Nonna Maria and the Case of the Stolen Necklace by Lorenzo Carcaterra ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

Nonna Maria's goddaughter has been accused of stealing a very expensive necklace from a guest at the hotel she works at. Nonna Maria knows she is innocent, but how to prove it? A stolen necklace isn't the only mystery. A woman is found dead on the side of the road. No one knows who she is or why she is in Ischia. Nonna Maria thinks she might know the answer to both questions and even perhaps who killed her.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

May 2023; Bantam; 978-0593499184
audio, ebook, print (288 pages); cozy mystery

Nonna Maria and the Case of the Stolen Necklace is the second book in the Nonna Maria cozy mystery series. You don't have to read book 1 to enjoy this book, but they are quick, fun reads so you might want to read them both. Check out my review of book 1.

This series is a great read for summer. I felt like I took a little vacation every time I picked up the book. The descriptions of this small island in southern Italy made me feel like I was just there. There are also a number of mentions of coffee and wine - I don't drink coffee but I found that I wanted to pour a glass of wine while reading the story.

If you saw my Mother's Day post about memorable mothers in fiction, you saw that I included Nonna Maria on the list. I love this character. She is amusing but not in the usual quirky cozy mystery way. Yes, she has some quirks like she won't eat or drink anything except that which comes from her kitchen. She is amusing in the way mature women are when they no longer care what people think or social conventions. 

Both mysteries are interesting. The book would have been good even if the stolen necklace was the only mystery to be solved. But the murder of the woman gave us a look into Nonna Maria's past and provided background on the town.

If you are ready for a vacation but can't right now, take a book vacation with this book.

Buy Nonna Maria and the Case of the Stolen Necklace at Amazon

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour. 

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