Rick Montoya has moved from New Mexico to Rome, embracing the life of a translator. He’s settling in to la dolce vita when a school friend who is now senior in the Italian Art Squad recruits Rick for an unofficial undercover role. Armed with a list of galleries, suspects, and an expense account, Rick would arrive in Tuscany posing as a buyer for a Santa Fe gallery and flush out burial urn … urn traffickers.
But before sunset on Rick’s first day in Volterra, a gallery employee dies in a brutal fall from a high cliff.
The local Commissario and his team consider Rick an amateur, and worse, a foreigner. And now they suspect him in the dead man’s murder. While the Volterra squad pursues its leads, Rick continues to interview his list: a museum director, a top gallery owner, a low-profile import/export businessman and his enterprising color-coordinated assistant, and a sensuous heiress with a private art specialty and clientele.
When Rick’s girlfriend Erica arrives from Rome to visit him, she rekindles a friendship with an alluring, maybe dangerous, acquaintance. Has Rick’s role made him the target of both cops and criminals?
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Hard to put down. I enjoyed it very much.
This was a nice mystery, full of descriptions of Tuscany and the Italian way. The protagonist was likeable and the suspects were varied. I would have liked a map! It was easily put-down-able. I guess I would call it not compelling.
This was a group read and I will try book two to see if there was improvement in adding some suspense.
Excellent book – interesting plot with intriguing twists and turns. The setting in Tuscany was right on the button, and gave a good feel for what it’s like to be there. The protagonist was a very engaging character – I’d like to see more of him!
It is an ok read, just not my kind of story. It has intrigue.
This book was slow at the beginning. Didn’t really get going until almost end of the book. Had a lot of detail I wasn’t interested in.
The setting is so beautifully written about and captured, you can forgive the story being a bit lacking.
Italia
The regions of Italy held my attention throughout this book. The food, the wine, the artifacts, not necessarily in that order, is interesting to any traveler.
Couldn’t get into it.
Rather boring.
Not myk type of story.
It was a little slow for me. The main character was almost trying to be a police officer, but with no training, just his instincts. The descriptions of the scenery and towns were wonderful. I felt that the main character did some dumb and dangerous things when stalking out on his own.
The author shows promise of abilities that will grow sharper and stronger over time.
Since I was an Art History minor in college, this book with references to Etruscan history fit the bill!
Very slow read
The author painted a dim view of American tourists abroad. Described them as
county bumpkins, not very bright, and just there so Italians could take their money.
It was a bit slow and somewhat laborious to read.
Very wording, sometimes two many details, hard to keep reading put down several times
Good story
Liked the story and the underlying facts
It didn’t hold my interest.