A Death in Tuscany by Dick Rosano

Region - Tuscany

SUMMARY:

Filippo (Phil) Trantino grows up in Tuscany and later moves to America, leaving his heart among the vines of his family’s wine estate.

After he returns home for a funeral, his cousins convince him that his grandfather’s death was not an accident. While solving the crime, Phil travels the pastoral landscapes of Tuscany, indulges in the area’s most delicious wine and food, and discovers the life he was always meant to live.

‘After a childhood in the wine country of Italy, he had grown up in America, adopted its culture and accepted its passions but he never forgot the passions of the old world. The lessons he learned from his grandfather, his Nonno whose mastery of wine was itself a mastery of life.’

MY REVIEW

The story is about the Castello dei Trantini vineyard in Tuscany, which was traditionally passed down from grandfather to grandson. Due to this tradition, the vineyard passed from Nonno Fillipo, the grandfather, to Phil Trantino, even though Phil's family had moved to America when he was a young boy. When Nonno Fillipo died, his family suspected foul play, although the police ruled it as an accident. Phil and the winery staff feel the need to investigate his grandfather’s death. As Phil reacquaints himself with the food, wine, customs, and people around the vineyard, he tries to uncover the circumstances of his grandfather’s death.

If you want a fast-paced thriller mystery, this is not the book for you but if you want to meander through the vineyards of Tuscany, saunter along olive groves which reach out across rolling hills, gaze at distant landscapes dotted with farmhouses and castles, and drive along ancient roads lined by cypress trees, with a glass of rich and full-bodied Montepulciano in hand, then this is for you.

The Tuscany wine region stretches picturesquely along the Ligurian coast in Italy and is one of the most prestigious wine-growing regions in the world. The author has been writing about wine, food, and travel for many years and this passion. His passion, his love for Italian life clearly shows.

‘I stepped out into the warm sunshine and took in the view before me. It was like a medieval painting that had come alive – the rolling hills, brilliant blue skies and green stripes of vines cutting across the dust-coloured soil, Twittering overhead were songbirds, providing the music for the field hands who worked the vineyards. Old wooden carts were pulled behind diesel-driven tractors that puffed black balls of smoke with each rattle of suspension bearing the load across the rutted road.’

However, there is a mystery to solve. Nonno Filippo had a strict routine which included wine tasting at 4 pm each afternoon. Was he leaning out of the window of his wine library when he lost his balance and fell ... or was he pushed? But who by? All the employees who worked at the Castello vineyard loved Nonno Filippo, and the other winemakers of Tuscany respected him. He had no known enemies. Phil takes it upon himself to try and solve with an almost Agatha Christie style of writing. As with AC, the beginnings of her stories are strong on description, which gradually drops off as dialogue and interaction between characters take over. With shorter sentences and sharp dialogue, she hurries readers along to what is always a captivating conclusion. I felt there were clearly some similarities here with  A Death in Tuscany even to the title itself!

The local police initially feel that Nonno Filippo’s death is a tragic accident, but Phil believes there is more to it.

‘My grandfather's death was a spectre that I couldn’t put entirely from my mind and each time the thought crept back into my consciousness, I shuddered. He was a vibrant life force, a man of pleasure and strong emotion. As his grandson and namesake, I knew I would never be able to forget him and sombre thoughts clouded my mind. I wasn’t over the pain of losing him and I didn’t want to forget that this life, this place, the Castello were really what he gave to me.’

Phil speaks to everyone who had known his grandfather. Workers at the vineyard, wine competitors, his friends and his exporters. Out of the shadows come some other characters. The beautiful and beguiling Rafaella Grana, with whom his grandfather had a secret love affair knows something and confesses that Filippo was very agitated on the day he died because he had discovered something which happened in the past. And what about Antonina Frascati, the attractive secretary with the sensuous perfume who worked for the exporter, Antonio Cosco? The tension builds but not before we are witness to the wine harvest, the fury of activity, and the culmination of a year of work, tending the vines.

‘Pickers worked smoothly down each row. The long days of working in the field and in the winery, cutting tons of grapes from the vines, hauling them by gondola to the waiting crushers, then watching as the purple juice is pumped to the fermenters. I walked by the massive stainless-steel vats in the winery. Nonno Filippo had replaced the old wooden ones with steel ones, where the temperature of the fermenting juice could be more carefully controlled, yielding more control over colour extraction tannin development and the whole fermentation process.’

The smooth pacing of idyllic rural life makes you feel as if you have been transported to the charming countryside of Italy but there is a dark shadow lingering like a rain cloud on the horizon. I will not add a spoiler here except to say that there is a conclusion connected to family secrets which can be the most destructive in the world. Secrets do not protect children, they can damage children and telling secrets in the wrong way or at the wrong time can be remarkably painful and devastating.

Why I recommend this book

This story is about wine and Italy. It is sprinkled with a dusting of romance between Phil and Ilsa and drizzled with a mysterious death. What is not to like? Discovering one's family heritage can be a captivating journey filled with intrigue, heartbreak, and unexpected revelations. Delving into Italy's centuries-old wine industry unveils a tapestry of captivating stories and enduring legends. This narrative held me spellbound, weaving together a rich tapestry of events, friendships, and romances, culminating in a surprising and compelling finale.

Tuscany is like a great bottle of wine; lovingly created and carefully aged. The breathtaking descriptions of Tuscany truly immerse you in its beauty, allowing you to experience the stunning landscapes and indulge in the delectable cuisine. The author expertly captures the essence of Italy, crafting vivid imagery that brings to life its rich culture. It is perfect for a light summer read. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone seeking a delightful escape to the heart of Tuscany. The author’s vibrant, poetic colour palette enhances the narrative, reflecting his deep passion for Italian life, food, and relationships. This fascinating exploration of wine production further enriches the reader's experience and appreciation of Italian culture.

On the negative side, there were two for me as a reader and a listener. I purchased the audiobook and listened to the story. I did not like the audio narration. The narrator clearly had no knowledge of the Italian language and therefore, many words were mispronounced, some cringingly so. I also felt that the book, with its many references to the American way of life and culture, could be re-edited to suit more European tastes.

AUTHOR BIO:

Dick Rosano has been writing about wine, food, and travel for many years. His long-running columns have appeared in The Washington Post, Wine Enthusiast, Country Inns, United Airlines Hemispheres magazine, and many other nationally distributed publications. In a writing career that has spanned three decades, he has been the featured commenter – in print and in person – on every region of the world, recently collecting his experiences and adding the title of guest lecturer on Viking Cruise Lines to his already long résumé.

Dick has written a history book, Wine Heritage: The Story of Italian American Vintners (Foreword by Robert Mondavi) which chronicles the influence that Italians and Italian-Americans have had on the growth and evolution of the American wine industry.

Dick’s frequent travels to Europe, especially Italy, have inspired him to use his talents as a travel writer and storyteller to publish three recent mystery novels: Tuscan Blood, Hunting Truffles, and The Secret of Altamura: Nazi Crimes, and Italian Treasure. All are set in Italy, each has a new cast of characters, and each draws on the culture, traditions, and lives of the people of the region portrayed.

Dick has lectured on wine for the American Institute of Food and Wine, the National Italian-American Foundation, and at the Smithsonian Institution, Johns Hopkins University, and at many conferences around the United States. His extensive public speaking record and long career with wine-food subjects led a very popular series of classes at Washington, D.C.’s L’Academie de Cuisine.

PUBLISHED BY:

Independently published ( January  2021)

OTHER BOOKS BY THIS AUTHOR:

The Vienna Connection

The Secret of Altamura

To Rome with Love

Hunting Truffles

The Paris Connection

The Sicily Chronicles