Last Updated on April 22, 2026
If you’ve found time to read my previous review of T.A. Williams’ first Armstrong and Oscar cozy crime novel, Murder in Tuscany, you will know that I absolutely LOVED it. So much so that I instantly downloaded the second in the series, Murder in Chianti.
And let me tell you that it is just as good, if not a teeny bit better, which I thought would be impossible.
When we last left Dan Armstrong he had decided to stay in Italy, renting a farmhouse outside of Florence with his newly acquired black labrador, Oscar.
We pick up his story a few months later when he has settled into his new home, still hasn’t really spoken to his ex-wife (who left him for somebody else) and is waiting to hear back from publishers regarding his freshly completed novel.
So far, so good. Then he gets a call from Virgilio, the local police detective, regarding a murder at an exclusive local golf course…
The Death of Rex Hunter
Rex Hunter was a very wealthy businessman who moved to Italy from Australia years earlier. He bought a small golf course and, with some investment, turned it into an exclusive resort.
Now, he has been found dead in a sand bunker, and as Dan digs deeper, it turns out that almost everybody hated the guy. He was arrogant, rude, difficult, trampled on toes, and rubbed almost everybody up the wrong way – even his own children.
So, with so many suspects, how on earth can Dan and Virgilio possibly whittle down the list to uncover the murderer?
Their job is made increasingly difficult when it turns out he was also a bit of a lady’s man, leaving an ex-wife in Australia, a lover working at the resort, and a new wife, half his age, at home. In fact, there’s seemingly no shortage of women who were in love with him.
With everybody armed with solid alibis and no clear motive or evidence, this is going to be one heck of a puzzle to solve!
The Evolution of Dan
I mentioned in my previous review that one of the things I most liked about the book was that Dan Armstrong was a fantastic lead character. That hasn’t changed, and Dan is still as observant and likable as ever.
In Murder in Chianti, he is once again faced with the niggling issue of his ex-wife, who left him when she realised he would never love her as much as his job.
Can they get back together? Should they get back together? When she arrives in Florence, it all comes full circle for Dan, who must finally make a decision.
Dan has also made more friends, knows more locals, still eats amazing food, and I can’t help but envy him a little – mostly because I’m sitting here in the rain writing this, and I would love a bit of Tuscan sun right now!
There are nine books in the series and I genuinely cannot wait to read the next seven of them.
I’m not sure if there’s any point in reviewing them all here, but what I will say is that if you love a really solid whodunnit – the kind with one crime scene and a limited number of suspects then start at the beginning and work your way through this series. You’ll thank me later!
Armstrong and Oscar Books
1. Murder in Tuscany
2. Murder in Chianti
3. Murder in Florence
4. Murder in Siena
5. Murder at the Matterhorn
6. Murder at the Leaning Tower
7. Murder on the Italian Riviera
8. Murder in Portofino
9. Murder in Verona
The good news is the first eight books in the series are all included in Kindle Unlimited so if you already subscribe to it, it won’t cost you anything extra to download each book!
