Review MURDER IN THE PIAZZA By Jen Collins Moore

Maggie White and her husband Burt have temporarily relocated to Rome, Italy, for Burt’s job. The timing is great for Maggie, she was recently “downsized” from her own corporate job and is still licking her wounds. After spending time in the company of several other women in Rome’s expat community, Maggie is bored stiff. So she takes a job as assistant to Lord Philip Walpole, the aristocratic founder of Masterpiece Tours, which offers exclusive painting holidays to small groups of wealthy Americans. It only takes a few days for Maggie to realize that, despite the fact the company is housed in Lord Philip’s 19th century palace on the Piazza Navona and she’s becoming immersed in the charms of the Eternal City, Lord Philip is the worst boss she’s ever had. She wants to quit, but since her husband was against her taking the job in the first place, she decides she has to stick it out.

The current tour group is on the terrace at the palazzo, enjoying fireworks bursting over the Colosseum in honor of “Natale di Roma,” Rome’s birthday, when Maggie realizes Lord Philip isn’t with them. Puzzled by her boss’s absence, she searches for him and discovers he has been shot dead in his office. She calls the police, and when Inspector Orsini arrives, he’s already decided that Lord Philip was killed as part of a robbery. Maggie knows that she’s innocent, but she’s not so sure about the others, especially since several of them disappeared from the terrace for short periods of time during the fireworks.

Maggie decides to snoop around and discovers several clues about the murder. But when she brings the information to Orsini, he tells her he’s been ordered to close the case. Immediately.

“Murder in the Piazza” combines a well-constructed plot with a likeable protagonist and captures the flavor and history of the Eternal City. It’s a delightful visit to Rome without a passport!

Review MURDER IN THE PIAZZA By Jen Collins Moore

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