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Murder Most Unfortunate: A Rick Montoya Italian Mystery    by David P. Wagner Amazon.com order for
Murder Most Unfortunate
by David P. Wagner
Order:  USA  Can
Poisoned Pen, 2015 (2015)
Hardcover, Softcover, e-Book
* *   Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth

Rick Montoya, an interpreter with his home office in Rome, has been hired to work at a conference on artist Jacopo da Bassano in Bassano del Grappa, Italy. Fulfilling his assignment turns out to be a lot easier than what follows the conference.

One of the seminar's professors is killed! And Rick is asked to interpret once again, during the questioning of the suspects, international scholars who attended the conference. Linked to the murder is the possible theft of two long missing paintings by Jacobo da Bassano, the artist who is the town's claim to fame. And, by the way, the paintings are worth a great deal of money.

Rick is able to explore Bassano and the surrounding countryside, which gives him a chance to taste the local cuisine as well as see the tourist sights. He meets Betta Innocenti (daughter of a gallery owner) whom he hopes might be in his life in the future. Some aspects of his situation appeal to him.

Unfortunately, someone seems to have placed Rick on their next-one-to-die list. Because of their growing feelings for each other, this also puts Betta at risk. They both feel that they are being watched closely.

Murder Most Unfortunate by David P. Wagner is the third in the Rick Montoya series. I truly enjoyed Rick's ambles around Bassano, which by the way, is a real town. And the surrounding towns Rick ventures to are also to be found on the map of Italy. Another good read from Poisoned Pen Press.

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