How to Read the Rick Montoya Italian Mysteries
If you love armchair travel, mouthwatering Italian cuisine, and classical art-themed detective puzzles, David P. Wagner's Rick Montoya Italian Mystery series is your perfect literary passport. The series follows Rick Montoya, a half-American, half-Italian freelance translator who constantly finds himself helping the local Italian police (and occasionally the Carabinieri) crack murder cases in some of Italy's most beautiful and historic towns.
For the best reading experience, it is highly recommended to read the Rick Montoya series in publication order. While each mystery is self-contained and functions perfectly as a standalone, the character arcs, recurring relationships (such as Rick's connection to his Roman uncle and his evolving romance with art investigator Betta Innocenti), and Rick's settling into Italian life develop chronologically across the books.
The Recommended Reading Order
To follow Rick's journey from his first freelance translation job to his latest investigative exploits, read the novels in this order:
- Cold Tuscan Stone (2013) — Set in Volterra, Tuscany
- Death in the Dolomites (2014) — Set in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Veneto (Dolomite Alps)
- Murder Most Unfortunate (2015) — Set in Bassano del Grappa, Veneto
- Return to Umbria (2016) — Set in Orvieto, Umbria
- A Funeral in Mantova (2018) — Set in Mantova, Lombardy
- Roman Count Down (2019) — Set in Rome, Lazio
- To Die in Tuscany (2021) — Set in Urbino, Le Marche (with cross-regional ties to eastern Tuscany)
- Best Served Cold (2023) — Set in Assisi, Umbria
- Tuscan Bloodline (2025) — Set in Lucignano, Tuscany
Detailed Series Breakdown and Settings
1. Cold Tuscan Stone (2013)
The book that started it all introduces us to Rick Montoya. Having recently moved from the United States to Rome to work as a freelance translator, Rick is looking to establish himself. His plans are interrupted when an old college classmate, an art dealer named Beppo, hires him to look into potential antiquities smuggling in the ancient Etruscan hill town of Volterra. Rick soon finds himself dealing with ancient artifacts, suspicious locals, and a murder that forces him to rely on his wits and his unique bicultural perspective to survive.
2. Death in the Dolomites (2014)
Trading the warm Tuscan sun for the snow-capped peaks of northern Italy, Rick heads to the glamorous resort town of Cortina d'Ampezzo for a skiing vacation. The holiday turns cold when a wealthy local woman goes missing and is later discovered dead. When the local police learn of Rick's involvement in the Volterra case, they enlist his help as an interpreter and unofficial advisor to navigate the international social circle surrounding the victim.
3. Murder Most Unfortunate (2015)
In this installment, Rick gets a prestigious interpreting gig at a cultural seminar in Bassano del Grappa, a scenic town in the Veneto region famous for its historic covered bridge and grappa distilleries. When one of the seminar's key professors is murdered, the academic rivalries and local family secrets come spilling out. Rick must translate the clues before the killer strikes again.
4. Return to Umbria (2016)
The fourth mystery takes Rick to the dramatic volcanic cliffs of Orvieto in Umbria. Under the shadow of the town's magnificent Gothic cathedral, Rick is asked to help investigate a murder that has direct ties to stolen ecclesiastical art. This book deepens the series' focus on classic Italian art history and the illegal trade of religious antiquities.
5. A Funeral in Mantova (2018)
Rick is hired by a wealthy Italian businessman, on a recommendation from the U.S. Embassy, to look into the suspicious death of an elderly fisherman. The case leads him to the UNESCO-listed city of Mantova (Mantua) in Lombardy. Nestled surrounded by three artificial lakes, Mantova serves as an atmospheric backdrop as Rick untangles the complex, generations-old rivalries of the Rondini family clan.
6. Roman Count Down (2019)
Unlike the previous books which take Rick to remote regional towns, this entry keeps him in Rome, his home base. When a wealthy and eccentric Roman aristocrat, Count Umberto Zimbardi, is murdered, Rick is pulled directly into the investigation by his uncle, a high-ranking commissioner in the Rome police force. The novel offers a fabulous tour of Rome's historic districts, high-society salons, and hidden side streets.
7. To Die in Tuscany (2021)
Rick and his girlfriend, Betta Innocenti (an art fraud investigator for the Italian Culture Ministry), plan a romantic weekend getaway to the Renaissance hill town of Urbino. Their vacation is ruined when a wealthy Spanish art collector is murdered in Urbino's botanical gardens, and a priceless, newly discovered drawing by Renaissance master Piero della Francesca goes missing. The couple must work together to crack a case that stretches from Urbino's Palazzo Ducale into eastern Tuscany.
8. Best Served Cold (2023)
Rick is hired to translate for a group of American tourists visiting the historic hill town of Assisi. However, the tour group is harboring deep, dark secrets. When one of the tour members is murdered, the local police enlist Rick to help them understand the group dynamics and decipher the cryptic clues left behind.
9. Tuscan Bloodline (2025)
The ninth novel takes Rick to Lucignano, a remarkably preserved, concentric-walled town in southeastern Tuscany. The plot weaves together local history, family heritage, and ties to the historical Medici dynasty as Rick investigates a murder that threatens to tear a local family apart.
What to Know Before You Start
David P. Wagner brings an extraordinary level of authenticity to the Rick Montoya series, drawing on the nine years he spent living and working in Rome and Milan as a U.S. Foreign Service Officer. Wagner even ran a self-guided trip planning service called 'Italia Roadrunner,' and this deep knowledge of regional geography, local dialects, and off-the-beaten-path destinations shines through in every chapter.
Readers should expect a classic "cozy" mystery tone, but with a highly sophisticated edge. The violence is kept off-stage, and there is a strong focus on dialogue, deduction, and character interaction. One of the most beloved features of the books is the detail devoted to food and wine; Rick's meals are described in mouthwatering detail, making the books a feast for foodies as well as mystery lovers.
While the focus is on the novels, dedicated fans may also want to track down the 2017 anthology Bound by Mystery: Celebrating 20 Years of Poisoned Pen Press, which features a Rick Montoya short story titled "Disguise," offering a quick, delightful dose of Italian intrigue.