The Assisi Murders

Inspector Peroni Mystery #4

by Timothy Holme

Bullied by his redoubtable sister into accompanying her on a ‘pilgrimage’ to Assisi, Commissario Achille Peroni, ‘the Rudolf Valentino of the Italian police', finds himself lusting after a fellow pilgrim, the beautiful and mysterious Signora Elisa Guidi. But before he can make his advances, the lady is behind bars on a charge of shooting her lover.Peroni leaps to the defence. His independent investigation leads him back to a complex thirteenth-century mystery and to the letters of a remarkable woman, a confidante of St. Francis himself. Perplexing antique evidence which casts new light on the crime of passion before Peroni...

Genres: Mystery

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Timothy Holme (1928-1987) was an English born, but latterly Italian resident, author. He is best known for his biography of Carlo Goldoni, the Venetian playwright and librettist, and for his series of five mystery novels featuring the fictional Neapolitan detective Achille Peroni.

Timothy Holme began his working life in the theatre, switching to journalism after seven years of acting. On holiday in Italy, he met and married his Italian teacher, Bianca. They settled in Verona, where he wrote several non-fiction books (including the biography of Goldoni) and the five Peroni mysteries. He died in Italy in 1987.

Series:
* Inspector Peroni Mystery

Reviews

[Eugene · Rating 4 out of 5]

🍷🍷🍷
What an unalloyed pleasure! Fourth of the five mysteries Timothy Holme wrote, and mostly because his friends begged him to write yet another…and one can see why. Erudite without being offputting, charming without cloying, and nicely plotted without being arcane. Commissario Achille Peroni is an appealing protagonist certainly, but the ancillary characters in these books also always just so entertaining - here we have the most pronounced presence of Achille’s sister Assunta, and as well, an appearance by a classic “type,” Dame Iolanthe Higgins - larger than life, loud, demonstrative and just the best! Loved everything about this book!
And oh yeah, it’s a terrific mystery too. It’s just that there’s so much extra, it sort of elevates the book to another plane. Alas, I’ve only one more to read before I’ve done ‘em all - but you can be sure I’ll hang on to my copies for future perusal and pleasure!

[Hjwoodward · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked a lot about this book: Inspector Peroni's beauty, his roving eye, his sister and his vocabulary. What I didn't like much was the too tenuous link between the murder in 1230 and the one in the present. That didn't work.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I found this by serendipity in the library, I know I will look for the other 4 Italian mysteries written by Holme. That doesn't happen with every "old" mystery I read, only the special ones. The author has a wonderful way with words. He evokes a time and place. Words like "scurrility,""ineluctably," and "pulchitrude" and a scattering of Italian and Latin words all work together in this story set in Assisi.

Commissario Achille Peroni found himself persuaded by his sister Assunta to go with her on a pilgrimage to Assisi. Following a fellow traveler, Peroni uncovers a mystery with roots reaching back 700 years.

Many elements combine to create quite an interesting story.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite good, with a nice feel for Italy at the time.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

A super mystery, set in Italy with an unconventional detective. Very enjoyable.