Camilla T. Crespi crafts compelling mystery novels that delve into complex human relationships and moral quandaries. Her style is marked by a sharp psychological insight into her characters and an immersive atmosphere. Crespi focuses on uncovering the truth hidden beneath the surface of seemingly ordinary situations. Her works are appreciated for their intelligent plotting and profound reflections on the nature of crime and justice.
Set against the backdrop of World War II, the narrative explores the emotional and physical turmoil faced by an American and an Italian family as their lives unravel amidst the chaos of war. The story delves into themes of identity, loss, and the impact of conflict on familial bonds, capturing the haunting experiences that define their existence during this tumultuous period in history.
In the latest installment of the acclaimed Tuscan Mystery series, the sole witness at a crime scene speaks only English, and ex-NYPD detective turned amateur chef Nico Doyle is summoned by the local carabinieri to help. Though it took some time to settle into his new life in Gravigna, Italy, following the death of his wife, former NYPD detective Nico Doyle has figured out a thing or two. The locals have not only welcomed him, but are giving him rave reviews on his cooking, and his budding relationship with Nelli, a local woman, is healing old wounds. When Nico receives a phone call before dawn, he wants to ignore it. A phone call at that time can only mean trouble. Sure enough, it’s Perillo of the local carabinieri. A woman has been found dead in her home, slumped over her piano, and the sole witness speaks only English. Nico reluctantly agrees to help Perillo with the case. Judging by the crime scene, Perillo and Nico determine foul play, and they don’t have to look long for suspects. Following the death of her husband, the late Signora Nora had taken on a number of lovers, her two daughters weren’t on the best terms with her, and there’s a lot to be gained from the sale of her residence. Nico and Perillo have their hands full as they try to solve the murder and restore peace to the otherwise sleepy Gravigna.
The follow-up to Murder in Chianti finds ex-NYPD detective Nico Doyle recruited by Italian authorities to investigate the murder of a prominent wine critic. One year after moving to his late wife’s Tuscan hometown of Gravigna, ex-NYPD detective Nico Doyle has fully settled into Italian country life, helping to serve and test recipes at his in-laws’ restaurant. But the town is shaken by the arrival of wine critic Michele Mantelli in his flashy Jaguar. Mantelli holds his influential culinary magazine and blog over Gravigna’s vintners and restaurateurs. Some of Gravigna's residents are impressed by his reputation, while others are enraged—especially Nico's landlord, whose vineyards Mantelli seems intent of ruining. Needless to say, Mantelli’s lavish, larger-than-life, and often vindictive personality has made him many enemies, and when he is poisoned, the local maresciallo, Perillo, has a headache of a high-profile murder on his hands—and once again turns to Nico for help.
Ex-NYPD homicide detective Nico Doyle investigates the murder of a local bartender in the Tuscan countryside.On a late October Sunday morning in Gravigna, local maresciallo Perillo is having breakfast with ex-NYPD detective Nico Doyle when he is called back to the station in Greve. Laura Benati, the young manager of Hotel Bella Vista, is worried—her bartender and good friend eighty-year-old Cesare Costanzi has been missing for three days. The next morning, Jimmy, co-owner of Bar All’Angolo, Gravigna’s local café, where Nico is a frequent patron, runs out of gas on his way back from Florence. When Nico meets him to help, Nico’s dog, OneWag, reacts to the smell coming from Jimmy’s trunk. Inside Nico finds a body wrapped in Cesare Costanzi, stabbed several times in the chest. Why would anyone kill Cesare, and how did he end up in Jimmy’s car? That’s for Nico to find out, as Perillo once again turns to Nico for help with the investigation.
Set in the heart of the Tuscan wine country, Murder in Chianti introduces Nico Doyle, a former NYPD homicide detective who's just looking for space to grieve when he finds himself pulled into a local murder investigation.
As Emma Perotti's trial for murder begins, her family recalls how young An-ling Huang walked into her ESL class and her family's life, dredging up memories of the daughter they lost years ago. Now Ang-ling is dead. What happened? Born in Prague to an Italian diplomat father and an American mother, Camilla Trinchieri went to the US aged 12 and returned to Italy after graduating from Barnard College. As Trella Crispy and Camilla T. Crespi she has published seven mysteries.