Review
The Third Tuscan Cooking School Mystery
With a boyfriend basking in the glow of his recent stint as a cover model, a chef desperate for attention of his own, and a decamped sous chef, Nell Valenti is left to wrangle the Villa Orlandini Cooking School’s Ziti Variations for its latest students. Philanthropist Philip Copeland has booked the school to celebrate his mother’s eightieth birthday and the trio, Philip, his mother, and her friend, are relaxed and happy guests. There’s also another new person in town, a woman who appears to cause fear and loathing amongst her companion and townsfolk alike. A woman with an agenda who appears to be up to no good. When Nell stumbles across her dead body she learns that lots of people had reasons to kill her, but her boyfriend may have had the greatest motive of all. With her world crumbling in on her, will Nell be able to save her boyfriend, the school, and her life?
The third Tuscan Cooking School Mystery could also be titled EVIL UNDER THE TUSCAN SON. Peter making a name for himself, and the villa, unwittingly brings danger and murder. Is he trying to get out from the shadow of his famous father? Philip is the second son, perhaps the second best son, trying to do his best for his mother. Or does he have an ulterior motive? Then there are the daughters. Nell, trying to make a successful life without her parent's interference, and "la strega" daughter of the famous singer bent on wreaking havoc in Tuscany. Finding your identity apart from your family is a theme here, a concept taken on even by Annamaria.
I enjoyed the story, although I think Nell and Pete have some serious communication issues to overcome. I liked learning about the Abbey's past and the subplot of the Villa during World War II and I hope we get to see more of Sister Ippolita. I also love the friendship between Muffy and Mimi. As in the previous entries in the series there are lots of suspects with great motives, so it was fascinating to watch Nell whittle them down.
Secrets of the past and present collide in EVIL UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN creating an engrossing mystery.
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