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David P. Wagner

"An armchair travelers delight"—Publishers Weekly

One dead art collector and a gallery of suspects. This romantic weekend just turned deadly…

Translator Rick Montoya is looking forward to a quiet weekend away with his girlfriend, Betta, an art fraud investigator for the Italian Culture Ministry. Their destination: the beautiful village of Urbino, home to Renaissance masters Rafael and the lesser-known Piero della Francesca. While Betta does have official business to attend to—namely, collecting a priceless Piero drawing from a wealthy Spanish collector on the ministry's behalf—she asks Rick to join her "in case she needs an interpreter," but with other, less-official intentions in mind.

When the Spaniard is found murdered and the drawing stolen, Betta must shift back into art cop mode, and Rick's official services are required after all. As they set out to discover the identity of the killer and the whereabouts of the stolen sketch, they are drawn from Urbino's cobbled streets to eastern Tuscany and back as the list of suspects grows longer—and more dangerous. Will this lovers' getaway literally be to die for?

This captivating crime fiction novel is perfect for armchair travel, transporting you right to Italy with vivid descriptions of the scenery, food, and wine. To Die in Tuscany is sure to delight those interested in international crime mysteries, police procedurals, and fans of art and the Renaissance period will appreciate learning more about Raphael and Piero della Francesca.

Also in the Rick Montoya Italian Mysteries:

Cold Tuscan Stone

Death in the Dolomites

Murder Most Unfortunate

Return to Umbria

A Funeral in Mantova

Roman Count Down

Poisoned Pen Press

Rick Montoya Italian Mysteries

To Die in Tuscany

Rick Montoya, an American translator travelling through Italy, tries to spend his days reveling in art but soon finds himself wrapped up in a scandal

Wrapping up an interpreter job in Bassano del Grappa at a conference on artist Jacopo da Bassano, Rick Montoya looks forward to exploring the town. And it would be fun to look into the history of two long-missing paintings by the master, a topic that caused the only dust-up among the normally staid group of international scholars attending the seminar.

Bassano has much to offer to Rick the tourist, starting with its famous covered bridge, an ancient castle, and several picturesque walled towns within striking distance. He also plans to savor a local cuisine that combines the best of Venice with dishes from the Po Valley and the surrounding mountains.

These plans come to a sudden halt when one of the seminar's professors turns up dead. Rick is once again drawn into a murder mystery, this time with a pair of local cops who personify the best and the worst of the Italian police force.

At the same time he's willingly pulled into a relationship with Betta Innocenti, the daughter of a local gallery owner, who is equally intrigued by the lost paintings. They quickly realize that the very people who might know the story are also the main suspects in the murder—and that someone not above resorting to violence is watching their every move.

In David P. Wagner's signature style, Murder Most Unfortunate offers a thrilling investigation while allowing you to enjoy the food, drink, and culture of Italy without traveling yourself.

Other books in the Rick Montoya Italian Mysteries:

Cold Tuscan Stone

Death in the Dolomites

Murder Most Unfortunate

Return to Umbria

A Funeral in Mantova

Murder Most Unfortunate

A prequel to the beloved Rick Montoya Italian mystery series, Roman Count Down brings the streets of Rome to life as translator Rick Montoya comes to grips with life as a resident of The Eternal City and investigates a brutal murder in an Italian adventure unlike any other

Rick Montoya, eager to experience more of his Italian mother's culture, heads to Rome to start his own translation business. He's armed with curiosity and an appetite for local food and wine.

Rick's maternal uncle is a Roman cop with one eye to his nephew's welfare and another to how Rick might be useful, perhaps widen his career choices. So Commissario Piero Fontana pulls Rick into an investigation: the murder of Count Umberto Zimbardi.

The wealthy count enjoyed indulging a circle of convivial friends and a hobby collecting oral histories by interviewing residents in the city's centro storico. After heading home from such an afternoon, he was found dead on a bridge over the Tiber.

As a newcomer and an investigator, Rick makes rookie mistakes. He's learning the ropes as an amateur sleuth and that living in Rome is different from visiting. Plus he's distracted by a woman pressing him into service as an Italy tour guide and the arrival of a college friend on a mission to sell Argentine wine to the Vatican. But there's a dangerous countdown at play, and Rick needs to solve the case before the unthinkable happens.

Perfect for readers of Donna Leon and Martin Walker, Roman Count Down embodies David Wagner's "...usual deft mix of travel and suspense" (Kirkus Reviews). Like all the Rick Montoya mysteries, this suspenseful prequel is rich in food, drink, and local culture that will leave you feeling as if you've just taken a tour of Italy.

Roman Count Down

"Like Cold Tuscan Stone, the novel is light on its feet, with a protagonist who will strike readers as a good guy to hang around with."—Booklist

Perfect for readers of Donna Leon and Martin Walker, this thrilling addition to David Wagner's Italian mysteries immerses us in the sights, smells and tastes of Italy, this time in a picture-perfect Alpine town with a surprising dark side

Rick Montoya is looking forward to a break from his translation business in Rome—a week of skiing in the Italian Alps with old college buddy Flavio. But Rick's success helping the Italian police with a murder in Tuscany sends the Campiglio cops his way. An American banker working in Milano is missing. The man's sister, an attractive and spoiled divorcée, has no idea where he could be, nor do the locals who saw him on his way to the slopes. With the discovery of a body, Rick and Inspector Albani widen their list of suspects. Picturesque resort Campiglio harbors old rivalries, citizens on the make, and a cut-throat political campaign. Why would these local issues connect to the missing banker?

The investigation doesn't keep Rick and Flavio from enjoying perfect ski conditions in the Dolomites and glorious after-ski wines and bowls of fresh pasta. As for women—Rick has to wonder if the banker's sister is just hitting him up for information. The action heats up, testing laid-back Rick whose uncle, a Roman cop, keeps urging him to make the police his career.

A murder in the Alps makes short work of translator Rick Montoya's vacation, and he soon finds himself entrenched in the investigation. But there's more to this picturesque community than meets the eye, and it'll take a thrilling chase to solve the case before anyone else gets hurt.

Other books in the Rick Montoya Italian Mysteries:

Cold Tuscan Stone

Death in the Dolomites

Murder Most Unfortunate

Return to Umbria

A Funeral in Mantova

Death in the Dolomites

The first Tuscan book in David P. Wagner's Italian mysteries introduces us to Rick Montoya, an American translator who agrees to help catch art smugglers—and soon finds himself in over his head.

"Perfect for readers who enjoy a complex puzzle, a bit of humor, and a fairly gentle procedural. Don't miss this one."—Library Journal, STARRED review

When Rick Montoya moves to Italy to work as a translator, he doesn't expect to get involved in an investigation. But with one favor spiraling out of control, he soon finds himself fighting for his life.

Rick Montoya has moved from New Mexico to Rome, embracing the life of a translator. He's settling in to la dolce vita when a school friend who is now senior in the Italian Art Squad recruits Rick for an unofficial undercover role. Armed with a list of galleries, suspects, and an expense account, Rick arrives in Tuscany posing as a buyer for a gallery, ready to spend his days sipping wine and examining Roman artifacts to flush out burial urn traffickers.

But before sunset on Rick's first day in Volterra, a gallery employee dies in a brutal fall from a high cliff.

The local Commissario and his team consider Rick an amateur, and worse, a foreigner. And now they suspect him in the dead man's murder. While the Volterra squad pursues its leads, Rick continues to meeting his own suspects: a museum director, a top gallery owner, a low-profile import/export businessman and his enterprising color-coordinated assistant, and a sensuous heiress with a private art specialty and clientele.

As the murder mystery and the art trafficking heat up, has Rick's role made him the target of both cops and criminals?

This special first-in-series edition includes an introduction by the author, discussion guide, author interview, and excerpt from the second book in the series.

Praise for Cold Tuscan Stone:

"This is a wonderful start to a series, which should have immediate legs, and surely will thrill everyone who has lived in Italy, been to Italy, or would like to visit. As a boy I lived in both Firenze and Napoli, and reading Wagner takes me back deeply and instantly."

—Joseph Heywood, author of The Woods Cop Mysteries, The Snowfly, and The Berkut

"If you are interested in Italian art and artifacts, Italian history and culture, Italian food and wine, or even just good storytelling, then Cold Tuscan Stone will be right up your cobblestone alleyway… Simply put, this exciting, intriguing, well-written mystery extends an offer no reader should refuse."

—Amanda Matetsky, author of The Paige Turner Mysteries

"The intriguing art milieu, mouthwatering cuisine, and the team of the ironic Conti and the bemused but agile Montoya are bound to attract fans." 

—Publishers Weekly

Other books in the Rick Montoya Italian Mysteries:

Death in the Dolomites

Murder Most Unfortunate

Return to Umbria

A Funeral in Mantova

Roman Count Down

To Die In Tuscany

Cold Tuscan Stone

Rick Montoya has just moved from Santa Fe to Rome, embracing the life of a translator. He's beginning to settle in to la dolce vita when school friend Beppo, now senior in the Italian Art Squad, recruits Rick for an unofficial undercover role. Armed with a list of galleries, suspects, and an expense account, Rick arrives in Tuscany posing as a buyer for a Santa Fe gallery to flush out traffickers in priceless burial urns. However, before sunset on his first day in Volterra, the challenge intensifies. Rick has one quick conversation with a gallery employee who dies minutes later in a brutal fall from a high cliff. Has the trade in fraudulent artifacts upgraded to murder? Are the traffickers already on to Rick? The local commissario and his team consider Rick an amateur and, worse, a foreigner. Plus Rick is a suspect in what proves to be the dead man's murder. While the Volterra squad pursues its leads, Rick continues to interview his list: a museum director, a top gallery owner, a low-profile import-export businessman and his enterprising color-coordinated assistant, a sensuous heiress with a private art specialty and clientele. When Rick's girlfriend Erica, an art history professor, arrives from Rome to visit him, she rekindles a friendship with an alluring, maybe dangerous, acquaintance. Has Rick's role made him the target of both cops and criminals?

David Colacci

Blackstone Publishing

Cold Tuscan Stone: A Rick Montoya Italian Mystery

"Wagner skillfully inserts nuggets of local culture without slowing down the narrative pace, and perhaps even more importantly, he gets Italy right. He understands the nuances of Italian manners and mentality as well as the glorious national preoccupation with food."—Publishers Weekly

The most famous cathedral façade in Italy is found in Umbria—a structure of gothic spires, arches, statues, and mosaics. But as translator Rick Montoya discovers, this jewel of Umbria has a dark side

When Rick Montoya traveled to his mother's Italy from his father's Santa Fe, New Mexico, to work as a freelance translator using his dual heritage, he didn't expect to be helping the Italian police. His maternal uncle, a high-level commissioner in Rome, however, sees no reason not to use the resources at hand.

The trouble begins when Rick is asked by his uncle to go to Orvieto to talk some sense into his cousin Fabrizio, whose fling with an older married woman is embarrassing the family. Rick agrees to give it a try.

Less than a day after arrival, his language skills draw him into the brutal murder of an American visitor. The murdered woman had studied art in Italy decades earlier—why has she returned now? And when a second murder occurs in a public park—narrowly missing Rick himself—he can't help but wonder if his family has anything to do with the case.

In this addition to David P. Wagner's mystery books, a dark past casts its shadow over the picturesque city of Umbria. Is it possible to right the wrongs of the past and remain unscathed?

Other books in the Rick Montoya Italian Mysteries:

Cold Tuscan Stone

Death in the Dolomites

Murder Most Unfortunate

Return to Umbria

A Funeral in Mantova