Australian Damson O’Reilly fought in the Pacific during the closing months of World War II and was part of the occupational force keeping peace in Japan after surrender. With almost no family to go home to, Damson settled in France after leaving the army. Seeking a quieter place where he can write and paint, Damson goes to Italy. In Siena, he stumbles on an auction where an abandoned old farmhouse in the countryside is on the block, for the third time. Much to Damson’s surprise, his minimal bid wins. However, when Damson arrives at his new home, he finds a dead body in the front room.
Set in the 1950s, this book combines a murder mystery, romance and the ever-popular Tuscan countryside to weave a story that was hard to put down. While the mystery drives the plot, it’s the romance that provides the most intrigue for the story. Damson’s relationships don’t follow the common romance plot arc. Without spoiling things too much, let’s just say that things don’t end up the way you may think they’re going early in the story.
If you’ve read this author’s Clyde Smith Mysteries, you’ll recognize Damson as another version of the central character of those stories, Clyde Smith. Also like that series, “The Road to Montepulciano” is set in 1950. The story is told entirely in the first person by Damson. He is a fascinating character of many talents. He writes, paints, cooks, and can fix just about anything, it seems. Over the course of the story, Damson relates how he grew up in a Catholic boy’s home, where he picked up many of his skills. It all makes him very believable.
There is a rich set of secondary characters, including Damson’s love interest(s). All the characters, even the minor ones, are well fleshed out. The story makes the people and the Italian countryside come alive. It’s the latest in a long line of books that may entice people to visit the Tuscan region.
The mystery of who is killing people and leaving their bodies scattered around the countryside is quite engrossing. In most cases, even the identities of the dead people aren’t known. However, the clues mount up and you may guess whodunit before Damson and his friends get there. This book is not the start of another series, although I could almost wish it was. The engaging characters and setting leave you wanting more, even though the epilogue of this story wraps things up neatly.
“The Road to Montepulciano” is available from Smashwords or Amazon (commissionable link).