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Reviewed by Divine Zape for Readers' Favorite
Cecilia Valetti’s The Truth is the first entry in the Mysteries at Anna's Trattoria series, which offers a delightful blend of community, personal grief, and intrigue set against the backdrop of Chioggia, a small Italian town. The narrative follows Anna Venturi, who came to the town forty years ago and inherited a restaurant she manages with her daughter Silvia. Readers are welcomed into Anna’s world, characterized by the warmth of her trattoria, a beloved local gathering spot brimming with tantalizing Italian flavors and heartfelt connections. Life changes in unexpected ways for Anna when her son, a local priest, dies tragically. In the wake of the tragedy, the community welcomes Inspector Neil McKinley, who becomes the basketball coach for the children of the parish orphanage and the community. While he is a gifted inspector, he is also flawed, suffering pain from his past. His connection to Anna is intriguing. Can Anna be a mother he never had, and is he the comfort she badly needs?
The Truth is infused with realism and characters that quickly catch readers' attention. Anna is depicted as thoughtful and generous. Her grief is skillfully portrayed in the narrative. Cecilia Valetti intelligently contrasts Anna’s profound sorrow with the arrival of Inspector Neil McKinley, a man seeking solace and purpose after his tumultuous past. Their evolving relationship injects an emotional depth into the story as they support and heal one another amidst a persistent mystery. The plot takes unexpected twists as McKinley investigates the circumstances surrounding the death of Anna's son, Father Luca. The depiction of the small-town community provides authenticity, unveiling a canvas of interconnected lives, secrets, and human relationships. I was fully invested in the characters and the well-crafted mystery and wanted to know what happened to the characters at the end of this enthralling tale. I will happily read the next book in the series.
