Murder in Chianti by Camilla Trinchieri

(3. - 1118.) Murder in Chianti by Camilla Trinchieri - It is early fall in the Tuscan countryside. The tomatoes have ripened. Nico Doyle, formerly of New York, is renting a small house. Life should be good but he is alone. His wife Rita has died and he is adrift. With nothing to keep him in New York the ex-homicide detective has come to live near Rita’s hometown of Gravigna. Finding a man just shot to death close to his house is a complication to his new life.

Salavatore Perillo, Mareschiallo dei Carabinieri, leads the investigation. He puts up a confident front he will soon solve the crime. Inside, he is uneasy. His only previous murder case was simple. This investigation will be complex. His young assistant, Daniele, is inexperienced. Might the newcomer from America be helpful?

The Italians are confounded that the murder victim, a man of mature years, is wearing gold coloured sneakers. No Italian man would wear them.

Nico is living a simple life. He works on his house. He helps out at the restaurant owned by Rita’s family. He contributes a new dish featuring fresh tomatoes.

Nico’s departure from the NYPD was forced. He has no inclination to explain why.

Mornings start for Nico with a visit to a cafe where he buys coffee and fresh cornetti for himself and Gogol, a simple man in his 70’s, who has memorized Dante’s The Divine Comedy and often replies to questions with a quote in the Old Italian of the original. I was reminded of Laurie R. King’s book, To Play the Fool, in which a character, Brother Erasmus, speaks only in quotes from the Bible or Shakespeare.

There is an air of melancholy about Nico. Being invited to be an unofficial aide in the murder investigation gives him some unexpected purpose.

Everyone has past regrets, events and relationships that have been buried. It is clear the motive for murder is not current.

Everyone has struggles with moving ahead in life. For the younger, such as Stella the young cousin of Rita, there are the uncertainties of a first love and whether to stay or leave a home with centuries of family history. For the older, such as Nico, there are the bonds to a lost, deeply loved spouse.

Salvatore is a proud man of modest origins in southern Italy. He strives to live up to his name - “the one who saves”.

The trio of Nico, Salvatore and Daniele bond over a fine meal cooked by Nico. They pursue information diligently. Tourists are uneasy about unsolved murder. With 20,000 tourists arriving in the area for the Chianti Expo, pressure from above is building on Salvatore.

Salvatore uses his status and easy charm to question witnesses. Daniele uses his computer skills to search out information. Nico, while a new arrival, is a good listener and residents, reticent at best with the police, are alittle freer in their conversations around him.

Not all secrets should be shared. Gogol tells Nico:

“Let us both have the courage of silence.”

The book has an interesting pace. It is not leisurely. It is not a rush to the end. It is a relaxed journey. The pace fits the Tuscan setting. Its residents work hard but take the time to shop, visit, share a coffee, cook and savour meals.

It is a good book. I expect I will read the second in the series. In the outsider, Nico, coming to rural Italy I was reminded of Going to Beautiful with the visitors, Jake and Baz, from Toronto going to the countryside in Saskatchewan.