The Hunting Season

Daniel Leicester #2

by Tom Benjamin

It's truffle season and in the hills around Bologna the hunt is on for the legendary Boscuri White, the golden nugget of Italian gastronomy. But when an American truffle 'supertaster' goes missing, English detective Daniel Leicester discovers not all truffles are created equal. Did the missing supertaster bite off more than he could chew?

As he goes on the hunt for Ryan Lee, Daniel discovers the secrets behind 'Food City', from the immigrant kitchen staff to the full scale of a multi-million Euro business. After a key witness is found dead at the foot of one of Bologna's famous towers, the stakes could not be higher. Daniel teams up with a glamorous TV reporter, but the deeper he goes into the disappearance of the supertaster the darker things become. Murder is once again on the menu, but this time Daniel himself stands accused. And the only way he can clear his name is by finding Ryan Lee...

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Italy

328 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2020

About the author

Tom began his career as a reporter in north London before becoming a spokesman for Scotland Yard where he was a frequent visitor, for strictly professional reasons, to its famed Black Museum. He went on to work in international aid and public health before moving to Bologna with his Italian wife. Tom's first job in Bologna as a doorman at a homeless canteen exposed him to an Italy less travelled and helped inspire his debut A Quiet Death In Italy.

Reviews

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Tom Benjamin’s novel A Quiet Death in Italy when I read it in 2020. I remember commenting at the time that it didn’t feel like a debut because both its location – the Italian city of Bologna – and its main characters seemed so very well realised. I’m pleased to say that, as well as Daniel Leicester, many of the characters I enjoyed getting to know in the first book make a return appearance in this second one, including Daniel’s daughter, Rose, and his boss, father-in-law and fomer carabinieri, the formidable Comandante. Readers new to the series need not be concerned though because the author provides just the right amount of detail about the key characters and events in the previous book.

As I noted in my review of A Quiet Death in Italy, Daniel’s back story provides the author with plenty of options when it comes to his personal and professional life. In this case, the personal comes in the shape of Oriana de Principe, TV reporter for Occhio Pubblico, described as Italy’s answer to the BBC’s Crimewatch, although in view of events perhaps a more apt description might be Crimewatch‘s wilder and more provocative cousin. I also liked the fact that Daniel brings a father’s insight into what the parents of the missing man must be going through, showing them great empathy.

As in A Quiet Death in Italy, the city of Bologna emerges as a character in its own right, a place where ancient and modern exist side by side. ‘Bologna was the city of hidden places – gardens blooming behind graffitied doors, porticoed masking palazzi.’ Now the author’s home, it’s clearly a city he has grown to love and I can pretty much guarantee you’ll enjoy walking the streets with Daniel. (Check out Tom’s Instagram page for wonderful pictures of the city and some of the locations featured in the book.)

No doubt the author’s experiences are also reflected in Daniel’s observations about contemporary Italian society and customs, such as the fact that in Italy laws are regarded ‘not so much as rules as guidelines’ or, probably most importantly, that regardless of the crisis, family always comes first.   Cleverly woven into the plot is a darker side of modern day Italy in which immigrants are mostly invisible or, at best, treated with suspicion, and tolerated only because of the roles they perform as the country’s builders, cleaners, carers and manual labourers.  Tellingly, Daniel reflects that he cannot think of a single prominent black or Asian doctor, lawyer , journalist or showbiz celebrity.

On a lighter note, Daniel observes, ‘As much as for the British a cup of tea is the universal panacea, for the Italians it’s food, any food.’ Therefore you won’t be surprised that the book also contains plenty of references to the delicious sounding food of the region – tortellini in brodo, tagliatelle al ragu, cotoletta alla Bolognese or zuppe inglese, to name but a few. And, as the blurb makes clear, this time it all comes with a generous sprinkling of truffle. Well, perhaps not the zuppe inglese!

The satisfyingly intricate plot encompasses the trade in counterfeit truffles, the impact of climate change on truffle production, people trafficking and the scourge of organised crime. As Daniel recalls, there is an Italian saying, ‘To trust is good, to distrust is better’. Good advice, as it turns out. And, although there are some dramatic scenes that delve into Italy’s wartime past, what lingers in my mind is a poignant and touching visit Daniel makes near the end of the book that left me slightly tearful.

The Hunting Season more than lived up to my expectations and I sincerely hope there is another case for Daniel along soon.

[Charmaine Whyte · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book as much as the prequel A Quiet Death in Italy. Easy to read, with a personable main character and other interesting characters. Looking forward to returning to Bologna to walk in the streets that were described so well and eating cotoletta alla bolognese!

[Michael Whyte · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good sequel to A Quiet Death in Italy

[Tripfiction · Rating 4 out of 5]

Take a trip to BOLOGNA



Our You Tube review: https://youtu.be/arKr4_av_cQ

This is the second outing for PI Daniel Leicester, who lives with his daughter and father-in-law in the city of Bologna. It is truffle season and truffles are big business and, of course, where there is money, there is criminal activity. The whole industry behind this exquisite and valuable fungus is fascinating. Emilia Romagna is the centre for snuffling truffles in Italy but burgeoning operations in Eastern Europe complicate the whole picture.

Daniel is tasked with trying to track down Ryan Lee, who is a super taster, someone whose palate is in great demand. He is in town for the truffles but has gone missing. He has clearly visited some restaurants because there seems to be a trail of delicate origami figures left in his wake.

There is a murder and soon Daniel is being invited onto a TV show to discuss the mayhem in the city but the chemistry between him and the host of the show certainly complicates things. He himself is then charged with murder himself!

One of the distinct characters in the novel is setting and I will guarantee that, after reading this novel, Bologna will be added to your ‘must visit’ list. Tom Benjamin revels in the city that he has made his home and you can just feel the pleasure he takes in sharing with his readers the little details and observations – just lovely, perfect for literary tourism!. He adds such colour, taking his characters through the porticoes and to the towers and Roman remains, the city’s history, the little lanes, and to the restaurants in ‘Food City’ to whet your appetite. And if you follow Tom on Insta, you will be charmed by the wonderful photos he takes that will further add to your craving to visit. I do hope the Bologna Tourist Board appreciates what he does for the city.

This is a very readable series and already I am looking forward to number 3.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hunting Season by Tom Benjamin is an intriguing mystery set in Italy. I enjoyed the premise of this book. The setting was described beautifully. There was quite a bit of info about Italian customs that did slow the pacing a bit, but it also allowed me to feel like I was part of the story.

There were a lot of characters. They were detailed, and interesting, it was just a little tough to keep them all straight. However, I don’t think it deterred my enjoyment in the end. I really liked the characters. It seemed like this author understands how to create deep characters.

Overall, I enjoyed The Hunting Season. The mystery was compelling, and I enjoyed Tom Benjamin‘s writing. I’d recommend giving this one a go.

Thanks to Random Things Tours for the opportunity to be on this blog tour. I received a free copy of this book to review honestly. All opinions are my own and unbiased.

[Lel Budge · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hunting Season is a mystery tale set in Bologna.

Private Investigator,Daniel Leicester, is trying to find a missing man, Ryan Lee
His parents reported him missing when he didn’t pick them up at the airport as they’d arranged,

This tale has a lot of beautifully written and descriptive detail about Italy, it’s customs and food and at times the missing man mystery seems forgotten.

With lots of characters the story gradually unfolds and the mystery is solved. A slow burn, well written mystery tale that clearly shows the author’s love of Bologna.

Thank you to Random Things Tours for the opportunity to be part of this blog tour, for the promotional material and an ARC of The Hunting Season.

[Elaine Tomasso · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for a review copy of The Hunting Season, the second novel to feature private investigator Daniel Leicester, an Englishman living and working in Bologna.

Daniel is approached by Mr and Mrs Lee, Americans in Bologna to meet their son Ryan, to help them find Ryan who wasn’t at the airport to meet them and seems to have disappeared. Ryan is a supertaster, someone who can identify minute differences in food, and is in Italy for the truffles. Why, no one is saying but Daniel will find out.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Hunting Season, which is as much about Bologna and food as it is about murder and investigation. Quite often I find this kind of balance distracting, preferring the author to concentrate on the investigation, but I was engrossed throughout. Bologna is now on my bucket list of places to visit.

The novel is told entirely from Daniel’s point of view, another plus for me, so the reader can identify and live the investigation with him. It’s a clever move by the author as he gives an outsider’s view of Italy in all its glory with an inhabitant’s experience of living it. I found the plot equally engrossing with its unusual theme of truffles and big business. I’m not enough of a foodie to know much about truffles, but this is not the first novel I have read about them and their value, so while I think it’s an awful fuss over a glorified mushroom I appreciate the money and passion involved.

The plot follows Daniel in his hunt for Ryan and with clues thin on the ground he will use all means possible to find him, both legal and illegal, and this ends up with him arrested for murder. How he gets out of that is particularly Italian, some rule bending, some influence and dogged determination.

The Hunting Season is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

[Andrew Diamond · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hunting Season is the second installment in Tom Benjamin's Daniel Leicester series. Leicester is an English expat living in Bologna, a former journalist now working as a private investigator.

The story opens with the concerned parents of Korean-American Ryan Lee asking for help in locating their son, who never showed up for a scheduled meeting. Lee is a "supertaster" whose extraordinary taste buds are in demand among purveyors of the world's finest foods to ensure the consistency and authenticity of their products.

He disappeared while on assignment to verify the quality of rare white Boscuri truffles, which are just coming into season in food-obsessed Italy. Though detective Leicester has a deep appreciation for food, he goes into the case knowing little about truffles or the northern Italian region that produces them. He and the reader will soon learn a great deal about both.

Leicester and his assistants put in a tremendous amount of legwork, touring the top restaurants in the ancient city of Bologna, looking for places Lee may have visited in the course of his work. The reader goes along for the ride, getting a private tour of the city that locals inhabit (as opposed to the one that tourists are shepherded through), and the tour, which eventually extends into the truffle-rich hills, is the most satisfying part of the book.

Detective Leicester's background in journalism helps him both as an investigator and as a narrator. On the investigative side, the journalist, like the seasoned detective, is tenacious in following the slimmest of clues, the tiny loose thread that will unravel the entire fabric if you just keep tugging at it.

On the narrative side, Leicester provides not only rich atmospheric description, but also well-researched social, economic, and historical context. The narrator's descriptive powers put us inside the churches, bars, restaurants, palaces and cemeteries through which the seemingly hopeless hunt for Lee wends its way. We feel not only the city and its many marvels, but also what shaped it, what made Bologna into what it is today.

The narrator's descriptions are occasionally witty, as in his first meeting with Count Malduce, who "had that vague yet very definite air of the aristocrat nurtured to view anyone other than their own social equal with the forbearance one might grant someone else's children."

Author Benjamin also employs some admirable narrative devices to engage the reader's own inner sleuth. The missing Ryan Lee occasionally left origami-like jongi jeobgi figures in the restaurants he visited. These turn out to have coded meanings that only one character knows how to interpret. If detective Leicester can just find that character…

The case of the missing supertaster crosses all levels of Italian society, from the aristocracy and wealthy business owners at the top to mistreated immigrants, prostitutes, and street thugs at the bottom. As Leicester follows the trail down through the ranks and then back up, we see and feel the social and economic tensions in present-day Italy.

The Hunting Season is not a simple whodunnit. It's not easy to see where the case will lead next, much less where it will end up. The joy of the book lies in its richness of place. If you like to be transported, to be immersed in the sight, sound, and texture of a beautiful city drenched in history, this book is for you.

[travelsalongmybookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hunting Season - Tom Benjamin

‘𝐵𝑜𝓁𝑜𝑔𝓃𝒶 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒸𝒾𝓉𝓎 𝑜𝒻 𝒽𝒾𝒹𝒹𝑒𝓃 𝓅𝓁𝒶𝒸𝑒𝓈.’

Daniel Leicester is an English private detective, on a job to try to find missing ‘super taster’ Ryan Lee, a man who can identify the legendary Boscuri white truffle, prized above all others.
As Daniel starts to unravel what has happened to Ryan, one of the witnesses and a leader of the Italian food scene is found dead at the bottom of one of Bologna’s famous towers. He enters the world of the counterfeit truffle trade, the possibility of organised crime rears its head and he teams up with a glamorous reporter. More murder follows and Daniel has to find Ryan to protect himself.

‘𝐼𝓃 𝒶 𝒸𝒾𝓉𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝑜𝒻𝓉𝑒𝓃 𝓈𝑒𝑒𝓂𝑒𝒹 𝓁𝒾𝓀𝑒 𝒶 𝓈𝓉𝒶𝑔𝑒 𝓈𝑒𝓉 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝒮𝒽𝒶𝓀𝑒𝓈𝓅𝑒𝒶𝓇𝑒, 𝓌𝑒 𝓉𝓇𝓊𝓁𝓎 𝒽𝒶𝒹 𝓃𝑜 𝓂𝑜𝓇𝑒 𝓅𝑒𝓇𝓂𝒶𝓃𝑒𝓃𝒸𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓃 𝓅𝓁𝒶𝓎𝑒𝓇𝓈.’

This book oozes Italy, I loved the descriptions, the feel, the language. I could feel the warmth lifting from the page and really made me want to visit Italy again...apart from the murder of course!
I really warmed to Daniel as a character and his trainee Delores. They are sharply drawn, down to earth and really engaging. I loved the repartee between them both and also his father in law Giovanni. You get a real sense of Italian family reading this book.

‘𝑅𝑒𝑔𝒶𝓇𝒹𝓁𝑒𝓈𝓈 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒸𝓇𝒾𝓈𝒾𝓈, 𝒻𝒶𝓂𝒾𝓁𝓎 𝒶𝓁𝓌𝒶𝓎𝓈 𝒸𝒶𝓂𝑒 𝒻𝒾𝓇𝓈𝓉.’

It is beautifully written, evoking Bologna very clearly, there is an excellent gripping plot that really catches you, yet at the same time there is time to feel you are immersed in Italy, it’s culture and food. It’s so well done and manages to feel languid like an Italian holiday yet races through the darkly twisting plot brilliantly!!

‘𝐸𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎𝒷𝑜𝒹𝓎 𝒾𝓈 𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒𝒷𝑜𝒹𝓎 𝑒𝓁𝓈𝑒 𝒾𝓃 𝐵𝑜𝓁𝑜𝑔𝓃𝒶’

The plot doesn’t drop off at all which was great, it keeps you interested and whizzing along. This is a fantastic and gripping crime thriller, with a really atmospheric setting, there are a few surprises and a great conclusion. I’m really hoping that there will be more books to come!

✩✩✩✩.5

Thanks to Tom Benjamin, Constable Books, Clara Diaz and Random Things Tours for my copy of this book!

[Annette · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a gentle mystery set in Italy, Bologna to be precise. Daniel Leicester, a private investigator working for his father in law’s firm, is asked to find missing food and truffle taster Ryan Lee. Ryan’s parents have travelled from the US to meet their son and he fails to turn up to collect them at the airport. Usually reliable they cannot understand where he is and Daniel is recommended as an English speaking Detective who might be able to help.
The premise of this book was good and the setting was well described but there was a lot of extraneous detail about Italian customs and food which really slowed down the pace of the novel and did not encourage me as a reader to pick up the book. I skim read quite a lot of the detailed descriptions in order to get back into the plot side of the novel. Maybe some judicious editing is required.
There were also an awful lot of characters and by the time we got to the big reveal I was hard placed to remember who the actual culprit was and where he fitted in.
I think this could have been a compelling read without so much information about matters that were really not relevant to the story. I liked Daniel Leicester as the widowed investigator with a teenage daughter and the first person narration helped the reader to get to know him and his circumstances as well as his extended family who all worked in the Detective business. This part of the novel was extremely well done.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Jane Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is best described as a literary mystery with its evocative settings and lyrical writing.

Private detective Daniel Leicester is hired to find a missing truffle taster by his parents. The story details the importance of the truffle economy to this area of Italy and explores the possibilities for crime with its unregulated nature. Investigations are hampered by the terrain and the lack of information about the missing man's plans. An unexpected death intensifies the search and put Daniel in a precarious position.

The cast of characters are well-crafted, the detective team are diverse, and there is a believable team dynamic. Told from Daniel's viewpoint, the reader gains insight into the Italian customs and settings and astute observations on possible suspects. Cultural and historical references and sensory imagery make this an inclusive reading experience.

The mystery is well-plotted with twists and satisfying conclusion, but it's the atmospheric quality of this story that resonates.

I received a copy of this book from Little Brown Book Company UK (Constable) in return for an honest review.

[L L · Rating 2 out of 5]

I often like to read books about places that I'm about to visit, so in my last minute scramble to get ready for a trip to attend a wedding in Bologna, Italy, I picked this book up.

It was a lovely introduction to the texture of the city-- Daniel Leicester is a private detective trying to track down Ryan Lee, a truffle supertaster after has gone missing. Bologna's architecture-- its piazzas, medieval streets and porticos, as well as its surrounding country, with its countryside, factories and palazzos feature prominently in Leicester's investigations.

The plot and characters weren't bad-- the book had good pacing, some surprise twists, and plenty of action. I didn't keep close enough track of the characters and got a little confused by the end, but I think I got the gist of it. It is a little unfair for me to evaluate a book that's read after a red-eye flight while I'm still sitting on another plane flight half-awake.

Recommended for a light read and introduction to Bologna.

[Angi Plant · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is pure Italy! It is oozing with the character that Italy has, and runs all over you like a warm breeze.

I’m a total sucker for stories set in Italy, so if they don’t feel authentic my radar is set to an even higher degree of noticing what does and doesn’t gel as being right. So what didn’t work? Absolutely nothing at all! In this and every other respect it truly was a perfect novel. I felt like I was in Italy and soaking up the atmosphere of the land , the ethos of family and passion.

I felt like I was on a holiday with a dark and interesting plot showing itself, in beautiful writing. I thoroughly enjoyed this and truly cannot recommend it more!

Many thanks to Anne Cater, the Author and publisher for the advanced reading copy of this book.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Five stars, except by the end of the denouement, I couldn’t remember exactly who the bad guys were. But it was an enjoyable read otherwise and as someone who lives in Bologna, it’s enjoyable recognising areas and checking maps to place others. The mystery was interesting and the bits of Italian and Bologna’s culture that were included were at times more Easter eggs for those who know the area, but hopefully register with readers unfamiliar. Now I’m really looking forward to the next as it seems much of it takes place in my part of the city!

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun Italian mystery! I really like the Daniel Leicester series because it's Bologna. I've been in the city 4 times now but still haven't really spent sufficient time to know it. I have to change that. I do get a sense of place from these books having at least wandered around enough to get the major landmarks and bearings in my head. What I'd really love though is names of real places where I could bump into Daniel having some truffle dish with his friends and family. I definitely will pay more attention to the delicacy next visit after reading this one!

[Mary Warnement · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jim bought the first and this in the Daniel Leicester, British detective--formerly journalist--in Bologna. Interesting settings. The plot fell apart a little at the end. The police release him for 24 hours to prove his innocence? A carabiniere gives him a gun to do it? That lost me, but I found pleasure roaming the porticoed streets with the author. At some point, I will look for numbers 3 and 4 in the series.

[Anne Siddell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Daniel Leicester series, and once again the city of Bologna and its surroundings provides an evocative backdrop to the action. It manages to cover a number of themes, including the artisan food industry, immigration and modern slavery, and conveys a "warts and all" view of Italian society. The development of the various characters from the first book in the series is nicely done.

[Matthew Ogborn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three and a half stars for the second in the series as Daniel Leicester navigates the Bologna underworld with Dolores and the Comandante by his side. The first book zinged with rebellious political energy, while this one is more of a slow burn in the truffle world. The interweaving of the old partisan hiding places towards the end stood out.

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm loving this excellent mystery series, it's well written and engrossing.
The descriptions and the setting are realistic (trust me I'm Italian), the mystery is solid and full of twists.
I can't wait to read another book in this series.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Stephen the Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started with promise and pace but then felt stilted in the middle before picking up in the end. Our lead protagonist endures a multitude of problems ( and sad to say so early in a series liaised with a victim) .The sense of Bologna is good and references to Italian and English viewpoints is certainly an added dimension but the plot didn’t grab me as much as book one in the series

[Michael K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good, fun read

As an unabashed Italiofile this series attracted me seeing they take place in Italy. This book is a fine example of bringing the reader into the scene, which of course was what I'd have hoped for. The story is a very fun read...! I have to recommend, I'll be reading his whole series.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun read but I found this one a bit unbelievable with the plot and everything that went on. I know its fiction but at least be believable.

The place and people really do come alive and in Italian based fiction Bologna is not a common setting. Looks a great place and one to add to the list for a visit.

No doubt I'll start the third book shortly.

3.5/5 rounded down.

[Mona · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started reading this series before a trip to Bologna. I like the mysteries, but I do find the writing a bit clumsy. I enjoyed this book more than the first one now that I have been to Bologna. His description on the city is wonderful and takes me back.

[Liam Mycroft · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second in the series of the English Detective in Bologna, sees Daniel deep in the world of truffles.
Another difficult case, taking Daniel into difficult situations, but by the end, he comes out smelling of, well, truffles I guess.
Look forward to the next instalment.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mystery + beautiful Italian setting + mouth-watering descriptions of food--what more could you want? I hope to continue reading more in the Daniel Leicester series.

[Judie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving this series.

[Gilly Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another triumph by Tom Benjamin.
Loved it and really loved getting to the know characters better with each book.

[Fiona Audain · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much time spent on describing the landscape and buildings to make this an enjoyable read in my opinion.

[Plio Cas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much more accomplished writing than book1. This is an entertaining page turner, quite light and frothy but none the worse for that.

[Susan Toovey]

7