The Three Graces of Pearl Street by Wellington Rollins

THE THREE GRACES OF PEARL STREET by Elizabeth Wellington Rollins shares the intergenerational story of three women who carry the same name: Graziella. Graziella Valentini, ninety-six years old, is full of purpose as she directs life in her New York City neighborhood, at the church’s food pantry, and within her family. Her daughter Grace is a psychology professor and struggling with her own identity issues after a failed marriage. Granddaughter Ella is a brilliant scientist who lost her way at MIT and, with few options, returns to stay at her grandmother’s home on Pearl Street. At first, this novel was difficult to read due largely to the sadness, despair, and miscommunication experienced by the characters. But gradually, the three women begin to better understand themselves and each other, as told in chapters which alternate perspective. They strengthen a bond while learning new skills, whether it be cooking or using a computer. THE THREE GRACES OF PEARL STREET is a wonderful debut novel and received starred reviews from Booklist (“this comforting family tale is full of heart and humor”) and Library Journal (“With as many layers as Graziella's lasagna, this is a story that will satisfy readers for a long time.”). Readers intrigued by an Italian heritage may also want to look for Adriana Trigiani’s novels like The View from Lake Como; others seeking an intergenerational tale should look for Catherine Newman’s Sandwich or Randy Ribay’s Everything We Never Had.

We Chase Shadows by Richard Osman

WE CHASE SHADOWS by Richard Osman is another We Solve Murders mystery featuring a writer, Rosie D’Antonio, her friend and retired cop, Steve Wheeler, and his daughter-in-law, Amy, who is also a bodyguard.  They are hired by Vern Blackwood, a businessman involved with selling fake vitamins, to find out who killed one of his bodyguards, leaving a note signed by his longtime rival, Jakob Eriksson. Together, they supply plenty of cheerful banter – one interaction between Amy and her husband, Adam, is particularly amusing and surprising – although more and more corpses appear. The mystery (described as both “overly convoluted and too easy to solve” by Publishers Weekly) is not Osman’s best, but the character interaction redeems this tale as loyal fans await yet another of Osman’s Thursday Murder Club selections.

The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake by Rachel Linden

THE SECRET OF ORANGE BLOSSOM CAKE by Rachel Linden is a novel about family and community and caring. To save her online cooking show featuring vintage recipes, thirty-year-old Jules Costa heads (with her fifteen-year-old estranged half-sister, Alex) to her grandmother’s home in Italy. There, Nonna Bruna has a magical cookbook with pages that only show recipes that can help the person doing the cooking or baking. Many have benefited from the cookbook over the years, but Jules can’t seem to see anything. That is true in many ways – she is blind to the loneliness and needs of her sister; to the attraction felt by Nicolo, a neighbor and Jules’ first love; and to her own best interest and family obligation. Poor Jules struggles to “come of age” even though she is an adult and Linden shares with readers all of Jules’ confusion, insecurity, and fear in a repetitive manner. The Italian setting is described beautifully as are the mouth-watering recipes. The characters, however, seem stiff and uncomfortable as they come to grips with the idea that “Fear can rob you of the life you are meant to live. It does not keep you safe, it keeps you small.” Discussion questions are included for this cozy mix of secrets, romance and magic.  

Murder in Pitigliano by Camilla Trinchieri

MURDER IN PITIGLIANO by Camilla Trinchieri is book five in a series and a recommended summer mystery read by The Washington Post. The main character is Nico Doyle, a retired American detective who has been rebuilding his life in Italy when 7-year-old Cilia asks him to save her father (Saviero), a fugitive accused of murder. Nico (and his faithful dog named One Wag/Rocco) cannot resist the little girl’s pleas and team up with the local police to look into the murder of Saviero’s business partner. There are a myriad of suspects and motives (necessitating a multi-page cast of characters) and the investigation drags out. It is interspersed with descriptions of food and cooking as well as the dog’s many antics. This was the first title I had read in this series and it worked as a stand-alone. The similarities to Walker’s Inspector Bruno series, however, were many: European setting, emphasis on food (and wine), pampered canine companion, romantic interest, collegiality with the local police and residents and I think that Walker provides a more succinct, engaging mystery.

The View from Lake Como by Adriana Trigiani

THE VIEW FROM LAKE COMO by Adriana Trigiani is a coming-of-age story from a favorite author about Italian American families, culture, and expectations. Trigiani introduces readers to Giuseppina Capodimonte Baratta (called Jess), a recently divorced thirty-something who has moved back in with her parents in Lake Como, New Jersey and handles household chores (e.g., the big Sunday dinner) somewhat resentfully. Jess was not able to go away to college and has worked for her childless Uncle Louie as a designer at his marble and stone importing company. She is finally allowing herself to dream a bit, especially about the trip to Italy that Louie has promised. A premature death thwarts those plans, but Jess perseveres and challenges herself to find independence and forgiveness. Amongst the advice for her: “When adapting to a new environment, be kind to yourself. Making friends and acclimating is a process. Seek comfort and familiarity but set a goal to talk to someone you don't know every day. You will be empowered to form bonds and make friends.” Romance, family history, and a visit to the original Lake Como await. THE VIEW FROM LAKE COMO received starred reviews from Booklist (“this may be her best yet”) and Library Journal (“a captivating and memorable read”). Be sure to also look for Trigiani’s debut novel Big Stone Gap (published 25 years ago), Big Cherry Holler, Milk Glass Moon or one of over a dozen other titles she has written.

The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater

THE LISTENERS is a mix of historical fiction, sprinkled with magic, and romance as well as being the adult debut from the best-selling young adult author Maggie Stiefvater (Shiver, The Raven Boys, All the Crooked Saints and many more). Set in the early 1940s during WWII, the focus is on a fictional West Virginian resort hotel called the Avallon (think The Greenbrier or The Homestead) where the extremely capable general manager is a young, local woman named June Hudson. Through compassion and understanding, she fosters the loyalty and affection of her staff and even many of the hotel guests: “June had long ago discovered that most people were bad listeners; they thought listening was synonymous with hearing. But the spoken was only half a conversation. True needs, wants, fears, and hopes hid not in the words that were said, but in the ones that weren't...” Friction ensues when FBI agents (Tucker Rye Minnick, Hugh Calloway, and Pony Harris) and State Department (Benjamin Pennybacker) representatives arrive because the hotel is ordered to provide lodging for an array of diplomats (German, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese), their staff, and other foreign nationals (journalists, pilots) prior to their being repatriated. It is a big ask for locals, many of whom have relatives serving in the US military, but June facilitates the stay while also mourning the recently deceased hotel owner, navigating her own romantic feelings, and managing the magical waters associated with the hotel. THE LISTENERS, the Top Pick LibraryReads selection for June 2025, received a starred review from Booklist, Library Journal, and Kirkus (“A novel that will remind readers of why they fell in love with reading in the first place.”). In the author’s notes, Stiefvater suggests several other books to serve as “accessible starting points” about the background history. 

Mystery and Historical fiction ...

Switching between time periods seems to be a favorite vehicle of several recent mysteries, including:

HOW TO SOLVE YOUR OWN MURDER by Kristen Perrin is the top pick on the LibraryReads list for March and author Perrin’s adult fiction debut offers a diverting mystery set in an English country village. The events toggle between two time periods: mid 1960s and present day. In the past, teenager Francis and friends Emily and Rose receive a disturbing fortune about a death – it takes 60 years for the prophecy to be realized and Frances’ great niece, Annie Adams, sets out to solve the puzzle and inherit the estate. Both story lines are suspenseful with multiple complex characters and troubling occurrences. Despite the many suspects, though, there were abundant clues and the murderer was telegraphed fairly early. HOW TO SOLVE YOUR OWN MURDER also received a starred review from Booklist and indications are that cozy mystery fans will have more of Annie’s adventures to look forward to in the future.

THE SICILIAN INHERITANCE by Jo Piazza contrasts events in the 1920s and today in the Sicilian countryside. Serafina Marsala is an independently minded woman who learns to be a healer after her husband heads to America in the early part of the last century. On her own, Serafina was treated with suspicion and ultimately seen as a brutalized murder victim; her descendant and namesake, Sara Marsala, arrives to claim a property inheritance and to try to set her own troubled life back on track. There is much Sara does not understand about local customs and her innkeeper, Giusy, is often an unreliable source. Readers will empathize with Serafina’s long ago efforts to use her medical skills and to help the villagers despite many prejudices. A much weaker character who yearns to be more of a role model for her young daughter, Sara, too, faces grave physical danger. Filled with vivid descriptions of Sicilian life and culture, THE SICILIAN INHERITANCE received a starred review from Booklist. 

A Traitor in Whithall and Murder in an Italian Village

A TRAITOR IN WHITEHALL by Julia Kelly is set in London during WWII and because much of the action takes place in the below ground Cabinet War Rooms, it is a locked room mystery of sorts. Young Evie Redfern is assigned to the typing pool where she comes across many important papers and wartime facts in her efforts to discover who might be leaking secrets. That all becomes even more real and dangerous when a generally disliked co-worker, Jean Plinkton, is murdered. Finding the local police to be rather inept and believing that the murder and treasonous leaks may be connected, Evie joins another colleague, David Poole, in the hunt. Together, they gradually eliminate suspects while discovering plenty of personal motives (gambling debts, high nursing home charges, clandestine affairs, lesbian tendencies) that could provide a basis for blackmail or bribery. A TRAITOR IN WHITEHALL is reminiscent of the WWII Maggie Hope series by Susan Elia MacNeal who has provided a “blurb” for the front cover of this latest historical fiction mystery. Clearly Kelly’s characters have respect and affection for each other – it will be a fun adventure (Booklist describes A TRAITOR IN WHITEHALL as “a cross between a Nancy Drew mystery and an Agatha Christie tale”) to see what other crimes these two investigators uncover.  

MURDER IN AN ITALIAN VILLAGE by Michael Falco begins beautifully with a young mother, Bria Bartolucci, walking her son to school in the picturesque Italian village of Positano. That scene will make readers anxious to spend time along the Italian coast. Of course, this idyllic setting is shattered with a murder and Bria, who hopes to open a bed and breakfast for tourists, seeks to solve the mystery. Unfortunately, the story tends to crawl although there are plenty of suspects including an over-bearing mother-in-law. There are hints of romance, too, as the widowed Bria seems attracted to the local captain of police, Luca, and her handyman, Giovanni. And, Falco throws in a possibly defunct counterfeit ring with historical ties to the area and some of the current residents. Bria is struggling to become self-reliant, and to know her village and its inhabitants: “People have pasts, she reminded herself, and reputations cling to a person long after they no longer fit.” Twisty and confusing at times, MURDER IN AN ITALIAN VILLAGE has a few too many coincidences, but overall it is a cute, cozy mystery to be enjoyed for its languid setting.