Book Review: Murder & Matrimony in the Castello by Tessa Floreano

Murder & Matrimony in the Castello by Tessa Floreano
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An atmospheric and immersive historical mystery with a touch of forbidden attraction set in the late 1890s in northern Italy.

Murder and Matrimony in the Castello by Tess Floreano is a new historical mystery set in the late 1890s in the Veneto region of Northern Italy. With an engaging main character and suspenseful domestic mystery wrapped in an immersive historical setting, I felt I was side-by-side with a new best friend as she prepared for her Yuletide wedding in a miasma of menace.

When bride-to-be Renata Bombonetti witnesses a man plunge to a certain death from the top of a tower on the grounds of the castello, she is shocked to discover that no one else seems to know that this tragedy has even occurred. Puzzled by Placido’s failure to greet her and her family upon their arrival at his home, his absence vaguely explained away by his relatives as he was away handling a furniture delivery, her concern grows day by day with the arrival of cryptic notes, the disappearance of the best man and his pregnant wife, and still no bridegroom. Renata determines she must investigate.

Renata is a likable, enthusiastic, young amateur sleuth and diehard fan of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes. While her mother had ensured her training in the administration of an aristocratic household, her father, an early advocate of higher education for women, has nurtured her intellectual growth. Her investigation is hampered by conservative societal expectations for her gender and station in life, a hostile castello staff left too long to their own devices, and the appearance of an intriguing but aggravatingly temperamental local police inspector with whom Ranata shares some definite chemistry. Her best friend, Nataliz Nunzio, proves a true “die or ride” sidekick, if for no other reason than she effectively distracts Renata’s mother from figuring out what her daughter is up to.

The plot is compelling, and it is not until the big reveal that the identity of those responsible for the accidents and murder becomes clear; the author really keeps you guessing. Still, I felt one suspect’s motive for mayhem was weakened by our lack of contact with them and a dearth of character development. While one is present and vocal about their grievances, the other is absent for most of the story, no history of animosity is given to support the motive, and they don’t take any action to further their intentions against their actual target other than issuing a threat for them to come out of hiding or else. However, it was an acceptable explanation and perhaps one that will prove to become more understandable as the series progresses.

I recommend MURDER AND MATRIMONY IN THE CASTELLO to readers of cozy and traditional historical mysteries.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.


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