I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I immediately requested this one I read the description--a cozy mystery set on an island off the coast of Naples with an Italian grandmother as the sleuth? Yes, please!

A good cozy mystery has a strong sense of place and a likeable (or, at least, intriguing) cast of characters inhabiting that place; Lorenzo Carcaterra delivers both here, and it was gratifying to read how well Nonna Maria knows all of the townsfolk of Ischia--in addition to some notable characters who live further away. Personally, I'm also a fan of cozy mysteries with delectable descriptions of food, and Nonna Maria makes plenty of mouthwatering dishes for everyone (but somehow subsists on wine and coffee; no one, including the reader, sees her eat throughout the whole book). The mysteries (yes, there are two) wrap up neatly--perhaps, one might complain, too neatly--but there's a sharp cliffhanger in the last chapter that teases the next book in the series.

I mistakenly didn't realize that this is the second book in the series, but it works well as a standalone. Guess I'll have to go back and read the first one now!