Book Review: Nonna Maria and the Case of the Case of the Missing Bride by Lorenzo Carcaterra

Nonna Maria and the Case of the Missing Bride is a cozy mystery that takes place on the small island of Ischia off the coast of Italy. The main character Nonna Maria is an unlikely sleuth and friend to the island residents.

Nonna Maria is an elderly widow who has gained the trust of many people on the island of Ischia and they often come to her for help instead of the local police (carabinieri). In this novel, a young woman finds herself engaged to a man she barely knows after a night out where her memories get blurry. She needs Nonna Maria’s help getting out of the engagement and fears that she was a victim of “La Fattura” an herb that is rumored to make someone easily susceptible to a hasty engagement. One of Nonna Maria’s own children was almost a victim and she’s very aware of the trap so she readily agrees to help. While Nonna Marie works with a local police captain on Anna’s situation the news comes in that a friend and local tour boat operator (Pasquale) was found drowned after apparently falling off his boat drunk. Nonna Maria knows that he is way too good of a boat captain to go out like this and starts her own investigation. The reader follows along as Nonna Maria gathers up sources, leads and help from friends and family all over the island to solve both Anna’s predicament and Pasquale’s death. Even though she has no training in detective work she uses her knowledge of human behavior and a keen understanding of the people of Ischia to get to the bottom of both.

The whole time I was reading this I just wanted Nonna Maria to be my grandma, mentor or neighbor. She is wise and funny and only a stupid criminal would underestimate her. I loved reading the beautiful descriptions of the island, food, wine and espresso. You can clearly tell that the author is very familiar with the island and the culture. I also enjoyed the side characters and how Nonna Maria was able to help all of them without it feeling like charity (but also setting up a future where she might need to ask for her own favor).
I was happy to see that this is just the start of a series and I can’t wait to see what she gets wrapped up into next.

I highly recommend this for readers that enjoy mysteries with amateur detectives and crime fiction without a lot of violence or gore.
Four stars

Momma Maria is everyone’s dream of a doting, loving adult who teaches you the important things in life which you realize will after the fact. This second book featuring Nonna Maria by Lorenzo Carcattera is every bit as enjoyable as the first and #nonnamariaandthemissingbride gives us more insight into the whole setting of Ischia and the way of life there. Thanks to #netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this ahead of publication and this review is my own.

Noted author, Carcaterra, best known for his gripping stories from his life, such as Secrets, realized his own grandmother, Nonna Maria, would be a perfect subject for a mystery. His fictional Nonna Maria, is the official 'grandmother' to all the residents living on Ischia, an island located off the coast of Naples. Who better to listen to your troubles? The priest who might judge, or the Nonna who will pour you an espresso and listen with caring ear.

Into Nonna's home comes a young bride to be. One who is beyond reluctant and yet feels she 'should' marry this stranger to the island. Nonna, who understands love from all sides is quick to provide an elegant solution. But what of the death of a sailor who drunk or sober knows the waters almost better than the fish? Her good friend Captain Murino, thinks it is an accidental drowning. Nonna thinks otherwise. Filled with the authentic touches from someone who knows the life on Ischia, Carcaterra has created a free-spirited protagonist, who this reader hopes, will have a long life in a series of cozies. I knew nothing of this area of the world before beginning the novel. By the end I was ready to book a ticket on the next plane to Italy. A charming summer read.

Full disclosure: I received the ARC from netgalley and Random House in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you for this opportunity.

Nonna Maria and the Case of the Missing Bridge by Lorenzo Carcaterra. Pub Date: May 3, 2022. Rating: 3.5 stars. I love a good cozy mystery and this book was no exception. Nonna Maria lives on the island of Ischia, where she is a warm and welcoming presence as well as a type of sleuth. Years of experience and living give Nonna Maria an advantage in this novel and reading about her makes you want to go visit and sit to discuss life with her. That is what happens when a young female feels she has made a mistake and wishes to not marry the man she is engaged to all the while a body washes upon the shore and Nonna Maria has to work to solve that mystery as well. This book was a breath of fresh air in the cozy mystery genre and I highly recommend taking on the wisdom of Nonna Maria for a feel good mystery. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review. #randomhouse #netgalley #nonnamariaandthecaseofthemissingbride

3 ½ stars

This is a gently paced traditional mystery…a lovely escape for readers from their daily strife. It matches the pace of life on an island. I love the island setting, and author Carcaterra paints the environment in detail.

Nonna Maria is known by all on the island of Ischia, and she knows all about the residents. If you need advice or help, Nonna is there for you. When young bride-to-be Anna has reservations about her fiancé, Nonna agrees to tuck Anna away somewhere safe while she investigates the groom. Meanwhile, a seasoned boat captain has drowned, and neither Nonna nor the police Captain Murino think his death was an accident.

Nonna Maria is a charming, well drawn character. Captain Marino is also engaging. However, while I enjoyed the other characters, they are mostly shallow sketches with not much depth.

I enjoyed NONNA MARIA AND THE CASE OF THE MISSING BRIDE but did not love it as much as I anticipated. Recommended to fans of traditional mysteries looking for a more mature amateur sleuth and (to me) exotic locale.

I received an ARC of this title from Bantam Books and voluntarily shared my thoughts here.

NONNA MARIA AND THE CASE OF THE MISSING BRIDE
Lorenzo Carcaterra
https://bit.ly/3nWnx6o
Cozy Mystery

When a woman comes to Nonna Maria afraid of her fiancé and a man ends up drowned, Nonna Maria is on the case.

This book has some really unique features. Not only does it has mystery that we all crave. It also talks about small town life and Nonna Maria’s wonderful cooking too. It is fast paced enough to keep you interested but kind of laid back at the same time. This was definitely a five star read for me. So have a snack, grab the book, and be prepared to enjoy.

Nonna Maria has been called the Sherlock Holmes of Ischia, where she has lived her entire life. Ischia is a beautiful island in the Gulf of Naples. Nonna Maria says that she does not solve crimes, she helps friends when they are in trouble.

This really was a lovely, enchanting, gentle read. The descriptions of Ischia and of Nonna Maria's walks through town bring you there with her. Yes, there was a murder and yes there were " bad guys" but Nonna Maria's calm demeanor, knowledge of generations of people who lived on the island, she can lay the best of strategies to do what must be done for justice to be served. I loved Nonna Maria and would love to be in her kitchen talking and drinking her strong coffee. This really is a feel good mystery and I do hope there is another Nonna Maria book.
Thanks to NetGalley, Random House and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book

This is a beautifully written book by Lorenzo Carcaterra. I liked the detailed descriptions and most of all, I loved Nonna. She reminded me of my grandmother.

Nonna Maria knows everyone on the island of Ischia. She knows who to talk to when something needs to be done. She can also ask dangerous people questions and worry about her safety. This is a lovely mystery that is solved by Nonna Maria by visiting with neighbors and friends. Lovely descriptions of food and the Island. I will recommend to my Mother and to other gentle mystery readers.

Nonna lives on an island and knows almost everyone. She picks up on the things happening by listening to other people. She and the police chief are friends, and she helps solve cases. She helps anyone who needs it.
Banta and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you). It has been published and you can get a copy now.

She's trying to help a young woman avoid her marriage since she thinks she was drugged. To do this, she asks for help from various sources. The police chief chief's sister had married the same man and she died in an accident. He's willing to help.

Then an old man dies in the water, and he was an excellent sea captain. She gets his first mate to tell her what happened and then she goes to man who used to be a drug boss and asks for his help.

The story is interesting and at the end she's off on another adventure...

I found myself really enjoying this book. I loved Nonna Maria. She is a unique character ... mother, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt ... She quietly goes about her day getting involved in situations in which she simply “helps” her family and friends. Her character is well developed and I found myself admiring her intelligence, her quiet strength, the way she encouraged those who needed it, and her ability to ask for help to accomplish her tasks. I enjoyed the description of the town, the people and their lifestyle. This was a good read and the author’s writing style flowed easily and kept me invested in the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Nonna Maria is the kind of character that allows the reader to forget that they are reading fiction; she is so vibrant, and so compelling a personality that you want to hop on a plane to seek her out. And, to hope she i vites you in for a cup of her famous coffee.

I took a break from reading to have lunch, but was reluctant to put this great story and delightful book down.
I hope this is the first of many Nonna Maria novels.

Netgalley provided me a copy of this book in exchange for a candid review.

My review has nothing on the book as a whole, I just couldn't keep interest in the story, still learning my tastes in material. I was asked to read this title and I didn't have any ARCs at the time so I took a chance, but there just wasn't enough to keep my attention.

Nonna Maria and the Case of the Missing Bride is a delightful cozy mystery novel that I am hoping turns into a series.

Nonna Maria lives on the island of Ischia and is the person everyone goes to when they need help. In fact, they go to her more often than going to the police because she is so effective at helping to settle disputes, solve problems, and help in whatever way she is needed.

Anna finds herself engaged to a man she barely knows. She thinks she may have been drugged and is unsure what to do next. Nonna Maria has a solution to the problem, and all she needs is for Anna to trust her.

Pasquale has been a tour guide on the island for many years and along with his first mate Buonopana, has been successfully making a living. However, Pasquale goes missing and no one can determine what happened to him. All fingers are pointing at Buonopana, but Nonna Maria has other ideas.

With the help of a unique mixture of friends, Nonna Maria gets to the bottom of both mysteries along with solving some other problems.

I loved everything about this novel. The setting was perfect, the characters were so unique with their own contribution to the story, and Nonna Maria made me smile and laugh and love her from the very beginning.

I cannot wait to read some of the author's backlist and cannot wait for what he writes next.

I voluntarily received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Random House. All views expressed are simply my honest opinion.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

Never underestimate the strength and wisdom of an older woman!

Nonna Maria has been around long enough to know everybody and everything going on in her small Italian town. It is well known that people come to her for advice and help with their problems. Discretion is Nonna Maria's greatest asset. She is perceptive and talented enough to solve crimes that might otherwise go unpunished.

I would love to read future Nonna Maria mysteries.

A lovely and surprising book, filled with surprises and intrigue. This is the first time I have read anything by this author, but I'm now a fan!

This was a wonderful book. I am very glad I took a chance on it. The world was exquisitely detailed and made me long for my own Italian grandmother that passed away many years ago. Nonna Maria is a widow, and a grandmother who helps anyone in need, and much like all Italian grandmothers, knows everyone and everything. In this book Nonna Maria is helping a soon to be bride who doesn’t remember how she became engaged to a man she hardly knows, but while investigating this mystery she inserts herself into the death of her good friend, a boat captain. All signs point to an accident, but Nonna doesn’t buy that. Was it foul play? I really enjoyed this book and the detailed scenery, the mystery(ies) almost took a back burner. But I will check out more from this author, especially if Nonna Maria makes another appearance.

I read this book slowly and enjoyed every page. I loved Nona Maria and how helps those in trouble. She is very good at sleuthing.
Many thanks to Random House and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Solid 3 stars for a different type of cozy mystery. Nonna Maria is essentially the town’s matriarch who knows and sees all, but more importantly, is trusted by all. When she’s approached by a young woman to help her get out of her wedding day, Nonna Maria understands why and saves the day. There is a dual mystery that seems unrelated except that it’s neatly tied together in the end. The mystery was quick and easy to read and it makes me want to travel to an Italian island, enjoying the good life.

Nonna Maria and the Case of the Missing Bride is a delightfully rustic island cozy mystery with a wonderful octogenarian protagonist, a whimsical cast of secondary characters and a very well constructed story by Lorenzo Carcaterra. Released 3rd May 2022 by Penguin Random House on their Bantam imprint, it's 272 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.

This was such a relaxing and enjoyable read. It's redolent of the setting, with the local cuisine and lifestyle pace and rhythms of the island of Ischia off the coast of Naples and the charming and intelligent chief protagonist, Nonna Maria. Everyone knows her and she knows everyone and their extended family histories and interrelationships, so she's naturally sought out for advice and help when the locals don't need or want to go to the carbinieri.

In some ways this reminded me of the pacing and atmosphere of the Bruno, Chief of Police, novels or Guido Bernetti, or even Bannalec's excellent Georges Dupin novels. The pacing is similar, the storytelling unhurried, but it's not at all derivative. The mysteries small and large entwine closer to a surprisingly tense climax and denouement.

Nonna Maria herself, though age and craftiness comparisons will surely be made to Miss Marple, strikes me as tough, resilient, and resourceful and more compassionate than Christie's inimitable sleuth who could be cold as ice and brilliantly calculating. I found Nonna Maria thoroughly likeable and wonderfully warm and really enjoyed the denouement and resolution. I'm looking forward to more from this capable author featuring this island setting and these appealing characters.

Four and a half stars. Very well done.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.