by Lorenzo Carcaterra
A widow in her seventies, Nonna Maria has never strayed far from her home island of Ischia, off the coast of Naples, Italy. She has no phone or car or TV, is known by all for her kindness and generosity, and is an expert on local history. Nonna Maria’s real skill lies in her ability to solve problems, and when things go wrong, her fellow islanders look to her for guidance.
When a local young woman confesses that she is unsure how she wound up engaged to a stranger, Nonna Maria offers to hide the bride and look into her new fiancé’s dark and mysterious past to discover how he tricked her into the promise of marriage.
Meanwhile, Pasquale, an Ischia tour boat captain and friend to Nonna Maria has drowned while piloting his boat. The local police chief believes it was a drunken accident. Nonna Maria knows that Pasquale, a lifelong sailor, could swim regardless of being drunk on wine. She decides to look into who might benefit from the man’s early demise.
Nonna Maria’s relies on her friendships with locals, including a crime boss, a priest, and a local mechanic to help her to get to the bottom of most matters, but she also has a sixth sense that tells her when something or someone is just not quite on the level. As she investigates these dangerous characters who are willing to trick innocent women or commit murder in order to get what they want, she begins to wonder if she has taken on too much this time.
Nonna Maria is like a breath of fresh air, whose recipe for happiness includes her home brewed coffee, a glass of good wine, and sharing her delicious home-cooked meals with her neighbors and family. With Nonna Maria and the Case of the Missing Bride, Lorenzo Carcaterra has gifted readers with a delightfully cozy mystery that will leave you yearning to travel to Italy or, at the very least, eagerly awaiting the next installment in this new series.
-Carol
Read it or Weep 