Between fighting a cold and attending jury duty, I opted for Adriana Licio’s “An Italian Village Mystery Series.” “Murder on the Road” was book one.
After years traveling, Giovanna Brando has returned to the charming seaside area known as Maratea. Gio hopes to recover from a disastrous relationship and restart her writing career. As expected, not much stays secret in Maratea.
Early one morning, Gio plans to run an errand in the next town. Summer wildfires and recent rains have caused a landslide to close the highway just outside of town, so travelers park on either side of the damage, walk across and either take the bus, a scooter or alternate means the rest of the way down the coast.
Soon one of Raimondo Rivello’s construction companies will reconstruct the road and add barriers to future landslides. Until then, the locals take it in stride.
This morning, Gio noticed Mrs. Rivello’s big car parked beneath the landslide overhang, and there is a massive boulder on top of the car. Gio knows the driver is dead, and she assumes it is Mrs. Rivello. Mr. Rivello arrives and soon clarifies that the dead woman is his assistant, Elena.
When authorities check the hillside, they note that this was no accident. Gio’s keen eye and endless curiosity put her in the middle of a murder investigation where everyone is a potential suspect.
Agnese owns a small perfumery in Maratea. She has stayed put while her sister Gio traveled the world, yet they share a strong bond. Agnese has a knack for helping customers choose the right products. This one may need a lipstick that emboldens them to act. That one may need a scent that adds confidence and another may need a nudge to express his interest in an equally shy woman; Agnese finds a way to make all these things happen. Some say that she works magic, but Agnese just lets the customer’s needs lead the way.
After the death of Elena, Gio and Agnese note that the head of the local police seems too focused on one scenario, so they join forces with local deputy Paolo to look at all possibilities. The three friends know that local gossip will glean for more information than any formal questioning.
With a bit of help from Granny, they learn that Elena was not well-liked and could be cruel to other employees. Mrs. Rivello is a difficult boss who likes to use people’s mistakes to control them. Andrea is a good architect, but she has something on him, too. Carlo is juggling several lovers.
When Gio tries to interview old Antonio, she discovers he is dead, too. As the police investigate, she finds a path from his property directly to where the boulder had been dislodged.
Things begin to fall into place, leading to a resolution to the mystery. In the end, little Maratea is safe once again and village life can carry on as it has for centuries.
AT A GLANCE
Book: “Murder on the Road” (Italian Village Mysteries, Book 1)
Author: Kate P. Adams
Publisher: The Home Travellers Press
Year published: 2019
Number of pages: 284
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