Murder at the Duomo, by T A Williams

 

Publication Feb. 2, 2026

I thoroughly enjoyed my virtual visit with Dan and Oscar. In fact, there are spots in the book that had me wishing I could just book a flight to Florence. While that's not likely to happen, I found Williams' descriptive passages a great virtual trip as the plot and side stories moved along. Williams had me easily visualizing the setting as he takes us along the ways and byways of Dan's adopted home. While the murder investigation was obviously the focus, I liked the home scenes, too, where we got to to know not just Dan better but his family and associates. Dan is someone who enjoys his occasional involvement in police work outside his usual private detective agency but seems to have a firm grasp on what is really important in his life, his friends and loved ones. Loved his sorta "whatever" attitude toward wedding plans. As for Oscar, he  definitely has figured out who the weak links are to snag a doggie treat from, that's for sure, even among the suspects as it turns out. 

And, whoa, there are lots of suspects. The victim, Tristan Angel was definitely no angel. Instead, he was deeply involved in illegal arms dealing and surely had countless enemies who'd want him dead. That aspect pulls in intelligence agencies from here and there, much to the displeasure of Commissario Virgillo Pisano of the Florence police murder squad. He's probably Dan's best friend in Tuscany and finds Dan particularly valuable when the English language is needed. Probably doesn't hurt that Dan is ex-Scotland Yard, either. In any case, Angel's closest team members are all suspects. Most likely, you'll find yourself even liking some of them, hoping they aren't the killer. 

Bottom line, a fun, interesting, multi-layer mystery with equally interesting characters, both family and suspects. And, of course, Oscar was my favorite. That dog knows how to make friends everywhere. The setting makes me wish I could see it for myself and it was fun to drop out of the mystery vibe at times and see what Dan was seeing. Not being a hot weather fan, either, I bet Dan wanted to jump into a couple of those fountains with Oscar, too. I came into this series late and this is only my second read of the series but I'm hooked and looking forward to the next installment after checking the library for early adventures. Thanks to #BoldwoodBooks for introducing me to Dan and Oscar and giving me this early peek into their lives in beautiful Florence.