I enjoyed this second in the series, though you don't have to have read the first book to understand everything going on here.

Williams has a great talent for character and for bringing Italy to life. I didn't know much about Elba before picking up the book and liked geting to know the island.

I love the Dan Armstrong and Oscar mystery series and this episode did not disappoint. Very well written . Lots of backstory which is very much my cup of tea. Had me guessing the ultimate culprit until the very end which is a plus. Plenty of suspense throughout. Look forward to the next offering.

This is a great addition to the Armstrong and Oscar series. Dan and Anna go to a hotel on the island of Elba with Virgilio and his wife Lina. Of course, Oscar is also invited. Virgilio's neice is the recepionist at the very nice hotel on the waterfront with a beautiful view. Anna is exciting to do windsurfing lessons at a nearby beach and convinces Dan to try it. At dinner, a man comes by their table and dumps Virgilio's glass of wine in his lap. The man was Ignazio Graziani, who Virgilio helped to put in jail in Pisa over 20 years before after raping several women. He has very recently been released and come back to his home on Elba. The next morning, a man finds a man floating in the water. Of course, Virgilio and Dan have to help the local police.

Ignazio's brother, Aldo, is the owner of the company from whom Anna and Dan are taking their windsurfing lessons and owns a large camp on the hillside above the surfing site. They also find out that there is a fair amount of trafficing ancient Tuscan Art works in the area. The police finally decide that Graziani may have just fallen off the cliff because he had been very drunk that night.
Then, Aldo is found dead. Dan sees something floating and swims out to find Aldo and bring him to shore. Aldo has been hit on the back of his head, and was definitely murdered.

Dan and Oscar go up on the hill above the camp, and find a locked building which looks unused. However, when Anna and Oscar go there, she is pushed through an opening in the floor and been knocked out. Oscar runs back to the hotel and Dan and Virgilio go to the shed, find her, and call for an ambulance and police. Anna spends the night in the hospital, but seems to be recovering and goes back to the hotel the next day. The shed turns out to be a place to hide Tuscan Art works. Gradually, the local police with the help of Virgilio and Dan manage to figure out all the bad guys, and who did what to whom.

This book was very exciting. I enjoy the fact that the books in this series mostly take place in a different town in a different venue. I thank Netgalley and Boldwood books for the ARC so that I could read the book before publication.

Given the ambiguous title I wasn’t sure which island would host Dan and Oscar’s latest adventure, but I was thrilled to see that it was Elba! As always, the descriptions of the coastal scenery, the food and wine, and even the difficult pursuit of windsurfing are top-notch. The fact that Dan thinks about describing the village on a late night walk, in deference to his publisher’s instructions, was a fun aspect in a book about a writer. The opening scenes and the murder that followed set the stage for a complex mystery that I couldn’t quite solve until the very end. I loved the setting and the fact that Anna, Virgilio, and Lina played a large role in this story, but the ending was the best! I’m so excited for the next book in the series. Thanks to the author, publisher (Boldwood Books), and NetGalley for the ARC and the opportunity to provide an honest review.

Murder on the Italian Island is a light, engaging mystery set against a gorgeous Mediterranean backdrop. T.A. Williams delivers exactly what you'd expect from a summer readThe mystery isn’t overly complex,with a touch of suspense and plenty of Italian charm. LOL

Thanks to Net galley for the advance copy

A classic murder mystery wrapped around romance set on an Italian island and abounding with detective types. A lovely light read with plenty of interesting food and ambience. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was my first Armstrong and Oscar mystery. I really enjoyed but I wanted more! More about the characters, more about the island of Elba and more about the Etruscans. I found it very interesting, the various lines of investigation, fun and food. Oscar, of course is the star, although I spent a lot of time worrying about his gut health. When they fed him a bunch a meat from the table I expected a run to the emergency room. I look forward to reading more about Oscar and Dan.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this DRC.
#MurderonanItalianIsland #NetGalley

A cosy murder mystery for Dan, now a Private Investigator come want-to-be author, his now partner Anna and, of course, the lovable labrador Oscar. They are on holiday on Elba with friends Virgilio (police officer) and Lina - sun, sea, history and lots of lovely food and wine were on the menu. Not a dead body though. After an altercation in the restaurant between Virgilio and Ignazio, recently released thug, rapist and murderer, Ignazio's body is discovered. General verdict, he was drunk (true) and fell off a cliff during drunken meanderings. It soon became obvious that he and his family were not that liked, that grudges were held from offences caused decades ago and so on. A second body, Ignazio's more or less equally disliked brother turned up. Plenty of twists and turns - wind surfing, Etruscan treasures, dodgy deals and blackmail. A quick and easy read but a good one of the genre. Oscar is so true to life but all it really needs is a cat!

I’ve read all the previous Armstrong and Oscar cozy mysteries, so I was thrilled to get my hands on the latest instalment featuring this endearing detective duo.

Dan Armstrong, his partner Anna, and their faithful dog Oscar head to the island of Elba for a relaxing week-long holiday with friends Virgilio and Lina. But when an ex-convict confronts Virgilio over dinner at their luxury hotel—and is found dead on the beach the next morning—vacation quickly gives way to investigation.

Though Dan promised Anna there’d be no sleuthing while on holiday, he can’t help stepping in to prove Virgilio’s innocence. When the police rule the death accidental and close the case, a second body turns up—this time, the dead man’s brother—pulling Dan even deeper into a tangled mystery.

This novel ticks all the boxes: a layered mystery (or two!), vivid descriptions of Elba, mouthwatering Italian cuisine, touches of Etruscan history and the illicit antiquities trade, a bit of windsurfing, and of course, Oscar’s lovable antics.

I enjoyed the fresh angle of Dan’s writer’s block, and how the case becomes a source of unexpected inspiration. Despite the holiday setting, the story doesn’t shy away from exploring the emotional weight of crime and its ripple effects on victims and their families.

That said—I loved the ending!

Thank you to T.A. Williams. Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the advance reader copy.

I am filled with joy that there are so many more of these books un the series.
I really enjoyed the charachtera and the setting of the island was blissful. Loved the wine, the food and much more. These would be a wonderful tv series too.

In this book we go on vacation with the lovely labrador Oscar, private detective nad murder mystery writer Dan and his wonderful girlfriend Anna.
Dan is invited by his friend Virgilio on the island of Elba on a week getaway.They have plans to relax and enjoy these days with friends, and also to do some windsurfing.
And of course, they discover a body on the beach. The man that died is the same that Virgilio had an altercation the night before.
And Dan, now have to help his friend and solve this crime. I liked the fact that he has a girlfriend, and she is very supportive and understands him .
I think this was the first thing that I liked about the detective. ( because in most stories and movies, the detective is always single). And Oscar, always a pleasure to read about him.

It was a cozy and relaxing mystery story. I like how T A Williams writes.
A little bit to descriptive on some things that are not that important to the story plot, but still an enjoyable read.
So get ready for summer and vacation and read the book.

4 Stars
One Liner: History and mystery

Dan and his girlfriend Anna are invited to the island of Elba, which they happily accept to get a break from sleuthing. Their friends, the Commissioner Virgilio and his wife, also join them, and they have a good time at the hotel until a death shatters their peace.
Given Virgilio’s past connection to the case, Dan has little choice but to dig into it with dutiful Oscar at his side. With the victim being hated by just about everyone, Dan has a tough job ahead to find the killer.
The story comes in Dan’s first-person POV.

My Thoughts:
So, the 12th book in the series should work as a standalone. Go ahead and grab them all if you want to read the rest. It’s like going on a virtual tour of Italy.
This time, we travel to Elba, a beautiful island with a history that dates back to the early times. Like many tourist places, the island has both benefited and suffered from becoming a popular location for holidays.
I like how we also learn something about the situation in the region with every book in the series. This time, it talks of how thriving occupations like farming, winery, etc., were replaced by tourism and its adjacent industries. By catering to tourists, many locals lost their family lands and professions and had to adjust. Sadly, this has become a common pattern around the world.
The mystery is nice enough with resolutions we can guess as more clues are revealed. It is still low-stakes, though there are some interesting developments and other departments involved for a while.
Oscar, the adorable black Lab, is his usual best – being cuddled by everyone and fed treats coz he has the best ‘I’m starving’ face. Of course, our dog is also a hero who can save lives.
And food, there’s loads of it. The Italians (like Indians) serve food in generous proportions, so there’s more than enough for the characters and the readers! If only they developed AI that made it possible to grab an ice cream from the book instead of writing a story for me. I can do my writing. Give me food!

To summarize, Murder on an Italian Island is a lighthearted and quick mystery set on a lovely island. It combines history, mystery, and entertainment with ease. The windsurfing scenes were hilarious.
Thank you, NetGalley and Boldwood Books, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

This was a nice, relaxing cozy mystery that really shines with its setting. The descriptions of the island life, food, and scenery were some of my favorite parts—I could practically feel the sun and smell the sea.

Dan Armstrong is a solid, easy-to-root-for protagonist. I liked that he’s retired and a bit more reflective than your typical hard-charging detective. There’s a real sense of community in the small-town police force and locals that made it feel warm and authentic.

The mystery itself felt pretty gentle and straightforward. It’s not twisty or high-stakes, and the pacing was on the slower side. Personally, I prefer my cozies with a bit more tension or surprise, but I think readers who like a calm, atmospheric puzzle will enjoy this a lot more.

Overall, this was a pleasant read that’s perfect if you want to be transported to Italy for a few hours.

I received an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

T.A. William’s returns with his latest book featuring Dan, a retired Metropolitan Detective Inspector, and his trusty sidekick, Oscar the Labrador. All the books in this series can be read as stand-alone but it’s fun to see the characters develop through the series so I recommend all of them. Dan retired and moved to a small house just outside Florence, Italy, so every book is set in an Italian location and features wonderful descriptions of food and countryside, in the midst of the mysteries that Dan investigates.
In this latest outing, Dan, Oscar and Dan’s significant other, Anna, are invited for a vacation on the island of Elba, famous for being Napolean’s incarceration location. When their friend and current member of the Italian police, Virgilio, is confronted by a convicted rapist and murderer that Virgilio had helped capture, it seems like the vacation will abruptly end. Well, it certainly does when a dead body appears on the grounds, with Virgilio being a prime suspect.
The story includes art theft as well. Another strong outing by Mr. Williams and I look forward to the next in this series

This book is so much fun! A beautiful backdrop in Italy, a murder mystery, great characters and of course… Oscar the Labrador hero! Lots of references to gourmet Italian food and archaeology too! This is the second book I’ve read by this author and can’t wait to read more!

As always, Oscar was the star 🐶

I’ve read a lot of this series and this one didn’t disappoint. I enjoy that while it’s a cozy mystery, the main character used to be a detective so it seems like he can conduct the armature investigation well. Plus you get to enjoy the beautiful Italian backdrop which always makes me ready for a vacation there.

As for the plot, around half the way in I was wondering how the book would progress given the plot seemed to be coming to an end. I liked the twist to keep the story going and while there was a lot going on (murder, abduction, rape, black market antiquities, extortion), the author did a good job tying up all the loose ends.

Thank you to T. A. Williams, Boldwood Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really love these books. I love the descriptions of Italy, I love the food even though I don't understand what it is. I love Oscar because who couldn't love Oscar. There is humor yet not silliness which makes for a great mystery. I was happy that Virgilio and Lina were a major part of the story. The friendship between Dan and Virgilio has been great since the beginning and I hope they are always together some how. Now we come to the end of the book and I won't have spoilers but "yay". Please don't stop writing, I love sitting in my backyard pretending I am in Italy.
Ciao Dan...

Elba Bound..
The twelfth outing in the Oscar and Armstrong series of cosy mysteries finds our intrepid investigator, trusty sidekick Oscar and girlfriend Anna taking a trip to the beautiful island of Elba. As Dan promises Anna a week free of any investigations, we all know that best laid plans.. well, go wrong, With Dan’s best friend Virgilio and his wife joining them, it’s not too long before a suspicious death raises its head. Let the investigations commence! Another enjoyable and entertaining mystery with a deftly drawn cast, a well imagined and beautiful setting and an engaging plot.

Three and a half stars.

Virgilio invites Dan, Anna and of course Oscar to Elba for a holiday with him and his wife, staying at a swanky hotel where his (sort of) cousin Rita is the manager. Unfortunately there is an unpleasant incident on the first night, a very drunk man comes over and deliberately throws a glass of red wine over Virgilio. Apparently the man, Ignazio, abducted and raped four women in Puglia many years ago, and had been sentenced to twenty years in prison, seeing Virgilio again made him very angry and things could have escalated if Dan hadn't stepped in. The guys are debating whether to move to a different hotel to avoid the man when one of the surf instructors comes running in - they have found a body washed up on the rocks ... it's none other than Ignazio, and Virgilio apparently had another run in with him later that night. Since the body was found on the hotel's private beach, which can only be accessed through the hotel or a locked gate, it seems clear that if it is murder it must have been one of the guests or staff.

Soon Dan and Virgilio are working hard to determine whether Ignazio fell to his own death because he was so drunk (they ruled out suicide as he seemed to feel no remorse), or whether he was pushed, maybe by a relative of one of the girls he attacked?

Then Dan finds another body in the sea. are the deaths connected? An accident seems far less likely now there are two bodies.

This was very good, I was convinced I knew who was the murderer but I was completely wrong - they were never even a suspect!

However, I am trying to eat more healthily and having to read the descriptions of the huge meals Dan eats is making it hard for me to make good choices.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

Murder on an Italian Island can be read as a standalone novel although it is part of a series. The home base of the primary characters is Florence, but Willams set his books in locations in addition to Florence which helps keep the series fresh (and gives the reader a lot of ideas for vacations in Italy). In this book the setting is the island of Elba. The plot was interesting and covered crimes including rape, murder, and antiquities smuggling, so there were lots of suspects for retired detective Armstrong to investigate. The author did a good job juggling all of the threads and tying them together by the end. Thanks to NetGalley and publisher Boldwood Books for the eARC.