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A Death In Tuscany
"As much a crime novel as an authoritative travelogue and wine tutorial... an enjoyable read for Tuscany aficionados in particular." - Ambassador Magazine
Filippo Trantino grows up in Tuscany and later moves to America, leaving his heart among the vines of his family’s wine estate.
After he returns home for a funeral, his cousins convince him that his grandfather’s death was no accident. While solving the crime, Filippo travels the pastoral landscapes of Tuscany, indulging in the area’s most delicious wine and food, and discovers the life he was always meant to live.
★★★★★ - "Flowing, descriptive, and emotionally evocative...charmingly handled."
★★★★★ - "Great background on Tuscan culture of wine, food and people."
★★★★★ - "The scenery and pleasures of food and wine invite the reader to experience Tuscany with all of our senses."
Filippo Trantino grows up in Tuscany and later moves to America, leaving his heart among the vines of his family’s wine estate.
After he returns home for a funeral, his cousins convince him that his grandfather’s death was no accident. While solving the crime, Filippo travels the pastoral landscapes of Tuscany, indulging in the area’s most delicious wine and food, and discovers the life he was always meant to live.
★★★★★ - "Flowing, descriptive, and emotionally evocative...charmingly handled."
★★★★★ - "Great background on Tuscan culture of wine, food and people."
★★★★★ - "The scenery and pleasures of food and wine invite the reader to experience Tuscany with all of our senses."
207 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
June 12, 2026
This was a nice lightweight mystery that spent a lot of time on food, wine, and the beautiful Tuscany scenery. There wasn’t a lot of depth and detail other than the wine making and the assorted food that was being consumed but that worked for me. Very descriptive of Tuscan culture and I enjoyed hearing about the wine 🍷 making process.
April 28, 2026
factual winemaking and mouth-watering food
This is a lovely story, hard to put down and very descriptive on winemaking in Tuscany. The food that is eaten is mouth-watering and makes you want to take a trip to Italy at the grape picking time of year so you can participate and eat your heart out.
I loved the maserati driving fast around the coast and the hills as well as the visits to the restaurants and little villages and larger tourist towns.
A book worth reading
This is a lovely story, hard to put down and very descriptive on winemaking in Tuscany. The food that is eaten is mouth-watering and makes you want to take a trip to Italy at the grape picking time of year so you can participate and eat your heart out.
I loved the maserati driving fast around the coast and the hills as well as the visits to the restaurants and little villages and larger tourist towns.
A book worth reading
May 5, 2018
A Death in Tuscany is a murder mystery by Dick Rosano. Filippo “Phil” Trantino is a thirty-two-year-old Italian-American who was born in Tuscany but raised in the United Sates since he was a child. Returning periodically to visit his grandfather at their family’s wine estate, part of his heart always remained in Tuscany. Now, his grandfather has died under suspicious circumstances which the police ruled an accident. As heir to the position of proprietor or “capo” of the family estate, Filippo always knew that he would have to decide one day whether to remain in America or return to Italy. He just never figured he’d be investigating his grandfather’s death at the same time.
A Death in Tuscany is the second novel I’ve read by Rosano and I wasn’t disappointed. Rosano’s background as a food and travel writer shines through. The narrative is flowing, descriptive, and emotionally evocative. You really feel as if you can see and are experiencing what Filippo sees and experiences as he travels around the Tuscan countryside to interview people who interacted with his grandfather or describes the activities at the vineyard. The characters are well-developed and believable, with some touches of mystery to add suspense. The romance is a good addition and charmingly handled. As a mystery, the story is gently paced. One clue leads to another, unfolding heretofore unknown facts about Filippo’s grandfather, until it all comes together like a puzzle. If you enjoy anything Italian as well as an engaging mystery, A Death in Tuscany is for you. Highly recommended.
A Death in Tuscany is the second novel I’ve read by Rosano and I wasn’t disappointed. Rosano’s background as a food and travel writer shines through. The narrative is flowing, descriptive, and emotionally evocative. You really feel as if you can see and are experiencing what Filippo sees and experiences as he travels around the Tuscan countryside to interview people who interacted with his grandfather or describes the activities at the vineyard. The characters are well-developed and believable, with some touches of mystery to add suspense. The romance is a good addition and charmingly handled. As a mystery, the story is gently paced. One clue leads to another, unfolding heretofore unknown facts about Filippo’s grandfather, until it all comes together like a puzzle. If you enjoy anything Italian as well as an engaging mystery, A Death in Tuscany is for you. Highly recommended.
November 4, 2020
Dick Rosano is a food and travel writer and that is very apparent in this mystery novel. His depictions of the Italian countryside, descriptions of food, and discussion of Italian culture are all wonderful! I wanted to read even more about life at the vineyard.
I do have to say that the mystery felt secondary to the story. There weren't clues, red herrings, or even a pool of suspects like one finds in traditional mystery stories. From the start Filipo doesn't seem very interested in figuring out who killed his grandfather or even if his grandfather was killed. He's more interested in wine, food, driving his maserati, and developing a relationship with one of the women who works at the vineyard. Ultimately the answers to the murder are revealed by somebody else who had done the researching out of the eye of the reader and I found it rather a let down. There just wasn't a puzzle for the reader to solve.
Throughout the book I really felt that a better story would have been about Filippo deciding whether or not he wanted to return to Italy to take over the winery after the death of his grandfather. The mystery wasn't really necessary because that story alone would have stood alone.
For anyone longing to travel, but who can't currently travel, this book will take you on a trip to Italy. It was beautifully written, even if the mystery was a bit of a throw away.
I do have to say that the mystery felt secondary to the story. There weren't clues, red herrings, or even a pool of suspects like one finds in traditional mystery stories. From the start Filipo doesn't seem very interested in figuring out who killed his grandfather or even if his grandfather was killed. He's more interested in wine, food, driving his maserati, and developing a relationship with one of the women who works at the vineyard. Ultimately the answers to the murder are revealed by somebody else who had done the researching out of the eye of the reader and I found it rather a let down. There just wasn't a puzzle for the reader to solve.
Throughout the book I really felt that a better story would have been about Filippo deciding whether or not he wanted to return to Italy to take over the winery after the death of his grandfather. The mystery wasn't really necessary because that story alone would have stood alone.
For anyone longing to travel, but who can't currently travel, this book will take you on a trip to Italy. It was beautifully written, even if the mystery was a bit of a throw away.
June 8, 2026
2.5
Initially, I was really loving the reading experience - the descriptions of Tuscany, the food, the wine. A lot about wine (about which I know little), which makes sense because the author is a travel and wine writer.
I know he has written a number of "mysteries," but I respectfully suggest that he not give up on travel and oenophile writing, as that seems to be where his heart is.
Because, basically, this book was about a flat character, Filippo, who inherits an estate in Tuscany from his beloved grandfather, and so returns to Tuscany from America to drive around in a Maserati, drink lots of wine, eat great food, fall in love with a gorgeous woman (disturbingly, also his employee) and, once in a while, ask someone about his grandfather, whose untimely death seems suspicious to two of Filippo's cousins. The amount of forelock-tugging, obsequious bowing-and-scraping afforded Filippo, who takes it all in stride as his due as the new capo, really turned me off.
There is a weak, unsatisfying resolution at the end, but by then, I didn't care.
Recommended to those who like reading about wine, food and Tuscan scenery, and who do not mind a weak plot threaded through the wine tour.
Initially, I was really loving the reading experience - the descriptions of Tuscany, the food, the wine. A lot about wine (about which I know little), which makes sense because the author is a travel and wine writer.
I know he has written a number of "mysteries," but I respectfully suggest that he not give up on travel and oenophile writing, as that seems to be where his heart is.
Because, basically, this book was about a flat character, Filippo, who inherits an estate in Tuscany from his beloved grandfather, and so returns to Tuscany from America to drive around in a Maserati, drink lots of wine, eat great food, fall in love with a gorgeous woman (disturbingly, also his employee) and, once in a while, ask someone about his grandfather, whose untimely death seems suspicious to two of Filippo's cousins. The amount of forelock-tugging, obsequious bowing-and-scraping afforded Filippo, who takes it all in stride as his due as the new capo, really turned me off.
There is a weak, unsatisfying resolution at the end, but by then, I didn't care.
Recommended to those who like reading about wine, food and Tuscan scenery, and who do not mind a weak plot threaded through the wine tour.
January 5, 2019
Happily Ever After is Too Easy
I enjoyed the book but honestly, I only read it because I was about to vacation in Tuscany. I lost interest midway & didn't finish reading until I returned. The description of the castello & vineyards, the wine-tasting & process were more interesting than the plot. The grandson's life was too privileged for me. He had only one problem--& even that was done for him. So his driving around in fancy cars, sleeping late, eating, drinking 24/7, & having everyone tiptoe around him in what seemed more like fear instead of respect distracted me. We never learn of any jobs he had back in the US, any commitments back home, financial concerns, etc...He gets to play Boss, throw around the family name, & he gets the girl to boot. He should have given Vito a raise at least. No struggles...too easy.
I enjoyed the book but honestly, I only read it because I was about to vacation in Tuscany. I lost interest midway & didn't finish reading until I returned. The description of the castello & vineyards, the wine-tasting & process were more interesting than the plot. The grandson's life was too privileged for me. He had only one problem--& even that was done for him. So his driving around in fancy cars, sleeping late, eating, drinking 24/7, & having everyone tiptoe around him in what seemed more like fear instead of respect distracted me. We never learn of any jobs he had back in the US, any commitments back home, financial concerns, etc...He gets to play Boss, throw around the family name, & he gets the girl to boot. He should have given Vito a raise at least. No struggles...too easy.
January 25, 2021
Life in an Italian winery
Since the vineyard was traditionally passed from grandfather to grandson it skipped a generation each time it passed and so Castello die Trantini in Tuscany passed from Nonno Fillipo, the grandfather, to Phil Trantino even though his family had moved to America when he was a young boy. His grandfather’s death appeared to be suspicious to the family although the police had treated it as an accident. Phil and the people at the winery felt they needed to investigate his grandfather’s death. As he became reacquainted with the food, wine, customs, and people around the vineyard he tried to determine the circumstances of his grandfather’s death. I really enjoyed this story and the food, the wine, and the countryside comments added to my enjoyment. I’d like to read more by this author.
Since the vineyard was traditionally passed from grandfather to grandson it skipped a generation each time it passed and so Castello die Trantini in Tuscany passed from Nonno Fillipo, the grandfather, to Phil Trantino even though his family had moved to America when he was a young boy. His grandfather’s death appeared to be suspicious to the family although the police had treated it as an accident. Phil and the people at the winery felt they needed to investigate his grandfather’s death. As he became reacquainted with the food, wine, customs, and people around the vineyard he tried to determine the circumstances of his grandfather’s death. I really enjoyed this story and the food, the wine, and the countryside comments added to my enjoyment. I’d like to read more by this author.
August 6, 2017
I had previously read "The Secret of Altamura: Nazi Crimes, Italian Treasure", and was curious to see what this novel was like. Having been to Tuscany three times in the past 6 years, I was pleasantly surprised by how interesting he made the food and wine and the various cities and towns. It brought back many memories, especially my visits to Florence, and Sienna (my favorite), but mostly my visits to a few wineries where I fell in love with Chianti and a few other wines made with the Sangiovese grape. His descriptions of Tuscany allowed me to visualize once again the vacations I had in Tuscany, renting a villa in Saline di Volterra. Wonderful. Despite not having a drop of Italian blood in me (my wife neither), his writing made me feel Italian. Wonderful novel.
September 14, 2017
An armchair visit to Tuscany
What an enjoyable book. The scenery and pleasures of food and wine invite the reader to experience Tuscany with all of our senses. The mystery element of the book was not the main feature as it was dwarfed by the majestic of Tuscany, but then that was okay with me.
What an enjoyable book. The scenery and pleasures of food and wine invite the reader to experience Tuscany with all of our senses. The mystery element of the book was not the main feature as it was dwarfed by the majestic of Tuscany, but then that was okay with me.
January 12, 2019
Magical
Intimate tour of Tuscany and its world-famous wine country. In addition (but far from secondary ), an education in Italian culture and the wine industry in general.
If you enjoy wine and ever consider its creation/life before you pour , you must read this novel.
I'm off now to order another of Dick Rosano's books. I cheered when I saw there were more.
Intimate tour of Tuscany and its world-famous wine country. In addition (but far from secondary ), an education in Italian culture and the wine industry in general.
If you enjoy wine and ever consider its creation/life before you pour , you must read this novel.
I'm off now to order another of Dick Rosano's books. I cheered when I saw there were more.
April 5, 2019
Nostalgic for Tuscany
The mystery in the novel is secondary to the account of life on a winery estate, the Tuscan countryside, and the people who live there...and that's fine by me. Reading the novel made me nostalgic to return to Italy and immerse myself in the such a beautiful place.
The mystery in the novel is secondary to the account of life on a winery estate, the Tuscan countryside, and the people who live there...and that's fine by me. Reading the novel made me nostalgic to return to Italy and immerse myself in the such a beautiful place.
June 21, 2019
The first son of the first son
Family heritage can be both interesting and cruel, as well as sometimes surprising. The wind industry goes back hundreds and hundreds of years in Italy and stories and legends are right there too. This story kept my interest by layering events and friendships as well as romances. An interesting and surprising finish.
Family heritage can be both interesting and cruel, as well as sometimes surprising. The wind industry goes back hundreds and hundreds of years in Italy and stories and legends are right there too. This story kept my interest by layering events and friendships as well as romances. An interesting and surprising finish.
April 25, 2025
Intriguing mystery in a beautiful setting!
I love a good mystery, even more so when I can picture the location. I’ve travelled to some of the places in the story and love that the descriptions took me back there! The characters seem so real as they struggle with questions and personal struggles. Enjoy!
I love a good mystery, even more so when I can picture the location. I’ve travelled to some of the places in the story and love that the descriptions took me back there! The characters seem so real as they struggle with questions and personal struggles. Enjoy!
June 28, 2025
I just returned from a wonderful vacation at a Tuscan villa in the exact region where this book takes place. I enjoyed envisioning the characters in that setting.
However, the plot was almost non-existent and the characters stereotypical. I really wanted to like this book but there was very little substance to lik.
However, the plot was almost non-existent and the characters stereotypical. I really wanted to like this book but there was very little substance to lik.
August 3, 2017
Not what I was expecting, a truly amazing story, I could not put it down. If you have ever been to Tuscany all of the details
are amazing and the plot just keeps you hooked. Looking forward to reading more from this amazing writer. So hurry up.
are amazing and the plot just keeps you hooked. Looking forward to reading more from this amazing writer. So hurry up.
August 28, 2017
Accidental Murder?
A most interesting story and travelogue for parts of Northern Italy. Of course, so much wine was consumed I was occasionally feeling drunk. A new concept, and we met some fascinating characters.
A most interesting story and travelogue for parts of Northern Italy. Of course, so much wine was consumed I was occasionally feeling drunk. A new concept, and we met some fascinating characters.
September 21, 2017
Cozy mystery
Book was quite enjoyable. Explaining life on a vineyard. A slower less frenzied way of living the good life. Italian customs and nuances and picturesque scenes of Tuscany. Would recommend.
Book was quite enjoyable. Explaining life on a vineyard. A slower less frenzied way of living the good life. Italian customs and nuances and picturesque scenes of Tuscany. Would recommend.
June 14, 2018
Romance, culture, food and wine
Reading this novel allowed a brief escape into another culture, almost another time, steeped in history and custom, with family as the overarching theme. Great read!
Reading this novel allowed a brief escape into another culture, almost another time, steeped in history and custom, with family as the overarching theme. Great read!
July 26, 2019
Review
This was interesting story. I loved the deeds of Tuscany and all the information about wine making. I would have never guessed the ending.
This was interesting story. I loved the deeds of Tuscany and all the information about wine making. I would have never guessed the ending.
September 22, 2020
Not to my taste at all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 12, 2018
Beautiful descriptions of the Tuscan countryside and a lovingly rendered look into the vineyards and all that fabulous wine.
February 28, 2018
I expected this book to be more of a mystery, but the "crime" really took a back seat to the story about the area and especially about the wine industry. I enjoyed learning more about wine and wine making, but if you aren't interested in that you might be bored by much of the book. Some of the descriptions were really good and certainly made me wish I could visit Tuscany, but I only gave it 3 stars because I was a little disappointed in the rest of the story and the lack of much real mystery.
October 7, 2012
This is an easy read that will appeal to anyone who loves food, wine and/or Italy.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews