Book Review: Murder at the Duomo

By Sara Steven

As the sticky heat of August settles over Florence, Dan Armstrong is ready for a well-earned break—sightseeing with fiancée Anna, daughter Tricia and her fiancé Shaun. But when a British man is found dead inside the city’s magnificent Duomo, Dan’s plans quickly change.

The victim, Tristan Angel, is a super-wealthy arms dealer with a saintly name and a devilish reputation. But what was he doing in the cathedral, and who decided to make it his final confession?

At Angel’s opulent villa in the hills of Fiesole, Dan and Commissario Virgilio encounter a colourful cast of suspects—each one hiding secrets and none too eager to talk. As tempers rise and the heat outside grows ever more intense, Dan and his four-legged sidekick, Oscar, must sniff out the truth before the killer strikes again. (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

Is this really the fourteenth book in the Armstrong and Oscar Cozy Mystery series? All of the books are great, with Murder at the Duomo yet another great addition. This time, the original plan for Dan is to spend some much-desired time with his daughter and daughter’s fiance, yet crime never stops for anything!

I like that the reader gets to learn a little bit more about Dan’s family. We’ve heard about Tricia, but it was nice to see more of her in this book, and learn that she’s engaged to be married. Dan is also engaged to Anna, which feels like it’s been a long time coming but well worth the wait. As per usual, Dan is called in to assist on a murder investigation, which is always an intricate, well-researched affair, but this time we’re given more roots to what makes Dan tick by learning more about his family. 

The synopsis mentions a colorful cast of suspects, and that is absolutely correct. Given the nature of the situation, no one can leave the villa or enter the villa, which really adds to the pressure of the environment for all of the characters involved. While reading Dan’s checklist, I follow along and create a list of my own, attempting to figure out who might be the culprit, no matter how far fetched it might be, and I found it fun that Dan also had some unbelievable ideas, especially when it involves those he knows who are closer to his neck of the woods. You never really know when an Armstrong and Oscar book is involved. 

One by one, suspects are removed, leaving behind the final answer, and as usual, it was the last person I suspected. Dan approaches his theories in a very methodical manner, and it works really well. Murder at the Duomo was a fun five-star addition to this series, and I look forward to many, many more!

Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for the book in exchange for an honest review.

Purchase Links:
Amazon US * Amazon UK * Kobo

T. A. Williams is the bestselling author of the Armstrong and Oscar cozy mystery series. He studied languages at University and lived and worked in Italy for eight years, returning to England with his wife in 1972. T.A. and his wife now live in Devon.

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