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srivalli 's review for:
Murder in Portofino
by T.A. Williams
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
3.8 Stars
One Liner: A quick and easy read
Dan Armstrong decides to take a short holiday with his girlfriend Anna and plans a trip to Portofino. The tiny seaport village is quite popular and brimming with tourists. Turns out even the British celebs are holidaying there and enjoying on a luxurious yacht.
However, all is not well, and soon there is a dead body on the shore. Is it an accident or a murder? Seems Dan will have to get back on the job even during his holidays.
The story comes in Dan’s first-person POV.
My Thoughts:
Who doesn’t live a virtual tour of Italy for free of cost? That’s what I enjoy with this series. And of course, there’s food and murder. We visit the tiny but busy port village of Portofino and meet some British TV celebs with a never-ending supply of alcohol.
Dan is certainly more mindful about not letting his detective instincts take over his life and affect his relationship with Anna. But then, it is a part of who he is, so how long can he really stay away from solving a crime?
Oscar (black Labrador) does what he always does – eat, sleep, get pampered by ladies, and help Dan in unlikely ways. Anna has more presence in this one. Her mixed feelings about the cases come across well, and she is quite mature (or so it seems so far).
The mystery is intriguing. In fact, we have three threads (maybe even four). Two of them connect at a certain point, though you’ll have to read and find out whether they affect the other two or not.
We meet yet another police officer in this book. They have a different department for crimes in the waters. Dan sure manages to find friendly investigating officers most of the time (with exceptions, of course). It sure makes things easier if not always realistic. However, one can’t help but wonder how much better it would be if this happened often in real life.
There’s quite a bit of questioning and discussing about motives and secrets. However, the case is straightforward. The reveal is logical but felt a little too easy even for a cozy mystery. But since the entire mystery is solved in less than three days, I’m not complaining.
To summarize, Murder in Portofino is a quick and light read with beautiful destinations, great food, some sleuthing, and Oscar’s antics. It should work well as a standalone.
Thank you, Rachel's Random Resources and Boldwood Books, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
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