Nonna Maria and the Case of the Missing Bride: A Novel (Hardcover)
“An utterly delightful tale starring one of the most charming amateur sleuths ever created.”—Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of Listen to Me
Nonna Maria has lived on Ischia, an island in the Gulf of Naples, her entire life. Recognizable by the widow’s black she’s worn every day for decades, she always has pasta on the stove and espresso in the pot for the neighbors who stop by to ask her advice on life and love. Everyone knows her, and she knows everyone’s business. So if something goes wrong, islanders look to her, not the local carabinieri, to find the solution.
When a recently engaged woman confesses that she’s afraid her fiancé, a stranger to Ischia with a murky past, might not be who he seems, Nonna Maria helps her disappear so she can investigate the true nature of her betrothed. The stranger has also raised the suspicions of Captain Murino of the carabinieri, but he’s occupied investigating the death of a tour boat captain who drowned in the wee hours of the morning. Captain Murino believes it was an accident, but Nonna Maria knows the man was a born sailor and too good a swimmer to drown, no matter how much wine he might have drunk. While Captain Murino has his hands full, she pours herself a glass of white wine and gets to work, even though getting involved will expose her to the dangers lurking just beneath the surface of her idyllic home.
“The brilliant Lorenzo Carcaterra has created his own irresistible genre: the literary cozy. I fell in love with this wonderfully lyrical and completely entertaining novel, and most of all its instantly iconic heroine. Nonna Maria is Miss Marple and Sherlock Holmes combined into one wise and unforgettable character. Touching, charming, and delightful—do not miss this!”—USA Today bestselling author Hank Phillippi Ryan
“Lorenzo Carcaterra has written a suspenseful tale while bringing the history, traditions, and colorful characters of the island of Ischia to life. The indomitable Nonna Maria shines throughout. Bravo!”—Camilla Trinchieri, author of the Doyle/Perillo Tuscan mystery series
“Nostalgia for Ischia’s simpler way of life, nearly lost in the face of the fast-paced modern world, combines successfully with a suspenseful plot and a feisty heroine who’s as kind as she is steely.”—Booklist
Praise for Lorenzo Carcaterra
“One of the all-time greats.”—Jeffery Deaver, #1 internationally bestselling author of the Lincoln Rhyme series
“One of my favorite writers in the world.”—Lisa Scottoline, New York Times bestselling author of Someone Knows
“A writer who has earned his spot at the top echelon of suspense masters . . . Lorenzo Carcaterra is simply the best.”—Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author of the Cotton Malone series
The Inaugural Santa Fe Literary Festival was a huge success!
Collected Works was very proud to have been on-site all weekend as the official bookstore of the Santa Fe Festival. Bestselling, prizewinning authors and literary legends like Margaret Atwood, Joy Harjo, Colson Whitehead, Sandra Cisneros, Jon Krakauer, amongst others, spent time in our mini-bookstore in the lobby of the Convention Center and signed hundreds of books, which we now have in stock. So if you missed the festival but are looking for a signed copy of one of their books, please call us or come in to browse.
Purchase your books by festival authors directly from CW below:
Margaret Atwood; Freddie Bitsoie; Sandra Cisneros; Lynn Cline; William deBuys; Ashley Ford; John Grisham; Roshi Joan Halifax; Joy Harjo; Anne Hillerman; Cheryl Alters Jamison; Craig Johnson; Asma Khan; Phil Klay; Jon Krakauer; Valeria Luiselli; Deborah Madison; Emily St. John Mandel; George R. R. Martin; James McGrath Morris; Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich of Honey & Co.; Carmella Padilla Douglas Preston; Kirstin Valdez Quade; Bob Shacochis; Henry Shukman; Hampton Sides; Bryant Terry; Darryl Lorenzo Wellington; Colson Whitehead; Don Winslow; Lawrence Wright