Nonna Maria and the Case of the Stolen Necklace — Lorenzo Carcaterra

In the jumble of life events over the past couple of years, I accidentally lost track of the Nonna Maria series after thoroughly enjoying its ‘first in series’, Nonna Maria and the Case of the Missing Bride. Happily, for whatever mysterious reason known only to my subconscious, Nonna Maria popped back into my head whilst my phone was nearby. One quick interweb search later, I discovered I was not one, but two books behind. 

A state that (obviously) needed rectifying!

One reason why I was so intent on running the Nonna Maria books to ground is I thoroughly enjoy reading how Carcaterra writes Nonna Maria. She is a woman who’s well within the latter stage of life — and knows it. Unlike many who occupy the same space in their own personal timeline, Nonna Maria sees it with a clear eye and, moreover, respects Death’s imminent introduction. (Not unlike the third brother in the fairytale The Tale of the Three Brothers, from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.) Carcaterra translates this knowledge and regard into clear, crisp, and concise prose, which belies the complexity of the mysteries Nonna Maria is asked to solve.

As an avid baker, I also enjoy these mysteries because of the food Nonna Maria prepares. Seriously, I’d love to sit at this Italian grandmother’s table for a meal.

However, to be clear, these books are in no way a culinary mystery.

Nonna Maria is just one of those people who loves feeding people. If you’ve caught a head cold, had a bad breakup, or find yourself exhausted from working one too many late shifts in a row, you can count on Nonna Maria to bring round containers of your favorite recipes of hers. Family, friends, and people she feels are in need all benefit from her and her stove’s skills…..Though, on occasion, when pursuing a case, she’ll whip up a fave when asking for a favor. However, these offerings don’t feel transactional due to the respect she’s earned from those living on the island with her. Whatever the motivation, I find myself getting peckish reading the descriptions of Nonna Maria’s lemon chicken, grilled clams, stuffed peppers, and other amazing sounding dishes. 

In a similar fashion to Miss Marple, Nonna Maria uses her knowledge of local history, decades worth of mentally archived gossip, and friendships within the carabinieri to help solve the crimes brought to her door. Together with her extensive family, numerous friends, and an even larger pool of acquaintances — there’s not much information Nonna Maria can’t eventually unearth when she puts her mind to it. However, unlike many of the Miss Marple mysteries, Nonna Maria does much of her own legwork, which occasionally lands her in the crosshairs of the violent villains she’s pursuing (not that that stops her). 

In any case, I would highly recommend Nonna Maria and the Case of the Stolen Necklace to anyone looking for an excellent and engaging mystery to read during these long winter nights.

I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

My 52 Weeks With Christie: A.Miner©2025