NONNA MARIA and the CASE of the MISSING BRIDE by Lorenzo Carcaterra

'Nonna Maria and the Case of the Missing Bride' by Lorenzo Carcaterra, published in 2022 by Bantam, is a cozy mystery set on the island of Ischia off the coast of the Italian mainland. The main character is Nonna Maria, an elderly widow and Italy's answer to Miss Jane Marple. Like Jane, Nonna Maria is a friend to many of the residents on the island and someone they all turn to when there is trouble brewing, and the local police can't seem to help. 

When one of her close friends is murdered, Maria steps in to help the local carabinieri (police), Captain Murino, solve the murder and, hopefully, prevent the possible murder of Anna, a lifelong islander and the daughter of another friend. Anna is newly engaged to Andrea, a less-than-savory character with a previous marriage and a past that raises more questions than he's willing to answer. Maria steps in to help when Anna confides that she's afraid of her fiance.

Nonna Maria is one cagey grandma, as she brings a cast of characters she counts as friends to help her resolve one murder and hopefully prevent another. The story moves quickly and is one I thoroughly enjoyed. This is it if anyone is looking for a good mystery that isn't grizzly. This is the first book by Mr. Carcaterra to introduce this excellent character, and I hope she will reappear in future books by this author.

My Personal Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐