Seventy-something widow Nonna Maria lives on a small Italian island. She is famous for helping her friends and neighbors with their problems. In Nonna Maria and the Case of the Missing Bride, she looks into the curious case of a soon-to-be bride, who doesn’t remember how she became engaged. It seems there is an old island herbal recipe that causes people to wake up married.
While investigating the bride’s fiancé, one of Nonna Maria’s oldest friends, a boat captain, is thought to have accidental fallen off his boat while at sea. His mate had good reason to kill him. Was it really just a drunken accident? Nonna Maria must find out.
It is nice to see a non-traditional heroine in a cozy mystery. Nonna Maria is the Miss Marple of the cozy world. She sees everything around her with a clarity few of us have.
The negative in Nonna Maria and the Case of the Missing Bride was it frequently veers into travelogue territory. However, the island is beautiful so that may not be a negative for you. 4 stars!
Thanks to Bantam Books and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.