REUNION WITH DEATH is a great concept and the lively nature of the group contrasts well with the apparent respectability of the individuals. They're all wives or divorcees, on third careers or CEOs by this time. Who would hold a grudge for all these years? Laura studied art history and she's eager to visit the monastery and Medici villas on the schedule ahead of the historic walled city of Florence, with its Renaissance artworks. Among sumptuous surroundings, hazelnut gelatos and the gossip, frankly I didn't care if there was ever a mystery to solve. But yes, the unfortunate professor is discovered lying dead on the stone path by Laura, who reports the body while wondering if someone had taken offence from his silver tongue. Obviously the man slipped and fell... an unfortunate accident?

Between the mature lady who whoops it up with twin bartenders, declaring that what happens in Italy stays in Italy, and the former student who states that she saw through the professor back in the day, and anyone who turned him down got undercutting, dismissive remarks in class, there's plenty to hold our attention. Lemon trees, olive bushes and medieval churches adorn the surroundings, with hair-raising mountain roads, Carrara marble mines and good food and wine aplenty. An autopsy reveals that Laura and her room-mate Cynthia were correct to wonder if the professor had been killed, and their nosiness takes control as they can't help trying to figure out who had the best motive.

I thought Laura came across as too coy about which government body she worked for and what she did. She didn't want to discuss it with her former classmates, but the narrator is usually honest with the readers. If you're looking for an itinerary for an Italian tour, you couldn't do better than Sheila Connolly's book, based on an actual class reunion trip that she enjoyed. REUNION WITH DEATH is a fascinating travelogue and the well-plotted murder mystery is the gelato on top of the banquet.

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