Another murderer in town, but is it human or animal?

Synopsis

A brand-new cozy crime series set in gorgeous Tuscany…It’s murder in paradise!

A lazy weekend in the country…

Dan Armstrong and the new love of his life, Anna, are heading to a hotel deep in the gorgeous Tuscan countryside for a long weekend, looking forward to some time away from the stresses of their day jobs. With the beautiful and historic city of Siena just around the corner, it promises to be relaxing and enjoyable. What could possibly go wrong?

A mutilated body…

But when a mutilated body is discovered in the hotel grounds Dan is called in to help with the investigation. But who or what could have been responsible for such a vicious attack? Was it the work of wild animals, or is there a brutal murderer at large?

A killer who cried wolf?

Dan knows he is dealing with a clever killer – whether whether two- or four-legged! And as he sets out to solve the case he begins to worry about his own loyal canine companion. Could Oscar be in more danger than any of the other hotel guests or is a murderer trying to cover their tracks?

It’s another case for Dan and Oscar to solve!

My review

Dan and his new love Anna want to spend a relaxing weekend in Tuscany with their friends Virgilio and Lina. Of course Dan’s dog Oscar is also member of the party! With Siena nearby the two couples are looking forward to do sweet nothing and also enlighten themselves with the beauty of Siena.
But when a body is found in the hotel grounds, Dan and Virgilio cannot not help with the investigations. Especially when it appears that wolves are in the area, and the mutilation of the body suggests that a wolf indeed had been active.
However, the scientists residing in the same hotel for a gathering are adamant that wolves don’t just attack people…
So does that mean that there is a another murderer amidst them? And will he/she/it stop after the first murder? Or is anyone else at risk? 

So here we are again, a new book in the wonderful series of Dan Armstrong and his lovely four – legged friend Oscar! 

At the start of the book, I was glad to see how well Dan was doing, with his new life in Italy. Not only is he in a relationship with Anna, but also his book got published and he truly settled in the Italian way of life.
To see how a character we started to love getting everything he deserved, was very lovely indeed! 

Dan has also learnt from his mistakes, and he is adamant that his love for Anna won’t be jeopardized by his work as a private investigator, no matter how loud that call is.
He has his happiness and he knows he has to treasure it, even if it’s still a work in progress. 

This book starts somehow on a lighter level, as Dan, Anna and their friends Virgilio and Lina are planning a relaxing weekend, staying nearby Siena.
But as a reader, we obviously know that there will be nothing relaxing at all! 

When a body has been found, almost everyone is convinced it was the work of a wolf. And while that line of thought is quickly dismissed, it’s clear that the presence of wolves is a point of debate between the inhabitants and the scientists.
I liked it to see how T. A. Willams gave a voice to both views, but not pushing his own opinion to us. The wolves are nearby the hotel and they may or may not be involved with the murder(s). 

The more I got into the story, the more complicated the plot started to get. There were many (too?) obvious links pointing in one direction, but the fact that everyone, suspects and not, seemingly is keeping secrets for sure made me suspicious of everyone! Everyone who appeared was a potential culprit! 

But of course this author wouldn’t be this author if there weren’t many many lovely moments in it too! Obviously Oscar steals the scene every time, but also seeing the comradery between Dan and Virgilio was a great addition. And me liking Dan only increased in seeing how Dan wants to help Virgilio and Lina when it’s clear they’re going through a rough moment!  
And of course, seeing Dan in love with a great lady as Anna was wonderful! 

Once again T. A. Williams perfect ability of describing the scenery was spot on. And yes, I have been to Siena myself several times and it made it easier for me to visualise the place even better. But even if I would ever been there, thanks to all the details, I would have been able to imagine all those beautiful places! 

Perhaps this plot was the most complicated of the series, as there appears to be a domino – effect somehow. And for sure it was more difficult in this book to connect all the dots. Once Dan and Oscar, and their friends, figured it all out, I had my own ‘of course it was like!’ – moment.
Nevertheless, the complexity never made my enjoyment of reading this book diminish!  

T.A. Williams shows again what a talented writer he is, and his love for Italy for sure sparks from each page. No matter if he is writing a romance, or a cozy crime like this one, I will never hesitate to pick up his book and I know that for sure I will appreciate the story he has written!