tea (one of Chapters' summer selections) feels like a perfect fit. Use my code KARA15 to get 15% off this and other teas from Chapters!