I'm so grateful to NetGalley for allowing me to read the ARC of Lorenzo Carcaterra's latest installment of one of my favorite series, Nonna Maria and the Case of the Lost Treasure. Nonna Maria and her trusted crew of friends from all walks of life are determined to save the life of the beloved police captain and assist in a treasure hunt in the caves of Ischia.

When a young woman comes to Nonna Maria with a treasure map left to her by her recently deceased grandfather, Nonna Maria immediately agrees to help. She enlists the assistance of the Pirate, the Magician and the Painter, and together they embark on a dangerous and often unpleasantly interrupted quest. At the same time, Nonna Maria learns that her dear friend Captain Murino is being targeted by a group of assassins who are seeking to avenge the imprisonment of one of their most important associates.

In typical Nonna Maria fashion, she employs her most creative, sometimes unorthodox and almost always comical methods to protect and defend the people of the island whom she cares about most.

This is more than your average cozy. There's lots of intrigue and danger inside this quick read. Nonna Maria is a delight. She's a shrewd, sharp, Italian grandmother, who, of course, is an exceptional cook. My mouth watered for the Italian dishes. In addition to Nonna Maria, there's a whole cast of colorful, vibrant characters. The gorgeous setting of the island of Ischia, Italy, comes alive within the pages. I was thoroughly entertained!

P.S. I will post reviews on Amazon, B&N and Goodreads. Thank you for allowing me to read and review this book!

Review of Advance Reader’s Uncorrected eBook File

Maurizio Carnale sits in an outdoor café ion the island of Ischia waiting for his double espresso. No one knows he has come to this place for the specific purpose of killing a man.

Meanwhile, Nonna Maria is enjoying her espresso in the company of two of her granddaughters. At their insistence, she tells them [yet again] a special story, the story of the creation of Ischia.

When Paolino Iacone dies, he leaves his granddaughter, Rita, with a secret map showing the location of her inheritance. She asks Nonna Maria for help finding the treasure hidden in the rocky coastal caves.

Will Nonna Maria and Rita find the hidden treasure before others are able to snatch it away? And will the assassin succeed in his murderous quest?

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The third of the Nonna Maria tales, the book has sufficient backstory to work as a standalone. One of the strengths of the story is the focus on loyalty and friendship.

The delightful island setting, charming main character, and intriguing mystery all work together to draw the reader into the telling of the tale from the outset. Expect ruthless treasure hunters, pirates, and criminals as the unfolding story takes readers on an exciting adventure of discovery.

Aside from the treasure hunt, the tension and suspense of the hired assassin stalking Captain Murino keeps the pages turning as fast as possible.

Readers who enjoy adventure, mystery, and strong friendships will find much to appreciate here.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Bantam and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
#NonnaMariaandtheCaseoftheLostTreasure #NetGalley

This was my first introduction to Nonna Maria, good lady of Ischia, and the first book I have read featuring this location. In my travels I have not had the privilege to visit this island but it is well described in this book that features the caves and "lost" treasure that many are attempting to find. There is a good bit about crime and attitudes toward carabinieri, but the focus is on a solid foundation of loyal friends and how they approach life.
Thanks to this introduction I plan to backtrack to the first books of this series as the characters have admirable traits.

Love Nonna Maria - a no nonsense widow who treasures family and friends, always willing to lend
a hand. She is asked to help a young woman whose grandfather left behind a map where a treasure
is hidden. Nonna is also concerned about her friend Captain Paulo Murino who has not been forgotten
by the crime boss he put away. With the help of friends, Nonna must find the treasure before others do
and also find a way to keep the Captain safe from the men sent to kill him.
Interesting characters, different backgrounds and interests. A highly entertaining read - looking forward
to Nonna's next adventure.
#NonnaMariaandtheCaseoftheLostTreasure #NetGalley

This is the third clever mystery about Nonna Maria on the island of Ischia off the coast of Naples Italy. Nonna Maria is a grandmother with many friends, children, and grandchildren and still in pretty good condition for her age. Police Captain Paolo Murino put a crime boss in prison on the mainland many years ago. Now Murino and Nonna Maria hear the man is sending men to Ischia to kill Murino. Meanwhile, Nonna Maria's friend Rita's grandfather has recently died and left her a map showing where he has hidden the treasures he had collected. The map of the rocky caves on the coast from her grandfather will help her to find her inheritance. Nonna Maria, and her friends the Pirate and the Magician are ready to help Rita. However, the caves are very dangerous, and other treasure seekers are coming to Ischia.

The book becomes very exciting as the friends try to protect Murino and his fiance and other friends to beat the treasure hunters in the caves. Nonna Maria is in trouble when some of the bad men capture her during the Feast of St. Anne. Will her friends find her in time? Can they save Murino? And will Rita get her inheritance.

I thank Ballantine Books and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC to read before publication.

What is not to love about this series? Great characters, enchanting setting, and delicious food! (Wish it came with recipes!)
This latest book in the series has Nonna Maria helping the granddaughter of a friend, and at the same time helping her friend, the chief of police. Both are on a mission that will require help to accomplish. One is in seek of a family treasurer, the other is trying to survive from his past. As always Nonna to the rescue in more ways than one.
This series, and this latest book, is such fun to read. Filled with people the reader would love to know. A must read for all those cozy mystery lovers out there.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Nonna Maria and the Case of the Lost Treasure by Lorenzo Carcaterra is third in a mystery series following Nonna Maria, an older widow living on the island of Ischia who is set in her ways and fiercely protects her friends. In this installment, she helps an old family friend find a lost treasure along with helping her carabinieri captain friend against a hit man.

I’ll preface this by saying I haven’t read the first two yet, but I didn’t feel like I needed it. I was able to get a good introduction to the myriad characters without having done so. I also felt like I got to know the island of Ischia well as the story was deeply rooted in it and its history.

I found the writing itself to be subpar. The author spent a lot of time telling things (for example, when the carabinieri captain POV says that the carabinieri is like “our FBI.” Or Nonna Maria explains the history of the Widows to two of the group members. But once I got past that, it was a cute story and I enjoyed the characters and how the story unfolded through all their POVs.

I actually ordered the first two books before I finished, because it was a light, easy read (despite the heavy nature of what was happening) and I did enjoy it. I look forward to seeing more.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for allowing me to read this book as an ARC so I could give an honest review.

This was another winner in the Nonna Maria series. It had a great mystery to it. And I enjoyed the adventure elements to this book. It had what I enjoyed from the first 2 books of the series and from Lorenzo Carcaterra's writing. The characters felt like they belonged in this world and were the same people from the first couple of books. The story itself worked really well and I'm glad I got to read it. I hope there's more in the series, because each one has been a great mystery novel and I've enjoyed what I read.

My favorite Greek Island grandma looks after her friends and family. She’s a powerful force when she sets her mind to something. Her life brings to mind simpler times when word of mouth was how you kept up socially. She lives where history goes back thousands of years, where locals trace ancestry by generations. You could certainly read as a standalone but all in the series are very good. The lovely setting encompasses a feeling of community, family, food, friends and neighbors. It relates a sense of heritage and the importance of where we came from and who we’ve loved along the way. Reading about Nonna is a twofer, I’m transported to a place I’d love to visit and a mystery to solve. This case has the local Captain Murino facing off against criminals from his past position. While Nonna enjoys her own cup of excellent espresso or glass of wine (never water!). An old friend leaves his granddaughter a secret map to unravel. If it’s to be believed, there’s a hidden treasure. There will be caves, pirates, castles and criminals to navigate in order to get answers. Another fantastic adventure with Nonna!
An uncorrected advanced reader’s copy of “Nonna Maria and the Case of the Lost Treasure” Nonna Maria #3, by Lorenzo Carcaterra, publishers Random House, Ballentine, was provided by NetGalley. Expected publication date 05/07/2024. These are always all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

Nonna Maria is at it again! As an older widow who has grown up in Ischia, she knows about everybody and everything that is happening in her part of the world. She relies on her background, extensive family and friends, and, most of all, her intelligence to help solve crimes and bring her precious island peace. The local caribineri trust her judgment and often rely on her innate abilities.

In the current volume, Nonna Maria’s good friend Captain Murino is threatened by a man he put in jail many years earlier. Murino and his fiancée are in grave danger. At the same time, on another part of the island, there is supposedly hidden treasure waiting to be found. Do the good guys get there first?

Another great book in the Nonna Maria series! Once again Nonna Maria must help her friends. This time she is helping her friend locate a lost treasure and keeping her good friend Captain Murino of the Caribineri and his fiancee safe from an assassin who is out to kill him for putting a criminal behind bars years ago. Not only does she make plans to keep her friends safe but also has time to teach her granddaughters to make pizza and to make elaborate meals for her friends. Warning - You will want to out for an Italian dinner after reading this book. This is the third book in the series. If you haven't read the previous Nonna Marie series you should.
Thanks to Random House and Netgalley for allowing me to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I try to avoid picking up books mid-series but I was drawn to both the cover and description when this book showed up in an email. I’m glad I took the chance. With a lovely cast of characters and a great setting, it was a nice read.

A target of a decades-long revenge plot, Captain Murino turns to Nonna Maria for help. On the other side of the island of Ischia, another person connected to Nonna Maria offers forth an old treasure map. This, too, is brought to Nonna Maira and the book follows both plot lines.

It took some getting used to the dual plot in a cozy mystery, at least how it was presented here. Both were easy to follow, I just can’t recall ever reading a book with this format in this particular genre. There is a great deal of action in the book which helped keep both plots moving along well.

Though third in the series, Nonna Maria and the Case of the Lost Treasure stands well on its own. As with any series, I think you get the best experience reading in over, however, I didn’t find it completely necessary. That said, I would love to go back and read the first two books.

A huge thanks to Random House and NetGalley for providing me with a free digital ARC of the book!

food, island-life, assassins, secrets, lies, investigations, protection, Italy, Italian-customs, historical-places-events, historical-research, historical-setting, history-and-culture, friendship, friends, local-law-enforcement, local-gossip, cozy-crime, widow, senior-citizens, amateur-sleuth, septuagenarian, relationships, relatives, family-history, family, false-identities, caves, revenge*****

I've been waiting for this! This is NOT an unbiased review as I love each book in series and will make sure to get the audio because print copies have a way of walking away with friends and family. Nonna Maria has two major issues going on plus we get a detailed history lesson of people and deeds done on the island during WW2 (and smugglers anytime). The story has it all: revenge, romance, carabinieri, assassins, friendship, false identities, and fascinating aspects of history. Terrific read!
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam via NetGalley. Thank you!
Available 07 May 2024 #NonnaMariaBk3

Nonna Maria has lived her entire life on the island of Ischia. She is familiar to all for her kindness, generosity, local knowledge, and ability to solve problems, particularly if they involve crimes. To her, though, it is not solving crimes, it is helping friends. She is quite resourceful. Everyone loves her; even the head of the Comorra.

Once again, there are two “cases” in which she becomes involved. Her good friend, the captain of the carabinieri, has become the target of assassins as revenge for his having arrested a crime lord years ago in Florence. She also teams up with some local characters to help the granddaughter of a deceased friend find treasure that he hid in one of Ischia’s caves years ago. Both cases place Nonna Maria in danger.

This is a cozy mystery Italian style with wine and espresso instead of tea. Nonna Maria is a beguiling older woman known not only for her wiles but also for serving wine, her special coffee, and delicious homemade food and pastries. She is surrounded by unique and equally charming characters.

This is the third in the series; it would work as a standalone. Read this book and the series not only for the mysteries, which are interesting, but also to savor island life and appreciate the special charm of Nonna Maria. And, oh, those descriptions of Italian food! Yum!

Nonna Maria and her cast of friends is back to solve another mystery and stop an even bigger crime. First the mystery, an old friend has passed and left his granddaughter a map to possible hidden treasure. Can Nonna Maria and her cast of friends solve the clues and find the hidden treasure without it being stolen by other treasure hunters? The bigger crime you ask? Captain Murino, the local carabinieri is being targeted by assassins from Northern Italy. Although hesitant to put anyone in danger, he may need Nonna Maria and her friends to help stop the assassins.

I enjoyed this book, the setting, the characters are funny and fun. A pirate in a speedo and bandana who can beat that. I was a bit disappointed with the assassin story, I figured out who the culprit behind the hit was fairly quickly as it was quite obvious to me. Although, the plot was fine and it explained what was behind the hit, it felt unoriginal. Overall, a good read, I do enjoy the characters and the setting quite a lot. Those make for an enjoyable read.

This was such a great cozy mystery! I really enjoyed every aspect of this book! Lorenzo Carcaterra did an amazing job bringing both the characters and the setting to life, while at the same time telling a really enjoyable story. I was hooked from the first chapter and I never wanted to put this book down! Two brilliant mysteries in one book and Nonna Maria is such a lovable character. I can't ask for anything better from a cozy mystery. Not only is Nonna Maria a great character, but so is everyone else! I think Captain Murino is one of my favorites, but everyone in this book has such depth to them that it really elevates the story for me.

I read Nonna Maria and the Case of the Lost Treasure without having read the previous two books in the Nonna Maria series, but didn't have a problem getting into this one at all! Though, because I enjoyed it so much I absolutely plan to read the other books when I get the chance. And I suspect having read the other books would have made me love and appreciate this one more.

Definitely a top tier cozy mystery that I'd recommend to anyone looking for something in this genre. Nonna Maria and the Case of the Lost Treasure is somehow thrilling and heartwarming at the same time and I really enjoyed it! I hope there are future books because I can't wait to see more of Nonna Maria and her friends! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC of Nonna Maria and the Case of the Lost Treasure in exchange for an honest review!

Nonna Marie is on a mission to save the life of the Captain of the caribineri from an unauthorized hit. She uses her connections to assist the Captain. In addition she brings her close connections to smugglers to aid in a search for missing treasure. Nonna Maria is a wonder. i always laugh when she says she doesn't drink water. Another fun book.

Nonna Maria is an elderly widow living on the island of Ischia, off the coast of Italy. She's worn black since her husband died years ago. She befriends and is a friend to all who live on the island, including Captain Murino, head of the carabinieri, who life is now in danger from members of an organized crime ring which he broke up several years ago. Some of those members are still serving prison terms and biding their time.

Her young friend, Rita, comes to her with a fragment of a map, showing treasure buried in a cave. Nonna Maria is also friends with other semi-retired criminals and those who lived on the edges of the law. Nonna Maria knows just who to call for help and get the treasure to Rita. Of course, there is no honor among thieves, who knows if Rita will end up with the treasure or not.

Third in the series ( this is the first one I have read), the story celebrates friendship and loyalty and sharing genuine concern for others. And Nonna Marie, an elderly woman, is one sharp cookie. A delightful read.

This is such a fun cozy series! I really love the world of Ischia and its colorful characters. Carcaterra has done a really lovely job crafting a universe that is endearing, heartwarming, and full of mischief - and just enough action and adventure to keep things interesting. Nonna Maria is such a delight, and I'm enjoying the burgeoning relationships between her and the other residents.