Murder with an extra ‘shine’…

Synopsis

An iconic bridge… 🌉

Private investigator, Dan Armstrong, lives and works in Florence and knows the world famous Ponte Vecchio well. Usually a magnet for tourists, on this occasion it is the scene of an unexplained death, and Dan finds himself involved in the intriguing case.

An uncompromising man… 😠

Dan quickly discovers that the victim, an elderly jeweller, was every bit as hard as the diamonds he sold in his shop on the bridge. Few people liked him, not even his adult children, and his business dealings look murkier than the waters of the River Arno. Dan suspects more secrets lie hidden…perhaps inside the massive safe in the old man’s luxury villa…

A complex case. 💎🔍

As the evidence begins to mount up, so too do the suspects with their different motives. With a fortune in gold bullion and precious stones involved, Dan thinks the only way to catch the killer is to lay a trap, but might he be caught in the killer’s sights? Fortunately, he has Oscar, his canine wingman at his side, always eager to prove that he’s as good as gold. 🐶

Can Dan and Oscar sniff out the killer’s tracks or will this case be a bridge too far?

My review

Dan Armstrong truly left his former life behind and started fresh in Florence. In fact, life couldn’t get any better, as he truly loves his partner Anna, his most loyal and furry friend Oscar always by his side, and even if his new job as private investigator takes a lot of time, he manages to write rather successful books. But somehow, when there is a rather strange death that has taken place at the famous Ponte Vecchio, Dan gets involved again. And not just because the dead man has not committed suicide like it would appear on first sight, but has been murdered, but because that same man asked for Dan’s help. And now, not only Dan finds himself helping the police forces again to find out the truth, but he also discovers that the victim was known in the world of diamonds, and thus a lot of money is involved. Throughout his investigations, Dan is trying to unravel the truth, while at the same time more deaths are taking place and even his closest friends are carrying a burden that may be part of a for now unknown greater picture…

Here we are again, writing down our thoughts about the newest instalment of a series that we absolutely love. And I am talking in plural, because I believe that many readers are sharing my opinion 😊

I have read every book of this series, from the very start with Dan falling in love with Florence to and slowly finding a new place to call home. Because let there be no doubts about the, with each book, Dan is finding more at home in Florence, with a great dog in Oscar, many loyal friends and has even found love again in the process.

However, I am truly getting a bit worried about the people living or just visiting Florence, as once again, in this book, there are some body counts taking place! And not only that, but at one point, I even got worried about a beloved character in the series too!

I don’t know how Dan always finds himself involved in cases that are never straightforward. Why can a murder not be easy to solve? How come that Dan finds himself somehow working once again with the Italian forces to discover what happens? And how come that it is even very risky for Dan’s life to be investigating?

This time, Dan is being hired by the victim (or rather, victims), and that brings him in the world of jewellery, and diamonds to be more specific. I was even more intrigued as usual, as there is a minor link with Antwerp, a city not even 100 kilometres from my home.

Now, of course this is a cozy mystery, and beside the heavy, difficult investigation, there is aplenty of room for lightness, and even to show the strength of friendship. And obviously, there is always a special spotlight for Oscar, showing everyone that he is more than ‘just’ a dog! If there would be a time that Dan cannot have Oscar anymore, can I please adopt him? I promise I will love him more than I already do now! 😊

I have to say though, that Anna is for sure proving to be Dan’s perfect match. The patience and understanding of that woman! I don’t know if many women would put up with Dan’s profession and his spurs of the moments!

Of course it was a delight to return to Florence again, seeing my good old friends again, even if I knew that once again murder(s) would be taken place. And I have to admit, this book was perhaps more intricated, as there initially are several things taking place, without a common thread between them. But the more I was reading, the more the bigger picture became clear to me.

T A Williams made me truly feel like being physically back in Florence, he managed perfectly to make his readers understand the Italian way of life, but also making his readers think in one direction, only to make them realize later on that their (or rather, mine) thoughts were just wrong.

I absolutely enjoyed this latest instalment of the series, showing even more layers of Dan throughout his investigations. But we also saw once again the loyalty of Oscar. Could there possibly be a time where I do get bored and tired of this series? Honestly, I don’t think so! 😊