Murder in Portofino is an amazing read giving you a taste of Italy with a murder mystery rolled into one.

You are told the story of Dan and his dog Oscar solving a murder on a luxury yacht.

The descriptive works allows you to escape and imagine that you are in the action and in Portofino yourself.

Poor Dan it seems like anywhere he goes in Italy, a murder and thus investigation is sure to follow, He really should stop cursing every destination with his presence!

He and Anna are enjoying a holiday in Portofino and surrounding resorts when he overhears an alarming conversation, and then ends up drawn into once again helping the local police.

This time the murder is connected most likely to a super yacht of TV comics and execs that is moored in Portofino. Although the name of the yacht - Regal Princess had me thinking of the real life cruise ship of the same name every time I saw it written.

There are some truly unlikable people on board this yacht, and i was never completely sure who I thought the main suspect was.

i will say though that Oscar on a dinghy is a hilarious thought and really did make me laugh.

Oscar, Dan's faithful partner in crime is just as wonderful as you have come to expect, and really should get top billing given how smart he is!

Loved the descriptions of Portofino, which reminded me of my whistle stop visit there a few years ago, and once again T. A. Williams totally transported me to Italy.

This is another wonderful addition to this fabulous series. I can't wait to see where the next murder might occur!

Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Murder in Portofino is T.A. Williams eighth book in the Armstrong and Oscar Cozy Mystery series. Once again, the reader is transported to Italy where Dan Armstrong works as a private investigator. This time, while on a brief vacation with his girlfriend, Anna, Dan is drawn into a missing person case and then a murder.

Overall, I’ve enjoyed this series, but lately it seems to be falling a bit short. The mysteries are becoming more and more predictable and the repetition of theories and facts in this book feel like fillers rather helping to move the story along. Moreover, Anna can be very annoying, whiny, and often self-centered. In this book she was a little better, but she also wasn’t present for part of the story, so there’s that.

My other complaint, and it seemed more prominent in this book as well, is the often-mentioned Oscar. I’m a dog lover for sure and I enjoy the presence of a pup in a mystery or any book for that matter. But, in this instance there is continual reference to Dan’s dog – receiving a bowl of water, a handful of biscuits, his fondness for water, and so on and this is all repeated more than once. Oscar, while he’s an amazing dog, is mentioned too often for my enjoyment of the story.

On the other hand, the descriptions of Italy, including history, architecture, and food are definitely wonderful additions to this series. I always enjoy the “tours” that each book offers. But this time, even that couldn’t salvage the mystery itself. I give this book a 2.5 stars but will bump it up to 3. NetGalley provided an advance reader copy.

Dan and Oscar continue their tour of Italy's most beautiful spots to commit a murder or two. For this adventure, we're in the celebrity playground of Portofino. Recovered from his accident at the end of the last book, Dan, his girlfriend Anna and Oscar are on holiday when they get mixed up in another murder. This author is amongst the best at describing his locations I've come across and so as well as getting involved in a murder/mystery, we take a trip around one of the most beautiful places on Earth. A wonderfully written novel, with terrific characters and a cracking story. Cosy mystery doesn't come much better than this. Mt thanks to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the reading copy.

Book Review: Murder in Portofino

I just finished Murder in Portofino by T.A. Williams, and I can’t express enough how much I enjoyed this latest installment in the Armstrong and Oscar cozy mystery series. As a fan of cozy mysteries, this book delivered everything I was hoping for and more.

Dan Armstrong, our protagonist and former private investigator, is trying to take a well-deserved break in the stunning setting of Portofino. I loved how Williams painted the picturesque Italian landscape—it truly transported me to a sun-drenched paradise. Dan’s desire for a relaxing holiday quickly takes a turn when he overhears a heated argument among a group of celebrities vacationing on a nearby yacht. This twist sets the stage for an intriguing mystery that kept me on my toes.

When a body washes ashore, the plot thickens. I found myself drawn into the web of secrets and deceit among the celebrity cast, eager to uncover whether it was a tragic accident or something more sinister. Williams has a knack for weaving tension into his narratives, and I appreciated how he balanced the cozy elements with a genuine sense of danger.

Dan’s relationship with his dog, Oscar, added a delightful touch. Their dynamic is heartwarming and provided some lighthearted moments amidst the suspense. I found myself laughing at their antics while also rooting for Dan to solve the mystery.

The pacing was spot on; I was hooked from the first chapter and couldn’t put it down until I reached the satisfying conclusion. The twists kept me guessing, and I loved how everything came together in a way that felt both surprising and believable.

Overall, Murder in Portofino is a delightful blend of charm, humor, and suspense, making it the perfect cozy read. If you enjoy a good mystery set in a beautiful location, I highly recommend picking this one up. I can’t wait to see what adventures await Dan and Oscar next!

Such a great read! Highly recommend this one.

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

A good read. This is the first book I've read in this series featuring Dan Armstrong and his dog Oscar who I thought the star in this story I did enjoy it and it was a great location and aell written but think it would appeal more to readers who live a good murder mystery and I don't think I would wast to read any more. I have really enjoyed other books by this author

Dan Armstrong has retired from the police in the UK and retired as a private detective when he is on vacation in Portofino, Italy, and asked to investigate first a missing person and then a series of murders connected to crew and passengers on a yacht in Portofino harbor. Excellent police procedural and cozy detective fiction; lots of sleuthing, corruption and violence along with a good story line. Enjoy the atmosphere and the clues.

Another great read from this author. I love these as they are interesting, relaxing and twisty. Always in lovely locations so you feel the sunshine. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

These books staring Dan and his faithful side kick Oscar keep getting better and better as I read each new story. They are always entertaining and fun despite involving such a serious subject as murder. A major bonus to this series is the beautiful Italian setting and this one involves a new wealthy setting and a super yacht to top off the gorgeous scenery which is always so well described you could almost see yourself there.
The twists and turns of the mystery are really entertaining, and a total page turner. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I love reading this cozy mystery series that takes place in Italy. It is great armchair travel. I enjoyed revisiting these characters.

I have been following the cozy crime series about private detective Dan Armstrong, ex-DCI of the London Metropolitan Police, and his Labrador Oscar - not completely and regularly - for some time now, and I always find it really entertaining, so I was naturally excited about the latest adventure :-). Dan is retired and settled in Tuscany a few years ago, and all of his cases take place in a different great place in this region - and now Portofino. Wonderful, idyllic old fishing town in Liguria (ok, not exactly Tuscany this time, but right next door), high society hotspot, and beautiful tourist destination - I was there ages ago, and have now traveled there again for literary reasons, many thanks to the author for that alone :-)

Briefly on the plot; Dan and his girlfriend Anna treat themselves to a few well-earned days of vacation in Rapallo and Portofino, and everything could be so relaxed and great if - how could it be otherwise - a body wasn't found in the harbor in Portofino. Based on the characteristics, Dan knows that he knows the victim and can at least help with identification, so he goes to the local Carabinieri station. They promptly hire him as a translator to interview an English yacht crew, and it's clear that Dan will be involved in the ongoing investigation....The guests on the yacht in question are all VIPs from British television - including an old acquaintance of Anna's, and so both of them quickly find themselves in illustrious company. And the romantic vacation quickly turns into an investigative trip against a fascinating vacation backdrop.....
I don't want to give away much more, because the novel only has about 200 eBook pages, and can therefore be read relatively quickly.

My reading impression: First of all, the local color is worth highlighting. That always comes across really well in Williams' crime novels, and here too I had the feeling of being there in person in beautiful Portofino. The holiday feeling is always guaranteed with this series! And I've also grown fond of the characters. Dan, Anna, Oscar - a cool team. Williams writes as quickly as usual, we always have lots of action, there's never a dull moment. But - and yes, what can I say, with such short stories there's unfortunately not that much content. The case here was relatively straightforward, there weren't too many twists and unexpected events, and as a fan of the series a lot of things were predictable. The fact that Dan, the main character, keeps more or less stumbling over the bodies and offers his services as an English-Italian translator to the local police is not a new trick, he does it often, and every Carabinieri station is always delighted to meet him and include him in the investigation. Yes, it always fits well into the story, but I find it a bit unbelievable in the long run. Hmmmmm. I'm a bit torn as to how to judge it. On the one hand, this case was entertaining again, but if you've already read several books in the series, it was also a bit predictable, and so it didn't grab me as much as I expected. And given how short the whole thing is, you can't really expect something outrageous. I'll say: as a fan, you'll still appreciate it :-), but Williams can do better :-).
Nevertheless: Many thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for the review copy!

This story set in stunning surroundings so beautifully descriptive that one gets a bit side tracked from the detective murder mystery that the genre actually is.

Armstrong with his girl friend is on a long planned weekend in the seaside town of Rappallo along with the faithful Oscar, when first one case and then the second fall into his lap literally. One a missing girl, quickly found fortunately and the second the dead body the couple find, and arguments overheard which may be linked to the case, followed by another murder which upsets who the murder suspect may be .

Set amongst celebrities on a luxury yacht, with tensions in the group simmering just beneath the facade, the story brings into play another Detective from the Portafino police who I hope will reappear in another story.

Very good, light reading and very entertaining.

After retiring a couple of years earlier, former Scotland Yard Detective Dan Armstrong moved to Italy, intending to be come a writer. Instead, he got involved with a murder, and ended up pursuing a career as a private investigator. He’s taking a vacation with his girlfriend Anna to Portofino, a city on the Italian Rivera. His four-legged side kick, Oscar is with him as well.

Unfortunately after a day or two of peace and relaxation, trouble starts - a body washes up on the shore. Dan recognizes him as belonging to a group of British media celebrities, vacation on a super yacht moored nearby. And while he does try to stay in holiday mode, he gets pulled into the investigation.

Like the other books I’ve read about Dan and Oscar’s cases, it doesn’t try to be too twisty or groundbreaking. It’s entertaining and relaxing - not a high stress, tension investigation, with lots of descriptions of beautiful scenery. Oscar, as always, is charming.

Highly recommended - a perfect beach read! I received a copy of this from NetGalley.com that I voluntarily chose to review.

Murder in Portofino is the eighth Armstrong and Oscar cozy destination mystery by T.A. Williams. Released 1st Aug 2024 by Boldwood Books, it's 247 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free. The other books in the series are also currently available on KU.

This time, expat former policeman Dan Armstrong and his trusty canine sidekick Oscar are again drawn into helping solve a missing persons case in beautiful Portofino. Dan's ostensibly along to facilitate translations in English for the police and witnesses, but his insights are valuable and he and Oscar are, as always, central to the story.

The plotting is solid and the dialogue and characterizations are well controlled and believable. The mystery, denouement, and resolution are self contained in this volume, so it works well enough as a standalone, but the writing and mystery are so well planned and executed, that it would make an excellent binge or buddy read.

It's not derivative at all, but it reminded me in a lot of good ways of Leon's exceptional Brunetti books as well as Walker's lovely Bruno, chief of police books. Fans of those authors will find a lot to enjoy here.

Four and a half stars. Highly recommended.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

A light, quick and easy read to pass the time. I enjoyed the characters immensely, especially Oscar.

The descriptions of Italy were lovely and made me want to pack up and go there (a somewhat perpetual state of mine). I enjoyed the interactions between the characters and I wonder why I haven't read any before, this being the 8th book in the series.

Definitely worth looking into.

3 and a half stars.

I'm reviewing this via NetGalley, as part of a tour with Rachel's Random Resources.

This is part of the Armstrong and Oscar Cozy Mysteries series, set in Italy. I've read one of these before, but not for quite a while, so I was looking forward to this.

Armstrong is really likeable, both as a character, and as a detective. I loved his interactions with his Labrador, Oscar; they made me smile. I found Anna to be an awesome character too, and I identified with some elements of her personality.

I also enjoy how the author works with the Italian setting, bringing it to life, as I feel that creates an escape for the reader.

This was an easy, entertaining, and enjoyable read. Cosy mysteries are one of my go-to types of books for when I need to relax, so I would probably like to read more of this series in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel's Random Resources, Boldwood Books, and to the author, for the opportunity to read and review this.

3.8 Stars
One Liner: A quick and easy read

Dan Armstrong decides to take a short holiday with his girlfriend Anna and plans a trip to Portofino. The tiny seaport village is quite popular and brimming with tourists. Turns out even the British celebs are holidaying there and enjoying on a luxurious yacht.
However, all is not well, and soon there is a dead body on the shore. Is it an accident or a murder? Seems Dan will have to get back on the job even during his holidays.
The story comes in Dan’s first-person POV.


My Thoughts:
Who doesn’t live a virtual tour of Italy for free of cost? That’s what I enjoy with this series. And of course, there’s food and murder. We visit the tiny but busy port village of Portofino and meet some British TV celebs with a never-ending supply of alcohol.
Dan is certainly more mindful about not letting his detective instincts take over his life and affect his relationship with Anna. But then, it is a part of who he is, so how long can he really stay away from solving a crime?
Oscar (black Labrador) does what he always does – eat, sleep, get pampered by ladies, and help Dan in unlikely ways. Anna has more presence in this one. Her mixed feelings about the cases come across well, and she is quite mature (or so it seems so far).
The mystery is intriguing. In fact, we have three threads (maybe even four). Two of them connect at a certain point, though you’ll have to read and find out whether they affect the other two or not.
We meet yet another police officer in this book. They have a different department for crimes in the waters. Dan sure manages to find friendly investigating officers most of the time (with exceptions, of course). It sure makes things easier if not always realistic. However, one can’t help but wonder how much better it would be if this happened often in real life.
There’s quite a bit of questioning and discussing about motives and secrets. However, the case is straightforward. The reveal is logical but felt a little too easy even for a cozy mystery. But since the entire mystery is solved in less than three days, I’m not complaining.
To summarize, Murder in Portofino is a quick and light read with beautiful destinations, great food, some sleuthing, and Oscar’s antics. It should work well as a standalone.
Thank you, NetGalley and Boldwood Books, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Dan’s former marriage fell apart because of the job – when he was a DCI with the Metropolitan Police, and the long hours made life with him impossible – but, now he’s a private investigator living and working in Italy, he’s finding it every bit as difficult to switch off. And poor Anna – she was hoping a proper break in Portofino would be good for their new relationship, but a missing girl, an overheard conversation and the discovery of a murder victim find her frequently abandoned and left on the quayside when Dan feels compelled to offer his assistance to the beleaguered local police, who are only too pleased to have him on board (in more ways than one).

The murder victim is one of a group staying on one of the luxury yachts – a collection of people from the TV industry, some of them well known, many of them particularly difficult and unlikeable, and all with differing reasons for not being particularly distressed about the loss of one of their own. A second grisly discovery complicates the picture even further – and Dan and Oscar get increasingly involved in making the necessary links, sorting out the suspects, and trying to establish what happened.

As always, every single character is quite wonderfully drawn – and the plot is overflowing with red herrings and false trails, making you convinced you’ve solved it all ahead of them, only to find yourself at another dead end. I enjoyed the insights into the complexities of law enforcement in the area too – different areas of administration and responsibility, frequently tripping over each other. And we also see the darker underbelly of the rich people’s playground – but it takes a while to establish its connection with the investigation.

Oscar, as always, proves invaluable in winning people over, especially enthusiastically if they’re female or carrying food – and while he might not get the chance to throw himself into the onboard pool, he certainly has his moments in the water, as well as being particularly pivotal in concluding the investigation. There are the loveliest touches of humour throughout, from Oscar’s interventions and Dan’s observations – and, of course, the most beautiful setting, so vividly drawn and infused with Italian sunshine, along with plenty of opportunities to taste the local cuisine.

Such an engaging story, so entertaining throughout but with more than enough complexity to the plot to satisfy any crime reader – this was a wonderful addition to this lovely series, and I really couldn’t recommend it more highly. But as for Dan’s relationship with Anna – I do hope she thinks Dan’s worth it and can put up with being sidelined for just a little longer…!

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'Murder In Portofino' by T. A. Williams .
Yet another murder mystery from the fantastic story teller T.A.Williams. The storyline had me hooked immediately and I love the way that Dan goes about his detective work and how Oscar is by his side helping him to put people at ease. There was so much going on that it kept me entertained thoroughly throughout with mystery after mystery and clue after clue. It was filled with mystery, laughter, stunning scenes, secrets, murder, clues, music, doggy treats, tension, danger, suspense and so much more!! It is absolutely perfect to read either curled in front of the fire or lying on a beach which not many books can achieve. I never did work out who the killer was and was completely shocked when they were discovered. A great achievement as I am a huge crime fan and tend to work out who did what quite early on. The atmosphere was perfectly suited to the mystery and I loved the stunning settings on the superyacht and in Portofino. TA Williams evocative writing skills made me feel like I had been swept away to Portofino and I was walking along trying to solve the crime and mystery along with Dan and Oscar. I got completely sucked in to the storyline and ended up devouring it in one sitting of several hours so make sure you clear your schedules and get ready to go on a fantastic murder mystery holiday. I enjoyed getting deeper into this series and look forward to meeting Dan and Oscar each and every time I open a new book in this fantastic series. I wont say anymore about that as I don't want to spoil anything for future readers by giving too much away. I also enjoyed how everything weaved together nicely towards the end and there wasn't any loose threads as a pet hate is ending a book with unsolved mysteries. A fantastic addition to this brilliant series which is called 'Murder In Verona' and is available to preorder now ready for its release on the 3rd November!!
Although this is the eighth book in the series I would have had absolutely no problems reading it without the others. Any details or events that have previously happened are mentioned in just the right amount of detail to let a new reader know what has happened and yet not too much to bore a previous reader.

I absolutely loved meeting our main protagonist Dan and of course Oscar in this fantastic addition to this brilliant series. I was fascinated watching the character development from the first book I met them in all the way to this book and I'm looking forward to how Dan started right at the beginning and to continuing to read this series to watch his character continue to grow, especially after reading the first chapter of book one which has me even more intrigued!! Each and every time I pick up one of the books in this series it feels like I am meeting up with old friends again and I love seeing what they are getting up to in each storyline. They are all strong, realistic and leap out of the pages while turning them! I have to admit though that my favourite character just had to be Oscar!! As a huge animal lover myself any books that include animals gets bonus points for me and this one got mega points as Oscar played a main part!! He is such a sweet but mischievous boy and absolutely adorable!! I love how several of the characters personalities changed when they come across him and I must say who can blame them? Oscar can definitely turn a frown upside down! I also enjoyed meeting all the different characters that we meet throughout the book and each of them had their own unique personality and part to play which they played perfectly. They were all well rounded, strong, realistic with their own quirks and personalities. Some of the characters in this storyline were unlikeable but then what fun would it be if we loved all the characters in a book!! There was the perfect amount of characters to keep you guessing who the killer is and I enjoyed trying to work out who was hiding what even though I kept getting it wrong!! I'm looking forward to meeting Dan and Oscar again in previous and future books in this series!!!
Overall a fun and easy to read page turning cosy murder mystery with the perfect amount of crime, history and humour that will keep you turning the pages.

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