Sandro Cellini, once a cop now a private detective, has been hired to investigate the death. He soon discovers that any one of the artists in residence has a strong enough motive for wanting the director dead, though he has yet to determine whether or not her death was a murder. Director Meadows was attractive enough to get the attention of all the male part of the contingent, and she wasn't shy in her criticism of the talent of the women in residence or for that matter the hired help.

Christobel Kent has succeeded in constructing a genuine locked room mystery in the classic tradition. Because of the remote location and the time of death, the list of suspects is limited to the artists and staff. Although at first it seems feasible to eliminate the male paraplegic, but we soon learn that he is quite capable of maneuvering his wheelchair over rough ground; the circumstances of Loni's death did not require any great strength so the less hearty women are still suspects as well.

Unlike many modern mysteries, the solution to this puzzle does not rely on forensics or knowledge of electronics. Indeed the critical skill in this murder seems to be the ability to plan and improvise which continues to leave the suspect list long.

The flavor of life in the Italian countryside is well described as is the international feel of the retreat. The artists are from various countries in Europe and the United States and English is not always the selected language for conversation. The castle where most of the action occurs dates from the seventeenth century so we get a little lesson on Italian architecture of that period. The author has a good command of the English language so her descriptions are anything but dull.

While the main plot centers on the death of Loni Mathews, Sandro Cellini, a competent detective, is the exact opposite in his personal life. A fifty something man married to the same woman for many years, Sandro is almost paranoid about losing Luisa. She has undergone treatment for cancer, but Sandro's greater worry is that she might be having an affair with her boss. Witnessing his fear of losing his wife and her response gives some insight into what makes people tick.

The author is fastidious in her attention to detail. Not only are the various reasons that are established for possible motives of all suspects carefully outlined, but their opportunities for being able to carry out the deed are presented as Sandro mulls over the evidence. Those devoted to action scenes alone or copious dialogue may find some passages a bit slow. The author also keeps alive the possibility that the death was in fact an accident with serendipitous consequences.

A Murder in Tuscany is a novel best read in longer sittings. Getting the characters' personalities and occupations firmly entrenched in one's mind is more easily accomplished when the book is not read in bits and snatches. It takes some time to become acquainted with everyone, but it is well worth the effort. It is refreshing to read a mystery in which the solution does not involve esoteric blood tests, the life stages of various insects, or a sophisticated knowledge of the latest technological gadget.

--Andy Plonka