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Nonna Maria and the Case of the Stolen Necklace
Nonna Maria and the Case of the Stolen Necklace: A Novel | Lorenzo Carcaterra
2 posts | 2 read | 1 to read
Nonna Maria, one of the most charming amateur sleuths ever created (Tess Gerritsen), sets out to clear her goddaughters name and uncover the checkered past of an unidentifiable victim in this transporting mystery from #1 New York Times bestselling author Lorenzo Carcaterra. Nonna Maria has a lot on her plateand its not just fresh pasta. Two crimes have rocked the sun-drenched island of Ischia, and once again, the islands denizens have called upon the espresso-brewing, sage-counsel-giving sleuth. A wealthy woman alleges that a valuable necklace has been stolen from her hotel room. The necklace, she claims, has been in her family for decades. She blames one of the young women working on the cleaning crew as the most likely suspecta young woman who turns out to be Nonna Marias goddaughter. She takes the heat, but privately she proclaims her innocence. Nearby, the body of a woman is found on a curved road near the borough of Barano. The woman is not known to anyone on the island. She has no purse, no identification. The one potential suspect is a young friend of Nonna Marias who drove by the area that very night and thinks that he might have hit somethinga pothole, or an animal, or maybe the woman in question. It turns out that this woman has a history on the island, having left Ischia decades ago. But why did she return, and more important, who killed her? Like the links of a beautiful, missing necklace, its up to Nonna Maria to string together the clues and solve these two mysteries before death comes to Ischia again.
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Preciouz29
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I think I loved book 2 more than I loved book 1; this visit I already know a lot of the characters and feel like I‘m part of Ischia observing daily life. One of the mysteries isn‘t hard to figure out, but it‘s nice to see how it all comes together. Or rather, apart. As for the other, it was a sad tale, but gripping all the same.

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robinb
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Mehso-so

This is 2nd in series and my first to read, but it was fairly easy to follow. Nonna Maria is an octogenarian living on her beloved island of Ischia near Naples. She is a local legend, a friend to all and helps solve the occasional crime. There are actually two here. Her goddaughter, a hotel maid, is accused of stealing a guest‘s valuable necklace, and a native woman returns decades later and ends up murdered. I liked this one to a point, but ⬇️

robinb did have some frustration with it. Nonna Maria is almost too perfect and appears to solve cases effortlessly with the help of her legions of friends and family. How she has time to cook elaborate 4-course meals every day for others (since I don‘t think she eats much at all…I‘m serious) is a mystery in itself. While I enjoyed the island descriptions, it was a bit hard to keep her friends/family straight, ⬇️ 12mo
robinb and as far as the mysteries, nothing earth shattering there. The writing felt too simplistic, and the exchanges between characters too formal. It really just wasn‘t that compelling to me. 3/5⭐️ 12mo
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