3.7 Stars

One Liner: Fun!
 

Rodolfo Argento, Italy’s greatest opera singer had died in a terrible car accident. Except that his mother doesn’t think it was an accident or a suicide. She knows it was murder and wants Dan to investigate the case. Rodolfo may be kind, generous, and a natural treasure. However, he was also a womanizer who liked women a little too much. Though, he was happily married for a year, there’s no saying who might have wanted him dead. Was it a revenge murder or a crime committed for money? 

Dan and Oscar need to solve the case but they first need some solid clues! Dan also needs to prevent Oscar from joining the singers with his heartfelt howling. 

The story comes in Dan’s first-person POV. 

 My Thoughts:  

The ninth book in the series works as a standalone (and so do the previous books). However, you will enjoy it more if you read at least one of the earlier books. 

This time, Dan and Oscar, along with Anna, go to Verona to enjoy an opera show and solve a crime. Dan is not a fan of opera nor does he know anything about it. Will he be a convert by the end of the book? 

Oscar meets another black Lab, Elektra, and falls in love. Of course, he still has his priorities right – food comes first; always! 

The mystery is decent but doesn’t have the same tension as some of the previous ones. Of course, each case is different, so we can’t really compare. This one is on the slower side with a lot of questioning and trying to find the clues (makes sense since the death occurred almost a month prior). 

However, it took me a while to guess the killer, so that’s good. I was weighing my options when a certain detail made me wonder and connect the dots. 

As always, we get a tour of the region, though this time, it’s not much. Dan spends his time on the case, so there isn’t much left for exploring. But… there is enough food and gelato to make you happy! 

A few interesting themes are addressed using the plot and the characters. While there are quite a few suspects/ characters involved, it is easy to track them. Some of them have strong personalities. 

To summarize, Murder in Verona is another entertaining installment in the series and might appeal even more to opera fans (as it mentions quite a few leading singers and tracks). 

Thank you, Rachel’s Random Resources and Boldwood Books, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. 

#NetGalley