Rick Montoya myesteries are amongst my favorite as they're always well plotted and often featuring Italian places I love
Assisi is one of my favorite place in the world and I thoroughly enjoyed this well plotted mystery that kept me hooked and guessing.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

It is no secret. I love this series and pretty much drop anything else I am doing outside of work to inhale these books. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Rick Montoya leads a really interesting life. He spends most of his time in Roma, Italy, unless he travels to serve as an interpreter. His business is taking off, and his current job takes him to Assisi to help a college friend who needs a replacement interpreter quickly because the hired interpreter disappeared after arriving in Assisi. A group has come over from New Mexico, Rick's home state in the US, where he attended college. Unfortunately, the missing interpreter is found dead, and Rick is in the right place to help the Italian police as they appear to need the help of an interpreter to interview the tour group from New Mexico.

Interestingly, Betta, Rick's girlfriend, had a different role in the storyline. I enjoyed the methodology but do not want to spoil the change for other readers. Of course, his Zio Piero is his usual self, a bit cantankerous but still a loving uncle. Rick is always a good proxy to Piero and seems closer to him than he is to his own parents. It could just be proximity. However, we get to meet another family member in Best Served Cold. That is another area of the book I will leave for the reader and not spoil. The reader can count on the author's excellent armchair travel and food descriptions, as Rick provides vivid descriptions of parts of Umbria and the food he ate throughout his travels in Italy. The mystery is more cozy but still a good addition to the Rick Montoya Italian Mysteries. I look forward to Book 9 and Rick's next case and Italian location. This review can also be read along with other reviews at Lady Techie's Book Musings http://LadyTechiesbookmusings.blogspot.com.

Best Served Cold is the 8th mystery featuring translator and amateur sleuth Rick Montoya written by David P. Wagner. Released 1st Aug 2023 by Sourcebooks on their Poisoned Pen Press imprint, it's 244 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats.

This is a destination mystery, and the settings and culture are wonderfully integral to the story. The protagonist is an unusual one, he's a translator and consultant and is drawn into working with the police when an acquaintance (also a translator and guide) disappears and turns up dead.

It's an intricate and very well crafted plot and the characters are finely rendered and believable. Although not *at all* derivative, it reminds me in a lot of positive ways of Leon's wonderful Brunetti mysteries, and the Bruno mysteries by Martin Walker.

The intertwined mysteries and denouement and resolution are well done and satisfying. It's a self-contained novel, so it's not necessary to have read the other books in the series. With 8 books extant already, it would make a great choice for a binge or buddy read. The quality is high enough and it's well written enough to also be a good candidate for a mystery bookclub selection.

Four and a half stars. Really well done.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This is a nice easy read but I have not found it memorable. Or at least the murder part of it. I can't recall the details and it's only been a week. I can tell you that I found the idea that the bad guys would assassinate a technician who translated a transcription of a criminal is far fetched. If Rick died, the authorities would still have the translation to use as they need. It could be verified by another official translator. I found the football star turned priest to be a bit too pious to be real. But the scenery and food are good,

Best Served Cold by David P. Wagner is the eighth in the Rick Montoya Italian Series and set in incomparable Umbria, Italy. Not only are the visuals of the lovely scenery enchanting but so are the eccentric characters and unctuous food. Wagner's descriptions are so wonderful I was transported back to Assisi and Rome in a second and reveled in the beauty and culture. As an expat living adjacent to Italy I understand some of the particular situations main character Rick finds himself in. For me the main character is the setting.

American expat and translator Rick Montoya has completed a challenging task in Rome. When a tour guide doesn't show up for a tourist group in Assisi, he is called as a last-minute substitute. He can kill two birds with one stone by visiting his aunt he hasn't seen for ages while he's in the area. His enjoyment doesn't last for long as murder enters the scene. He seeks his uncle with the police to help. Meanwhile, his girlfriend Betta is involved in another case. Their investigations lead them deeper and deeper into the past and secrets are revealed.

I really liked this story. A lot. But what gripped me more than anything is the charm and exquisite beauty of Umbria. It has so much to offer any story but well suited to murder and mystery.

Looking for a multi-sensory treat of a mystery book? Do read this captivating series. Pure joy.

My sincere thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this atmospheric and beautiful book.

Italian mystery!

I really enjoyed this Italian mystery. Rick Montoya is an American living in Rome as a translator and does work from time to time for the police. We first see him in Palermo doing hush hush translations for a mafia witness’ statement.
It turns out Rick is actually the nephew of the Commissario of Rome, Piero Fontana. Rick’s girlfriend, Betta Innocenti is with the art fraud squad. She’s currently in Pisa looking into the theft of a painting from a church.
Rick, having finished his assignment in Palermo drives to Assisi help out an old US college friend whose leading a religious tour around Assisi. The guide has disappeared and friend Zeke needs a translator. Actually the guide’s found just as Rick gets to Assisi. The bad news is that he’s dead. As part of the police enquiry the group will have to be questioned. Rick’s uncle organizes with the local police for Rick to translate when the police question the various tour members. It turns out they’re quite a disparate and oftentimes unexpected mix.
I love that we switch between the case Rick is following and that of his girlfriend Bette. And then there’s the mafia concern.
Intriguing story that plays out well, with delicious meal descriptions thrown in to tempt the pallet.
I loved the last section of the book. The Food and Wine discussion, where author Wagner treats us to further information about the various meals of the regions. Great inclusion!
The Novel brought back so many memories for me of that part of the world, in particular Assisi and Umbria more generally.
Great read, excellent mystery that kept me guessing, and those fabulous foods and wines—Heavenly!

A Poisoned Pen Press ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

I have read and enjoyed Best Served Cold by David P. Wagner. If you like me thought that the first book was a bit shaky then don't give up they get so much better. I had to read this before books two through seven because of the release date and the fact that I started late in reading these books. If you like me think it's a great way to write a mystery series by letting the main charater go to a new location for every book then this is something for you. A new place and a new police officer to get to know in every mystery and all the characters of that place when it comes to food , drink and cultural history. It's like a guided trip through Italy and that is one great way to travel from home. The books are so good so I have got them all now and will read them from start to finish and enjoy the places Rick will go. I also find it great that in every book you get a short explanation in the end from the author about the locations and what is actually there, like which restaurants and other things is real. If you like a series that isn't to violent and filled with terrorists but instead filled with food, drink and history this is something you should try. Thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for letting me read this advance copy.

Oh I want to go to Italy! Rick's a translator - an expat US citizen who lives in Italy. When his old friend Zeke asks for help with the visit of religious pilgrims from New Mexico to Assisi, he's happy to sign on because, well, Assisi. But then the missing tour guide is found murdered and Rick's uncle asks him to help Chiara Berti, the detective on the case, with interviews and the investigation. Meanwhile, Rick's love interest Betta, who works with the art police, is on an unrelated but interesting case. These novels, all of which work as standalone, aren't too complex but they're wonderfully atmospheric. This time out, Rick's aunt and her friend are introduced and I'm hoping we see them again (as well as more Betta). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A very good read.

Best Served Cold by David P. Wagner combines a death, a stolen painting, a potential threat, and protagonists with unique jobs with vivid settings and a police investigation in the eighth book in the Rick Montoya Italian Mysteries series. As Rick finishes up a tense translation of witness testimony against a crime syndicate, he gets a call from an old college friend who is in Assisi with a tour group and wants to meet for drinks. When their tour guide disappears, Rick is asked to step in as interpreter for the group. However, the tour guide is found dead and Rick’s relaxing gig turns into an unofficial job helping local police inspector Chiara Cribari with her interviews. Meanwhile, Rick’s girlfriend Betta Innocenti is sent to Pisa to investigate the theft of a religious painting.

Rick’s job typically involves interpreting or translations which is unusual for a protagonist. His uncle is a police commissioner in Rome and he sometimes helps the police out besides his regular business. He is a likeable character with great insight into people and others seem to easily confide in him. Betta is with the art fraud police. She kind-hearted, but it seems like she can get jealous as well. Chiara initially appears to be all business, but she also has a lot of knowledge of local cuisine.

This novel has some of the best descriptions of the cities, countryside, and buildings as well as that of Italian foods and wines that I have seen in a mystery. I easily visualized the locations and cuisine. The story builds momentum until it peaks into a conclusion that may surprise readers. There were aspects of the story line that were a little too predictable, but others that were a revelation. Historical references added a layer of interest to the plot.

Overall, I enjoyed this engaging, fun, and entertaining mystery full of ambience. Those who enjoy who-done-it reads, food, wine, and travel will likely enjoy this novel. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.

Poisoned Pen Press and David P. Wagner provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for August 01, 2023.

Another exciting installment in the Rick Montoya mystery series! It’s always a pleasure to follow along with Rick on his adventures. This one, set in Assisi and secondarily in Pisa, is a delight. The descriptions of the towns, countryside and food make me feel like I’m right there enjoying it all in person. The mystery too involves lots of twists, turns and unexpected outcomes. As with the previous books in the series do be sure to check this one out!

I do know that the common saying is “Revenge is a dish best served cold.” However, in David P. Wagner’s latest Rick Montoya Italian mystery, as in the other books in the series, so much of the emphasis is on food that the title and jacket cover imply food. In fact, although the solution to the mystery was appropriate, I read Best Served Cold as much for the setting, the restaurants, and the food as for the story itself.

Rick Montoya is an American interpreter/translator who works in Italy. As the story opens, he’s in a secret location in Palermo translating from a taped interview. That job will come back to bite him, but he took it because the police needed a translator they could trust. Rick’s uncle in Commissario Piero Fontana, stationed in Rome.

Montoya’s next job should be much easier. An old college friend, Zeke Campbell, wants him to visit while he’s leading a religious tour group in Assisi. But, it becomes more serious when Zeke asks Rick to help. The tour guide has disappeared, and Zeke could use an interpreter. When the tour guide’s body is found, the local police recruit Rick’s help as an interpreter. Suddenly, he’s quite popular in Assisi.

As Rick’s interpreting help turns into assistance with a murder investigation, he has less time with the tour group and more time with the attractive police inspector. But, there’s always time for delicious meals, a priority in Italy.

As I said, the mystery is slight; the solution appropriate. But, foodies and tourists will appreciate the author’s notes about “Food and Wine” and travel in the northern part of Italy, in Umbria. Honestly? Those are the best reasons to read this series.

Review

Best Served Cold (Rick Montoya Italian Mysteries Book 8)

By David P. Wagner

Description

Murder mystery/ thriller.

📸 Assisi
📸 Murder mystery.
📸 Dead translator.
📸American (Catholic church) tour group

This is my first book by this author, and I really enjoyed learning the history of Assisi, Italy while reading the murder mystery.

This is a who done it murder mystery. Who had it out for the translator to want him dead?

I gave this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks Netgalley for a digital copy of this book for a honest review.

#netgalley #bestservedcold

Best served cold is another great episode in the Rick Montoya series set in Assisi, Umbria this time.
What i love best about this series is the knowledge the writer displays about Italy and art and the great descriptions of the places where the plot takes place. The great tips about food and restaurants are a bonus. Also could imagine Rick driving through the Umbrian landscape in his uncles vintage car.

Besides the main storyline about a group of religious travellers that visits Assisi there is also a smaller subplot about the theft of a lesser known artwork from an obscure church.
Both plots are well elaborated and have an interesting ending.

Besides his interesting, recurring uncle Rick "discovers" he has a very interesting aunt as well. Hope we will see more of her in the next book.
This is one of those books that are difficult to put down before the plot has unravelled.

My thanks to NetGalley for a free preview copy in exchange for my honest review.

Revenge, college friends, a missing tour guide and my favourite.... Food! How could I go past this one!

Rick Montoya is such a quirky character and the perfect fit for this story. The descriptions of the surroundings, the food and most of all the mystery make this a fun book to read. It is different but I enjoyed the way it was written and thought the characters were interesting as was the mystery/murder.

I can't decide if I want to read more form this author and series yet but I did enjoy this book for what it was/

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I love this series!
Rick Montoya - the 1/2 American 1/2 Italian, cowboy-boot-wearing translator/interpreter living in Italy, is back for another adventure.
His college friend & teammate, Zeke, calls Rick up and asks him to guide a group of wealthy New Mexican parishioners on a religious tour of Umbria/Assisi. The previous tour guide has gone missing, and they need a translator.
On the way to Assisi, he visits his great-aunt Filomena, a new character to the series - along with her "friend" Eduardo - are figures I would love to see more of in future novels.
When the translator is found a day later, neck broken, at the bottom of a religious site, Rick is asked by his uncle, a police commissario in Rome, to aid in the investigation. This introduces Inspector Chiara Berti into the narrative.
Together, they investigate the tour group as well as the deceased's various paramours and business acquaintances. All the while, eating & drinking their way through the region. I must admit, the descriptions of the countryside as well as the meals enjoyed, made me long to revisit Italy. The author very obligingly adds an epilogue "Food and Wine" at the end of the novel describing the origins of the meals.
The book has a totally unrelated side-story featuring Rick's girlfriend, Betta, an art theft expert, that I felt was unnecessary, but yet had a charming denouement.
Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press & net galley for an advance reading copy. This book will be released on 8/1/23.

5 *****

This was a well crafted mystery with a satisfying conclusion (and a very elegant solution for the minor subplot involving the protagonist’s girlfriend). The main characters were well drawn, the supporting cast easily kept track of. There was some good, subtle byplay in how the characters tested each other, and I enjoyed the interactions with the protagonist’s family members. And I love Italy as a setting.

My only negative note is the “travelogue” aspect is too heavy-handed. It evoked in my mind an image of the author surrounded by travel books and tourist brochures, to give specific details of the locale, and unable to leave out any of his favorite tidbits. I enjoy local detail as much as anyone (and the reminders of places I’ve visited), but for me it needed to be more delicately handled, delivered in smaller doses. I acknowledge that for many people this is a very popular facet of this author’s books and I may be a bit of an outlier on this one point.

That being said, I will look for more of this series.

My thanks to NetGalley for a free preview copy in exchange for my honest review.

Fun, entertaining, and relaxing read which is always what I have come to expect from this series. It was the perfect palate cleanser from the heavier and darker books I had read just before this. Loved the mystery and catching up with familiar characters.

art-theft, Italy, Italian-customs, translators, murder-investigation, murder, amateur-sleuth, friendship, friends, family, relatives, tour, interpreter, clergy, ex-marine, new-to-me-author, local-law-enforcement, detective-fiction*****

This is the first book of the Rick Montoya murder mystery series that I've read and I enjoyed it immensely. Professional multilingual translator/interpreter Rick Montoya and his girlfriend Dottoressa Betta Innocenti, an "art cop" from the Ministry of Culture are the ongoing characters in a mystery series that made me drool with the descriptions of the foods eaten.
A rather dodgy minor translator and more (crook) goes missing and is found dead. The man had been recommended to a small tour group led by an old friend from Rick's college days (the man is a former US Marine and is now a priest). Rick has frequently worked with police investigators, but this police inspector is new to him. The characters are all very interesting, the plot does not detract from the travelogue (it enhances it!), and the whole is absolutely delightful. Now I'm off to read more in this series!
I requested and received an EARC from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley. Thank you!

Traditional Mystery…
The eighth entry in the Rick Montoya series of Italian mysteries finds Rick filling in for a missing tour guide in Assisi. The gig sounds perfect to Rick - the food, the sun and the atmosphere of Umbria are irresistible. Nothing is as it seems, however, and the job soon turns deadly when a body makes an appearance. A traditional mystery well done and with the benefit of a beautiful and well described setting, delicious food and an engaging protagonist. A worthy addition to this enjoyable series.

Packed with intense tension and being a page turner, I kept through it without stopping. What can I say about this book? It is just a classic detective thriller. For any fan of the genre, this is definitely a fun and worthwhile read.