This was the first in the Bria Bartolucci series that I have read, but Mr. Falco does a good job on catching new readers up on who our protagonist is and her past experience with investigating a mystery. Bria and her son live in Positano, Italy, where she runs a bed and breakfast. The details of the town and the setting were lovely and atmospheric and immerse the reader in a small tourist town on the Amalfi Coast. The cast of secondary characters is quite large: Bria's parents, her mother-in-law, the policeman she is very attracted to, the general manager of her inn whom she is also attracted to, her friends, a nun at her son's school--and I haven't even introduced the suspects and the victim yet. Bria's friend who own a cafe is delighted to host the filming of a cooking show, hopeful that the free publicity will help hers and the other local businesses. But no one expects good publicity when the chef dies live on air. There are a lot of characters with separate storylines, and many don't have an obvious connection to the victim. The way author weaves them in at times seemed a little farfetched and coincidental. This was, in my opinion, a passable read. It didn't leave me on tenterhooks wondering who the killer was (I found that fairly easy to guess), and everyone's physical beauty and the money the main characters seem to have was a little off-putting for this reader. Others may find escaping into that world relaxing and the perfect fantasy. I'm giving this a grade of C+/B-.

This just didn't work for me [even though I had hoped for more after my lackluster read of book 1], but alas no. I will not be reading anymore of this series.

Thank you to NetGalley, Michael Falco, and Kensington Publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This started off slow in the beginning. It’s a cost mystery so it was a nice palate cleanser compared to some of my other reads lately. It was also very straightforward and direct in the writing style.0

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Murder in an Italian Cafe is the second book in the Bria Bartolucci Mystery series. As with the first book in the series, Murder in an Italian Village, the setting and characters are key in the charm of Murder in an Italian Cafe. The pace of the book is nice, not rushed at all. It allows the reader to really take in all the aspects of the mystery and the storyline. Murder in an Italian Cafe made me feel like I was in Italy instead of my living room. The writing is beautiful and intelligent, simply delightful!

The author has taken us back to Positano and Bria’s beautiful B&B. I love reading about Positano and all about Italy. This is a cosy murder mystery. I loved the bond between Bria and Luca. Both of them are my favourite characters. The mystery is connected with Lugo’s suspenseful death. He was going to film his new television series but things turn upside down when he is found dead. The mystery was twisted and loved Bria’s investigation. The investigation is spot on, suspense stays till the end and this is the kind of book that will completely grip you. Loved the epilogue. Loved how the author unveiled the truth with secrets and mystery.

Thanks to the Publisher and author.

I found Murder in an Italian Cafe a little slow but the character's were interesting and fun, the plot was enjoyable and the town, Positano on the Amalfi Coast is one of the most beautiful places in Italy that I have been lucky enough to visit.

I would of liked to have read the first one in this series, first, but in saying that this book was enjoyable, with a 3 and a half star rating from me.

Michael Falco’s A Murder in an Italian Café is a cosy mystery that combines the charm of Italy with a suspenseful narrative. The novel centers around a murder in an Italian café, unraveling a complex web of secrets, deception, and intrigue.

The setting in Positano is one of the book’s standout elements. Falco vividly brings the Italian streets to us and you will almost feel the aroma of espresso.

If you need some light mystery murder with a touch of comedy - this book is for you.
This book is full of italian phrases and, thanks to my months of italian learning on duolingo, my brain read most of this book with a slight italian accent - that was fun!

I believe this book can easily be read as a standalone but I wished I had read A Murder in an Italian Village before reading this one. I wanted to feel more connected with the characters and I believe that would have helped me.
Nonetheless, this is a fun light read!

Murder in an Italian Cafe by Michael Falco is a cozy mystery set in Positano, Italy. I really liked the characters in this book: widowed Bria our FMC, her bestie Rosalie, and Rosalie's brother Luca, the chief of police and Bria's ardent admirer. There is Bria's mother-in-law, Imperia, her mother and sister, her son Marco, her assistant, and her little dog, too. There are a host of other characters in order to tell this story and the beautiful town of Positano is practically a character in its own right. Basic premise is a rising young star chef has come to Positano to film a new cooking show at a local cafe and during filming he is murdered. How? Why? Who? These are the questions that Bria and Luca try to answer. Overall, the writing is a little slow for a mystery and I found the dialogue somewhat awkward. This is written in English with Italian words, phrases, sentences interspersed throughout the story. Why? They are Italian - I would assume they are all speaking Italian - and someone has nicely translated it to English for us to read. The insertion of the Italian is clunky and gimmicky. There is a lot of time spent on extraneous detail - more than a page on the outfits Bria and Rosalie wore when they were looking into a suspects upbringing in a nearby town. I enjoyed the idea of this book more than the execution. Thank you to Net Galley #netgalley and Kensington Publishing for my advanced reader copy.

A super cute and fun little summer read with a thrill. I liked the setting of the book and the characters were well developed. The description of Italy made me feel like I was there. A cute little cozy mystery that made me want to catch a plane to Italy.

Murder in an Italian Café by Michael Falco introduces readers to a smart and fiercely independent heroine who holds strong family values. The story unfolds with a murder that hits close to home, adding an element of suspense and intrigue. Falco's vivid and descriptive narrative paints a beautiful picture of Italian village life, complete with a touch of romance. As I immersed myself in the story, I found myself yearning to experience the charm of Positano, Italy - even with its share of unexpected twists and turns.

Murder in an Italian Cafe is the second Bria Bartolucci detective mystery set in the wonderful town of Positano.
After Bria solved a mysterious death in her own B&B, with help from her BFF Rosalie and Police Inspector Luca, she is faced with another death in the village. Positano is buzzing with excitement when a famous chief comes to make recordings for a TV series at a famous cafe in the village. When the owner of the cafe is missing when the recordings start Bria has to step into her shoes as the assistant and presenter of the famous cook. This is how she finds herself standing right next to the victim when he dies.
Because she looked the dying men in his eyes during his demise Bria feels she has an obligation to find out who murdered him. To be honest,it doesn't take much for Bria to feel that she has to poke her nose into murder mystery's.
Assisted by a couple of the villagers, who by now are becoming her loyal sidekicks, she delves into all the dirty secrets that people who are involved would rather have kept hidden. This leads to Bria experiencing a couple of mishaps. Well actually I think that Bria at times is not the most sensible person: walking the Via degli Dei along the Costa Amalfitana on a pair of espadrilles? Really?

In the end Bria, Luca and Rosalie between them manage to solve the mystery and Bria's relationship with her mother in law even improves in the progress.
Looking forward to the next book.
I Want to thank Netgalley and Kensington Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A clever cozy mystery that takes full advantage of its delightful setting on the Amalfi coast. Bria and her son Marco are happily settled in and running the B&B (even if her mother in law is a bit nettlesome). She certainly didn't expect to get involved in another murder investigation but she just must because famous Chef Lugo dropped dead while filming in her friend's cafe- and she was there. What's the connection to her pal Rosalie's new love interest? No spoilers from me but know that Bria's an intrepid amateur detective and that Luca, the police chief trusts her instincts. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Good characters and a sufficiently twisty mystery make this a good read either as the second in the series or a standalone.

The setting for this story is stellar! I can’t wait to travel back to Positano in the next book to visit Bria at Bella Bella and see how much Marco has grown. Murder in an Italian Cafe is a top notch cozy mystery with all the things I adore about the genre- a main character I adore, charming side characters on every page, all set in a place I want to be while reading. There just happens to be a murder in the quaint, idyllic town! I had so much fun reading Murder in an Italian Cafe. I will definitely be going back to read book one in the series and will read any others published in the future.

Murder in an Italian Cafe is out Sept 24! Thank you Kensington Cozies and Netgalley for my e-arc! I always love to find new authors and series via Netgalley!!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Michael Falco for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Murder in an Italian Cafe coming out September 24, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I have the first book in the series, but I haven’t read it yet. I absolutely love cozy mysteries and I loved even more that this book was set in Italy. It’s a beautiful country. Bria is an intelligent, strong character who’s dealing with grief from the loss of her husband. She’s finally getting her dream job. I loved the book! The characters were so colorful and fun. There was a lot of depth to the writing. I would definitely check out more books by this author!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries set in Italy!

A fun and lighthearted armchair travel cozy mystery, this sequel was as enjoyable as the first book. The characters are likeable and what you'd expect to find in small-town Italy, Positano is a character itself, and the mystery included lots of twists and turns. I am rooting for Luca too. I look forward to continuing this series! Love the cover art on both books in the series.

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Despite her recent bereavement, Bria, a young widow and the story's main protagonist wants to concentrate on getting her life back together. She has a young son to raise and wants to focus on making her small but busy B&B in lovely Positano a success.
Unfortunately, she witnesses a death. An ambitious chef is murdered just as he is about to commence a cooking show and associated book tour. Bria decides she needs to investigate the murder along with her sister and her best friend.
This cosy story is a bit short on plot despite there being lots of characters and interwoven relationships. It also moves very slowly indeed. I also was not keen on Bria and found her a little boring. There are also some elements where the story feels more like a tourist guide to Positano.
All in all, a nice enough read, but not a great one.
Sincere thanks to NetGalley, Kensington Cozies and Michael Falco for the much-appreciated ARC in exchange for an honest and open review.

A delightful series that includes one of the best leading characters in literature, Bria Bertolucci. Bria is loyal, resourceful, generous, and intelligent, and the rest of the characters blend in well with the story. I love how the author uses Italian words interspersed between the English words. The descriptions of the scenery and the food of Italy are done so well, you can easily visit Italy without actually going there. Add all this up and you have a very well done mystery.

My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions expressed are
my own.

This is a new author and series for me, thanks to #Netgally, #Kensingtonbooks, and the author for a chance to read. I really enjoyed the idea of traveling to an Italian coastal luxury location. Bria's lovely B and B is in a beautiful oceanside location in a very close-knit Italian community. This is important to Bria as she is a young widow, with an eight year old son, who has made her late husband's dream come true by getting the B and B up and running and found a home. This is the second book in the series but is easy to follow if you haven't read book one. There is a lot of atmosphere and description in this book, and at one point, I almost said too much and gave up, but keep going, I am glad the interesting characters and interwoven community kept me going because in the second half we start to see Bria piece together a mystery that has many parts, twists and turns and shocking revelations. It's definitely an enjoyable read and has characters I know I will need to visit again. #MurderinanItalianCafe #ABriaBartolucciMystery #MichaelFalco #bookreview #bookideas #retiredreader

I was pleasantly surprised by this cozy murder mystery, especially since it really gave me a summery feeling with all of the Italian words and sentences sprinkled in between the dialogues. About halfway through, the story kind of slowed down, which made it a bit harder for me to finish this book. I did really like the ending, you can tell that a lot of thought was put into it.

I enjoyed Murder in an Italian Cafe, there were parts that were a little too slow of a build and overly descriptive but I did enjoy it and would definitely recommend it to friends!