4.5 stars
I always jump at the chance to read a book in the Dan and Oscar series from TA Williams and Murder at the Ponte Vecchio is another brilliant addition.
From the very start we’re treated to a tightly woven mystery of an old jeweller’s death, the estranged family and missing police files. Is there more to the old man’s death from the Ponte Vecchio and what did he want with Dan on the night of his
murder?
With evidence growing and suspects lining up, Dan and Oscar are completely pulled into this compelling case.
A brilliantly told tale of murder and diamonds set again in the beautiful Italian countryside.

This is my first Armstrong & Oscar series and I was pleasantly surprised by how readable this book is. There is a kind of slow, lulling pace to the book which is nicely coupled with the fast paced mystery part and I really enjoyed this combination – the long, meandering walks of Dan & Oscar and the sharp sleuthing skills of Dan.

The story opens with the discovery of a jeweler found dead on the Ponte Vecchio (a very famous tourist spot in Florence). Dan is called in to assist the Italian police, serving as an interpreter for the victim’s Dutch family, who speak no Italian. However, a post-mortem quickly reveals that the death was no suicide, but a murder with unclear motive. As Dan digs deeper, he uncovers a web of shady dealings involving people beyond the victim’s family. What appears to be disconnected incidents and threads neatly come together in the end.

Reading the book was like a walk down the memory lane for me since my visit to Florence last year is still fresh. I could visualize the places like Ponte Vecchio, the Duomo and the other spots as I read about them in the book. The city is more than a backdrop – it’s a living character that shapes the story’s atmosphere.

Whether you are a newbie to this series like me or a fan of this series, this new addition to the series is a delightful read. And if you plan to visit Florence, then this is a must-read.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I enjoyed reading this book.

When someone has been found dead on the Ponte Vecchio, and the body is identified is that of someone who owned the jewellery store.

The children of the deceased arrive, he hadn’t seen them for a long time and Dan and Oscar are asked to help with the enquiries.

Those that may have a reason to kill the jeweller are calmed in and interviewed are undertaken, suspicion arises to the reasons why the death happened. But then someone else is also found dead, and Dan now wonders if there’s a link between the two and what that may be.

I recommend this book.

Dan & Oscar, the consummate working pair!🕵🏻‍♂🐕

4.5🌟 stars
A great addition to a murder mystery series with a great Italian setting and a retired British policeman expat who just can't stay away when the Italian police need his experience and expertise. Dan has more energy and initiative than many his age and he doesn't seem to take a break. And I love how Dan's Labrador Oscar gets involved in these murder mysteries in such an integral way. Apart from the chuckles he provides with his unending appetite and constant begging, Oscar is always there to protect Dan and winnow the good guys from the suspect characters and LURVS the ladies. Just a great character and sidekick.

The murders here of two Dutch dealers in valuable gems gave plenty of latitude for speculation and a good array of suspects. And I think it was effective to have migrant smuggling, illegal trade, police corruption and a local modern Romeo and Juliet-type romance woven into the plot.

Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Review shared on 5/2/25 on Waterstones and Goodreads, and with Barnes & Noble and BAM. To be shared with kobo, Google Play and Bookbub after publication.

Dan is a private investigator and is approached by a man needing his help. Only before he can meet him again he’s found dead.
This was an easy to read cosy little mystery. I liked Dan and his four legged sidekick Oscar. I will definitely be looking forward to their next adventure.

I am in love with these books. I am a true fan of Dan and Oscar and all the usual characters. This book was just as much fun as all the others.
I look up the places that are in these books to see what is described. The food sounds fabulous, even the description of the olive oil. Whether I listen to the audio or read the book, it just gives me such pleasure to sit back and enjoy. Thank you for the advanced copy. I will continue to suggest these books to my online book groups.
Ciao Dan...

I am really enjoying this great series. The stories are set in such a beautiful part of the world and Williams is very descriptive. His food descriptions will have your mouth watering. The plot in this storyline is quite complex. There’s multiple scenarios, which appear totally unrelated. Dan has to tread carefully, but his friendly police officers even more so, to uncover corruption. There are a lot of characters so pay close attention. Oscar, Dan’s wonderful dog is so faithful and a total hero! Highly recommend this thoroughly enjoyable read

Another awesome book in this series, with well developed and likable characters, and the best setting.
Dan gets mixed up with investigating a shady cop, and of all things an illegal diamond smuggling ring. Thankfully, his best "friend", Oscar, is always by his side!!
I truly love this series. The characters are real, with real emotions, problems, and reactions. I highly recommend.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Another absolutely great case for Dan. Plenty of twists and turns to keep us guessing all through the book..Magnificent portrayal of the characters. Very well written. Look forward to his next case. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

Starting a new Armstrong and Oscar cozy mystery feels like catching up with old friends over a glass of Chianti.

At the launch of the Italian edition of his first book, private investigator Dan Armstrong is approached by one of the jewellers from the Ponte Vecchio, requesting a meeting the next day. When Dan arrives for the meeting he finds a crime scene – the jeweller has been found hanged from the bridge. While assisting the police with interviewing the family, Dan is also called upon to investigate the man that the Mayor’s daughter is dating. In addition, his friend Virgilio is concerned about corruption within the police force.

The death of the jeweller is found to be murder rather than suicide. And then the case is complicated by a second, related murder.

Luckily with so much going on, Dan can always rely on his willing assistant Oscar – a lovable black labrador.

I appreciate how the author lays the trail for readers to follow, providing just enough clues to hint at possibilities without making it obvious who the culprit is. I love the descriptions of Florence and the way that morsels of Italian culture are blended into the story.

Thank you to T.A. Williams, Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to @rachelsrandomresources for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve enjoyed every one of this series I’ve read and have visited some of the places mentioned within, including the wonderful Ponte Vecchio. Thankfully there was no murder on it when I was there!

Dan and Oscar, his faithful Labrador, are once again drawn into a murder case by the local police, and the suspects keep on coming. Diamonds, money or just greed look to be the cause but who is behind it and why? Then other issues start that seem like a separate case, but are they?

Loads of twists and secrets in this one, and I didn’t see the reveal coming. A couple of side cases too just to keep you guessing who’s who and what’s what. Just as good as the rest of the series, can’t wait for another one. Oh, and don’t read this if you’re hungry….

This is such a great series! Private Investigator Dan Armstrong is such a likeable character and I adore his sidekick Oscar. Easy to follow with plenty of twists this pulls you in and I found it very easy to get totally absorbed in. Dan gets called upon to help when a jeweller dies on the world famous Ponte Vecchio and it becomes a very intriguing case. I like how there are other cases along the way and to start with you’re not entirely sure which one is going to be the main case that Dan works on. Italy, and Florence in particular, is one of my favourite places so I absolutely love where this is set! Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the ARC

A somewhat flat, disappointing mystery novel that started off alright but was a chore to finish. Multi dimensional characters might have saved it.

I think this might be the best one yet.

Dan is riding high professionally, when he is called in to assist the Italian police talk to the family of an elderly jeweller found hanged from the Ponte Vecchio. His family are Dutch and speak fluent English but no Italian. Although initially thought to be suicide the post-mortem shows it was murder.

Meanwhile the Mayor, also a writer, has asked Dan to investigate his daughter's boyfriend. They've been dating for a while but, unlike her previous boyfriends, she hasn't introduced him to her parents or even divulged his name.

Finally, Dan old friend Virgilio is acting distracted, his wife Lina, Dan's assistant is concerned and asks Dan if he can winkle out what is troubling him.

I'd say there are lots of red herrings, but actually there is just speculation (as with any mystery) about various characters' possible motives which get discounted over time.

I loved it - my only gripe is that the food descriptions weren't quite as delectable as usual.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

I always enjoy revisiting this cozy mystery series that take place in Italy with a retired police detective turned private investigator. I love books that take place all over the world.

This is the second book I’ve read featuring Dan , Anna & Oscar , and I enjoyed this just as much as the first one that I read. Easy to read , not too complex to follow with excellent characters.. I do enjoy books which are character led and Murder at the Ponte Vecchio most definitely was. Good storytelling, excellently written. Recommended.

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

I chose this as I was going to Florence and this seemed a great choice

I absolutely loved this
I am really familiar with Florence and so the descriptives were all totally familiar to me and so was able to picture scenes

I can highly recommend this

The writing was descriptive, with little thoughts from the main character that, whilst seeming random, ended up linking back to the main story and embellishing it.

The chapters were fairly long which meant that you got a good chunk of the story before moving on. Each chapter was clearly labelled with the day that you were reading about, which grounded the story well and gave the story a good pace.

There was a good flow to the story. Whilst there were the little embellishments, they balanced well with what was happening and you moved through the story well.

The characters were great. There were different groups of characters with their own things going on that cleverly all came together at the end. Whilst a lot of different things were going on, I was able to keep up and enjoyed reading about them all.

I particularly liked the canine sidekick and the behaviours of the other characters around him that came with that. It added something different to the story by making it feel more real and relatable.

There were a few different options as to who the murderer could be and which characters were related to which crimes. It kept me engaged and I liked how everything tied together at the end.

Lastly the settings. There were some lovely descriptions of Florence and the food that the characters enjoyed. I like it when food is involved, again I felt that it added a layer of realism and relatability to the story, fleshing it out and bringing it to life.

Overall a good story with lots of different offshoots and layers.

A Cunning Trap..
The eleventh outing in the Oscar and Armstrong series of cosy mysteries finds our intrepid investigator and trusty sidekick at the scene of another unexplained death - Florence, the Ponte Vecchio bridge. Dan is not anticipating a quick and easy assignment this time - it soon transpires that the victim is universally disliked - so Dan decides to lay a trap. Can he tempt a killer to out in plain sight? Let the investigations commence! Another enjoyable and entertaining mystery with a deftly drawn cast, a well imagined and beautiful setting and an engaging plot.

This is the first book from the author, that I read, but it was a great reading. I enjoyed the plot and the characters, and of course Oscar. Such an interesting ideea, a P.I. and a dog solving mysteriouses cases.
In this story I liked how the events are described, it gived me the feeling of being there present. And I enjoyed that I didn't guess the culprit until the end.
So the suspense and the mystery of the murder kept me going through the pages faster to see who did it and why.

For sure I will be reading other stories from the author.