Lorenzo Carcaterra brings readers back to the sun-drenched Italian island of Ischia in his charming third Nonna Maria mystery, Nonna Maria and the Case of the Lost Treasure. The titular sleuth, a widow devoted to espresso, wine, and cooking elaborate meals for her family, helps her friends solve two mysteries--a treasure hunt and a threat to a friend--which turn out to be intertwined. Carcaterra (Three Dreamers) pays tribute to his grandmother, the real-life Nonna Maria, through his fictional amateur detective's clever actions and delectable cooking.
Paolo Murino, a captain in the national Carabinieri police force, has found both love and solace on Ischia after moving there from the north eight years earlier. But someone still has it out for him. Although he correctly deduces that the first two men sent to frighten him are merely decoys, Murino knows there's a target on his back. Determined not to put Nonna Maria in danger, he warns her against getting involved, but Nonna Maria is equally determined that no one will harm her friend.
At the same time, a local young woman named Rita comes to Nonna Maria with a hand-drawn map and a question. Her recently deceased grandfather, Paolino, supposedly hid a priceless treasure in the island's network of caves, and Rita wants help in finding it. Nonna Maria, of course, knows just whom to ask: two longtime smugglers known as the Pirate and the Magician, both of whom would do anything for Nonna Maria (and her cooking). Another friend, Pepe the Painter, has spent years capturing Ischia's historic Castello Aragonese through paintings and sketches. Nonna Maria enlists his help, too, since the castle is the entry point for many of the island's caves.
Like life on the island, Carcaterra's plot moves at a leisurely pace, with occasional dramatic moments (like a fender bender and a fireworks display) and plenty of delicious meals, most of them cooked by Nonna Maria. Gangsters, both local and not, play a part; the smugglers also have a trick or two (honorable or otherwise) up their sleeves. Nonna Maria, with her ever-present black tote bag, dispenses wisdom and wine to her friends, and though the dramatic tension escalates, readers can predict correctly that the narrative will end with a celebratory feast. With wry humor and a vividly realized setting, Nonna Maria's third adventure feels both cinematic and cozy--a treat for mystery lovers and Italophiles. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams
Shelf Talker: Lorenzo Carcaterra's charming third Nonna Maria mystery follows a treasure map, a group of gangsters bent on revenge, and a cunning local widow-cum-sleuth.