Today I’m joining the blog tour for Murder In The Tuscan Hills. My review is written with thanks to Rachel Gilbey at Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me on the tour and to the publisher for my copy of the book.

Blurb:

A picturesque scene… 🍇

As grape harvest season rolls around, retired DCI Dan Armstrong and his beloved canine companion, Oscar, are looking forward to a nice quiet September. But when Dan is contacted about a mysterious death out in the Tuscan Hills, it seems that work must come before pleasure.

A suspicious find… 🔎

At first it appears that the body found lying outside a prestigious winery has been the result of a tragic hit and run. But then the police discover that this is a cover up for murder…but who would kill in such an idyllic spot and why?

A face from the past? 😎

As Dan investigates, he meets famous ex rock star, Digger, owner of the winery and prestigious Podere Dei Santi hotel. Digger’s guests include wealthy businessmen, tourists, and, among them, suspected mafia hitmen. But more significant for Dan is a face he knows only too well from his own past and he soon finds that wine isn’t the only thing fermenting around him.

Could this murder be the start of a gangland war, or do the killer’s motives lie much closer to home? Will complications from Dan’s past return to trouble his future? Either way, Dan and Oscar must work around the clock to solve another mystery

Review:

I can’t believe we are now on the tenth book of the Dan and Oscar series, and I honestly believe Murder In The Tuscan Hills is the best one yet! As always, TA Williams writes wonderful descriptions of the lovely Italian setting, and although I’ve never visited Tuscany before, I was taken there straight away and pulled right into the heart of the story.

The main characters of Murder In The Tuscan Hills (and indeed the whole series) are Dan and Oscar. I absolutely love these characters. Dan has a very determined and logical outlook, but he is very compassionate and I always want to see how he gets to the bottom of the often complex cases with which he assists the police. As the series has developed, he has grown closer to Anna, and I also really enjoy their story arc, and I love the way that TA Williams introduces Helen, Dan’s ex-wife, to the story this time, as it really tested their dynamic. However, Oscar is undoubtedly the star of the show and I absolutely love his intuition for people’s emotions, as well as his cheeky knack of being able to convince people to give him food wherever he goes.

Although this series is cosy crime (and it wouldn’t work any other way), I felt that Murder In The Tuscan Hills did up the stakes slightly. The plot is clever and complex, and I was just as foxed as Dan and the police team as they tried to work out who was responsible for the murders. I loved the red herrings along the way, and I had no idea who the culprit was!

I definitely hope there is more to come from Dan and Oscar soon!

Murder In The Tuscan Hills is available from Amazon.

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