Book number 14 in the Armstrong and Oscar cozy mystery series is set in Florence’s famous Duomo. This amazing medieval masterpiece (real name: the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore) with its unmistakable dome has been rightly designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
I have a particular affection for the Duomo because many years ago when I lived and worked in Italy my place of work was immediately behind the cathedral. This meant that I walked past its stunning green, pink and white marble facade every day. I’ve seen it in the snow, I’ve seen it in the rain and I’ve seen it on swelteringly hot Tuscan summer days. It never ceases to delight.
Murder at the Duomo begins with the discovery of a body inside the Duomo and this leads Dan and his friend Virgilio to a luxury villa in picturesque Fiesole overlooking the city of Florence. Inside the villa they find a dozen people who knew the victim, but the trouble for Dan and Virgilio is a lack of motive. Who could possibly have wanted to commit the murder?
It’s high summer and the temperature is scorching hot. Dan and Virgilio, aided by the inquisitive investigative nose of Oscar the Labrador, have a tough job on their hands getting to the bottom of yet another mystery set in beautiful Tuscany.
And as if that weren’t enough to keep Dan occupied, his fiancée, Anna, and his daughter, Tricia, are both planning weddings. Choosing the right wedding venues proves to be every bit as stressful as a murderer investigation.
Hope you enjoy the book, and please do let me know what you think.