Lead Review (Foul Deeds and Fine Dying)

• Book: Foul Deeds and Fine Dying
• Location: Tuscany
• Author: Howard Curtis (Translator), Marco Malvaldi

Review Author: tripfiction

Foul Deeds and Find Dying by Marco Malvaldi

Translated by Howard Curtis

3.75*

Tuscany in 1900. A time when trade between the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Ottomans is an important talking point at male social gatherings. Wealthy agricultural entrepreneur Secondo Gazzolo is hosting a weekend get together of eclectic guests from various walks of life, including Pellegrino Artusi, gastronome (who has published a successful cookery book) AND, as it happens, amateur sleuth.

There is food aplenty and a sense of time and place that – for the most part – takes the reader back to this colourful period in history. There is mention of the new-fangled electricity and methods of canning (quite how any can would be opened was left to the ingenuity of the consumer).

And of course, given that this is a castle, there are plenty of nooks and crannies and secret places that make a perfect setting for a murder. With locked room vibes reminiscent of Agatha Christie this is an entertaining read, with nuggets of wisdom and plenty of mystery.

The cover is a delight, referencing various elements pertinent to the story. I still read it as Foul Deeds and Fine Dining because this is, in part, a real gastro experience for the senses.

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