When I grabbed The Palazzo, Kayte Nunn’s crime novel, from the shelves I was imagining a Palazzo in Venice. But no—it’s set in the Italian Alps. Despite this, it doesn’t disappoint. It has all the atmosphere you’d expect in a renovated palazzo, complete with vineyard and Marco, a Michelin-starred chef and its owner. Ever present is the tension of a ‘locked-room’ mystery made famous by Agatha Christie.

The action revolves around Vivi, who, after the death of her husband, chooses to celebrate her fortieth birthday at the palazzo with a small circle of friends and family. And that’s when the fun begins. Nunn has created characters that are unique, colourful and entertaining including Marco’s mother. 

I was very keen to see Nunn’s approach to this sub-genre of crime. The cover warns us that everyone at the palazzo is a killer (well maybe not everyone) but only one is a murderer. Interestingly we learn in the first few pages that a murder has been committed but have to wait until the end of the novel to find out who is murdered. 

The reader is kept busy working out who was killed, uncovering the secrets each guest is hiding and identifying the murderer— all by the end of the novel. I didn’t manage it, thanks to a twist that I didn’t see coming and an ending that while clever, wasn’t entirely satisfying. Still, it was a great read.

…And my love affair with Italy continues.