The setting for this story is stellar! I can’t wait to travel back to Positano in the next book to visit Bria at Bella Bella and see how much Marco has grown. Murder in an Italian Cafe is a top notch cozy mystery with all the things I adore about the genre- a main character I adore, charming side characters on every page, all set in a place I want to be while reading. There just happens to be a murder in the quaint, idyllic town! I had so much fun reading Murder in an Italian Cafe. I will definitely be going back to read book one in the series and will read any others published in the future.

Murder in an Italian Cafe is out Sept 24! Thank you Kensington Cozies and Netgalley for my e-arc! I always love to find new authors and series via Netgalley!!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Michael Falco for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Murder in an Italian Cafe coming out September 24, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I have the first book in the series, but I haven’t read it yet. I absolutely love cozy mysteries and I loved even more that this book was set in Italy. It’s a beautiful country. Bria is an intelligent, strong character who’s dealing with grief from the loss of her husband. She’s finally getting her dream job. I loved the book! The characters were so colorful and fun. There was a lot of depth to the writing. I would definitely check out more books by this author!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries set in Italy!

A fun and lighthearted armchair travel cozy mystery, this sequel was as enjoyable as the first book. The characters are likeable and what you'd expect to find in small-town Italy, Positano is a character itself, and the mystery included lots of twists and turns. I am rooting for Luca too. I look forward to continuing this series! Love the cover art on both books in the series.

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Despite her recent bereavement, Bria, a young widow and the story's main protagonist wants to concentrate on getting her life back together. She has a young son to raise and wants to focus on making her small but busy B&B in lovely Positano a success.
Unfortunately, she witnesses a death. An ambitious chef is murdered just as he is about to commence a cooking show and associated book tour. Bria decides she needs to investigate the murder along with her sister and her best friend.
This cosy story is a bit short on plot despite there being lots of characters and interwoven relationships. It also moves very slowly indeed. I also was not keen on Bria and found her a little boring. There are also some elements where the story feels more like a tourist guide to Positano.
All in all, a nice enough read, but not a great one.
Sincere thanks to NetGalley, Kensington Cozies and Michael Falco for the much-appreciated ARC in exchange for an honest and open review.

A delightful series that includes one of the best leading characters in literature, Bria Bertolucci. Bria is loyal, resourceful, generous, and intelligent, and the rest of the characters blend in well with the story. I love how the author uses Italian words interspersed between the English words. The descriptions of the scenery and the food of Italy are done so well, you can easily visit Italy without actually going there. Add all this up and you have a very well done mystery.

My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions expressed are
my own.

This is a new author and series for me, thanks to #Netgally, #Kensingtonbooks, and the author for a chance to read. I really enjoyed the idea of traveling to an Italian coastal luxury location. Bria's lovely B and B is in a beautiful oceanside location in a very close-knit Italian community. This is important to Bria as she is a young widow, with an eight year old son, who has made her late husband's dream come true by getting the B and B up and running and found a home. This is the second book in the series but is easy to follow if you haven't read book one. There is a lot of atmosphere and description in this book, and at one point, I almost said too much and gave up, but keep going, I am glad the interesting characters and interwoven community kept me going because in the second half we start to see Bria piece together a mystery that has many parts, twists and turns and shocking revelations. It's definitely an enjoyable read and has characters I know I will need to visit again. #MurderinanItalianCafe #ABriaBartolucciMystery #MichaelFalco #bookreview #bookideas #retiredreader

I was pleasantly surprised by this cozy murder mystery, especially since it really gave me a summery feeling with all of the Italian words and sentences sprinkled in between the dialogues. About halfway through, the story kind of slowed down, which made it a bit harder for me to finish this book. I did really like the ending, you can tell that a lot of thought was put into it.

I enjoyed Murder in an Italian Cafe, there were parts that were a little too slow of a build and overly descriptive but I did enjoy it and would definitely recommend it to friends!

I would give 3.5 if I could. I really enjoyed the descriptions of Italy, it has made me want to go there so badly. The story kept me wanting to know more and kept me engaged in ages however I found it difficult to get into at the start and even thought of not finishing it. I am glad I stuck through as I got into the story and the character and enjoyed it in the end.

The beginning was a bit slow, but it picked up after a bit of time. I enjoyed how this book was written and it left me on the edge wanting to know what was going happen.

Really enjoyed reading this book. I loved the aspect of this book and how it went through the motions and made the reader feel very sucked into the book and made me feel like there was no other thing

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to receive this book for an honest review.

I unfortunately started with this book which is book three in the series but that made me want to go back and read the others.

I enjoyed this book because of are recent trip to Italy.

It is set in Positano, Italy and Briaa is the owener of a B&B and I loved reading how she solves mysteries with the help of her friends and family.
Thanks to Net Galley I have found a new series.

amateur-sleuth, cultural-differences, cultural-assimilation, Italian-customs, Italy, bed-and-breakfast, pet-dog, widow, small-town, small-business, local-gossip, local-law-enforcement, friends, friendship, situational-humor, verbal-humor, tv-film-industry, tv-personality, murder, investigation, in-laws, Amalfi Coast, contemporary, drink-recipe, poison*****

Some readers not used to seeing a simple variety of appropriate Italian words in print should have no trouble if listening to an audiobook like many of the other popular Italian mystery authors. The publisher's blurb is a good start, but the characters are so much more fun and the plot works well with all those red herrings and sneaky plot twists. Nor does it tell that Bria is battling an attraction to that condescending police chief. Loved this one as much as the first in series!
As Norse American, I laugh my sox off every time Bria says "uffa" as we use "Uff Da"!
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Kensington Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you! Date Sep 24, 2024
*Bravo is a Segugio Italiano. A loving, flop eared scent hound probably about 40 lbs.

This book made me really want to vist Positano, great descriptions! Bria is a relatable and lovable character, and the plot is filled with unexpected twists that keep you hooked throughout. The Italian culture sprinkled throughout adds a nice touch, and loved the touch of romance within the story. I think it would be nice read if you love cozy mystery, bonus points if you read it while on holiday

3.5 stars

Young widow Bria is determined to make her b&b in Positano a success and move on with her life. She still mourns her late husband, but she has a young son to raise and a business to run. She gets sucked into murder investigations, and this time out she literally watches the victim die.

The charm in this series is the Italian location, Bria's friends and family, and her emerging independence. There is some stereotypical overemoting and drama, but also some introspection as Bria has to decide if she's ready to entertain the thought of a relationship. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you so much for this ARC! As a lover of all things Italy, I was so excited to be on another journey with Bria Bartolucci!

As much as I loved the first book, the story line of the sequel for me was more of a hit. I was so intrigued by the stardom of Chef Lugo and his history. I also enjoyed watching Bria grow as a character - a mother, a business owner and a widow. Please write book 3 so we can see some progress with Luca!

A beautiful setting, an interesting and entertaining cast of characters and a mysterious whodunnit makes for the perfect book. Bria is a youthful Nonna Maria and that is the highest praise!

Lots of critique on religion and the use of Italian in this novel - I happened to LOVE it. Bravo!

Positano, Italy and B&B owner Bria solves another mystery with the help of her friends and family. This is a fun series with great characters and I hope that there is a Book 3.

Murder in an Italian Cafe is the second book in a delightful cozy mystery series by Michael Falco. The protagonist, Bria Bartolucci, is a young widow who runs a Bed and Breakfast in Positano, on Italy’s Amalfi Coast. She has a precocious eight-year-old son, Marco; a very smart dog, Bravo; and a big, loving but opinionated, typical Italian family. As in the first book, you’ll fall in love with the gorgeous setting and the mouth-watering descriptions of Italian cuisine.

When the story opens, the whole village is excited about the arrival of Chef Lugo, a celebrity TV chef, who has just published a book of his signature recipes. A segment of his cooking show will be filmed at the Café Positano, and Chef Lugo will later do a signing at the local bookstore. A member of the production crew is staying at Bella Bella, Bria’s B&B.

Many of the townspeople turn up at Café Positano to watch the live production. The café owner, Bria’s friend Annamaria, must run a last-minute errand unexpectedly, and the impatient director asks Bria to fill in for her on camera as Chef Lugo’s assistant. But almost as soon as filming begins, Chef Lugo suddenly drops dead. At first, everyone believes it’s from natural causes, but soon it becomes apparent that he was poisoned.

Because of her proximity to the victim when he died, Bria inserts herself into the murder investigation, as she doesn’t want the reputation of her friend’s café tarnished. Luca, the police chief and brother of Bria’s best friend, Rosalie, has learned not to immediately discount Bria’s theories. After all, her sleuthing helped solve the last murder that darkened their peaceful village. Also, the romantic chemistry between Luca and Bria continues to heat up.

Rosalie is less involved in Bria’s sleuthing in this book; perhaps because she has a new love interest. Michele, the nephew of a local mechanic, has caught her eye, but when Bria finds him hiding on the set just after Chef Lugo drops dead, Michele becomes a prime suspect. And as Bria delves into Chef Lugo’s past, she learns that Michele has a connection. This disturbing information shatters some of Rosalie's bravado.

As in the last book, suspects abound. There is tension among the production crew, and Chef Lugo was about to make an announcement that his director, Massimo, would not have liked. A mysterious woman turns up as a local tour guide, and she may be romantically linked with the deceased. And everyone seems to have a secret.

Just when the police think they have the case wrapped up, Bria puts together clues leading to new evidence that takes the investigation in another direction. Although I suspected the killer early on, I had no idea what the motive could be. The author did a good job constructing a clever mystery.

This was a very fun read!

I enjoyed the first with Bria, the second is not as enjoyable as the first. This is due to the overuse of religious content and references in this entry.

Authors need to be very careful about including religious details in their books. It’s one thing to mention some part of Faith one setting up a factor in a story or to have the setting in a church for example. But this entry just felt the religious references were way overdone and like it was from decades ago. Because while religion is still important in Italy, today it is not overdone like it is in this book. I’m hoping the author takes us into account with her next entry.

Having read the previous Bria Bartolucci mystery, I was pleased to see that there is a sequel! I love the setting and the characters of Murder in an Italian Cafe, a charming cozy mystery with a highly entertaining cast. Looking forward to a third in the series! Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for the opportunity to read the eARC.