Murder Most Unfortunate: a Rick Montoya Italian Mystery

Publisher Marketing: Winding up an interpreter job in Bassano del Grappa at a conference on artist Jacopo da Bassano, a famous native son, Rick Montoya looks forward to exploring the town. And it would be fun to look into the history of two long-missing paintings by the master, a topic that caused the only dust-up among the normally staid group of international scholars attending the seminar. Bassano has much to offer to Rick the tourist, starting with its famous covered bridge, an ancient castle, and several picturesque walled towns within striking distance. He also plans to savor a local cuisine that combines the best of Venice with dishes from the Po Valley and the surrounding mountains. These plans come to a sudden halt when one of the seminar's professors turns up dead. Rick is once again drawn into a murder investigation, this time with a pair of local cops who personify the best and the worst of the Italian police force. At the same time he's willingly pulled into a relationship with Betta Innocenti, the daughter of a local gallery owner, who is equally intrigued by the lost paintings. They quickly realize that the very people who might know the story are also the main suspects in the murder and that someone not above resorting to violence is watching their every move." Review Citations: Kirkus Reviews 09/01/2015 (EAN 9781464204340, Hardcover) Publishers Weekly 09/21/2015 pg. 54 (EAN 9781464204340, Hardcover) Booklist 10/15/2015 pg. 22 (EAN 9781464204340, Hardcover) Kirkus Reviews 09/01/2015 pg. 47 (EAN 9781464204364, Paperback) Publishers Weekly 09/21/2015 (EAN 9781464204364, Paperback) Booklist 10/15/2015 pg. 22 (EAN 9781464204364, Paperback) Contributor Bio:  Wagner, David David P. Wagner is the author of Cold Tuscan Stone, the first Rick Montoya Italian Mystery. While serving in the diplomatic service he spent nine years in Italy where he learned to love things Italian, many of which appear in his writing. He and his wife live in New Mexico.