Last Updated on April 22, 2026
There must be something about setting a mystery novel in a beautiful place that adds to its appeal. That’s certainly the case with Murder in Tuscany, by the brilliant author T. A. Williams.
From the get-go, this reads like a classic whodunnit, complete with a spectacular location, a relatively closed setting for the murder, a limited number of suspects all under one roof, and a really likeable and clever lead detective.
There is so much to like about this book that even if you don’t read this whole review, you should definitely pick up a copy or add it to your ‘must-read list.
It is the first book in a series of eight in what has now become known as the Armstrong and Oscar Cozy Mysteries.
I downloaded it on Kindle Unlimited and am delighted to report that the first seven books are available. The eighth has just been released, so you have to buy it.
So, with those details out of the way, let’s get straight into the plot and what makes the book so totally engaging!
A Writing Course in Tuscany
Our protagonist is Dan Armstrong, a recently retired Chief Inspector in the Met, London.
As a farewell present, his colleagues chipped in and bought him a two-week writing course at the stunning Villa Volpone, run by a best-selling author, Jonah Moore.
Just one teeny problem, though…it’s an erotic writing course that his colleagues allegedly didn’t realize, though Dan isn’t quite sure about that!
Despite this, he decides to go ahead with it anyway. With ten other budding writers, Jonah Moore, his wife Maria, his sister Millicent, the tutor Serena, the cook, and the butler, it’s a busy affair, but in a huge villa nestled in the Tuscan countryside, everybody is happy.
Well, everybody except Jonah, that is. He’s brash, rude, drinks too much and is overall a bit of a bully and letch. And, it turns out, he doesn’t even own the villa, his wife does.
So, when a few days into the course, Jonah is found dead in the dining room, having seemingly been stabbed through the heart by his own Silver Dagger award, not many tears are shed at his demise.
But the crime still needs to be solved, which falls to Virgilio of the Florence Police. But Dan has recently met up with Virgilio (friend of a friend thing) and soon, despite being retired, finds himself drawn back into the world of solving murders.
So, which of the Villa’s residents is capable of such a crime? And, more importantly, why? Sure, Jonah Moore was a jerk, but did he really deserve to die?
A Three-Pronged Problem
As it turns out, solving the murder is not straightforward, and certainly not when the pathologist reveals that Moore was actually killed with cyanide, then stabbed through the heart within an hour of the first crime AND there was a second poison in his wine bottle.
So, did one person do all three, or did three different people all try to kill him at the exact same time?
That is the puzzle that Dan must unravel. However, this book is great because Dan is merely helping Virgilio, so a full-on police investigation doesn’t dominate the whole book.
I would go so far as to say that the central mystery unfolds alongside Dan’s life, which, given his recent separation from his wife, has turned his world a bit upside down.
So, Murder in Tuscany is as much about Dan finding himself again as it is about Jonah Moore’s death, and both are equally compelling.
I’m not kidding when I say that I even wanted to move to Italy when I read this book. Florence is definitely on my bucket list now!
Can You Guess Whodunnit?
Aside from the stunning location and reading about endless gastronomic delights and cold crisp wine, the general point is to at least be able to have a stab (see what I did there!!) at guessing who the murderer is.
Rather cleverly, there are a couple of clues, and you suddenly think you’ve picked up something Dan hasn’t. Spoiler – you haven’t. You see, Dan Armstrong is a very smart guy, and nothing gets past him.
In the end, the reveal is solid, the reasons are solid, and the book reaches a very satisfying conclusion, even if you only half-guessed the outcome.
It definitely left me wanting more, so I instantly downloaded the second book, Murder in Chianti, which I am very much looking forward to reading!
Who Would Play Dan in a Movie?
Like a lot of you out there, I always try to picture the characters as real people and when I really love a book I always wonder who would play them in a movie.
So, for instance, I always had Helen Mirren pegged as Elizabeth in the Thursday Murder Club (as did millions of others, to be fair), and in this case, I couldn’t help but see Neil Dudgeon (Midsomer Murders) as Dan Armstrong.
But here’s the twist. In the books, Dan speaks almost fluent Italian and even though the conversations are written in English, if it was turned into a film, they would have to retain some of the Italian.
A quick Google search on ‘British actors who speak Italian fluently’ led me to this little gem, and an actor absolutely perfect to play Dan – Colin Firth.
Can you imagine Mr Darcy basking in the glorious sunshine of Tuscany while also solving a murder? I sure can! So please, please, please casting Gods – make ‘Colin Firth as Dan Armstrong’ happen!!!
Of course, that’s even assuming there will ever be a movie, but a girl can dream…
