Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This is the first novel I've read by Rhys Bowen, and it will be the last. I purchased this because it has nearly 5 stars, but I nearly reading this book three different times, and only continued because I hoped (somehow) it would redeem itself. It didn't, in my opinion. Positives: the premise is an interesting one, and I liked the use of alternating narratives. It was believable to me that a child of a WWII soldier would be estranged from her father. I also thought that her weaving in Tuscan cuisine was a very nice and helped to set scene. Challenges: It felt like the story needed another round of editing. She over-uses phrases and terms, pockmarked buildings, and "I realized I wasn't being very tactful" (I thought, oh, maybe she's somewhat autistic, but i don't think that's what the author was going for). I had a hard time believing that both Father and Daughter spoke such accomplished Italian within such a short period of time. She spoke French and took only a few weeks of Italian, but somehow could carry on/ understand complicated conversations. SPOILER - Renzo doesn't seem too distressed when his father dies right in front of him. I understand, he has just tried to kill Joanna (someone who he JUST met a few days earlier) and he realized that he wasn't as honorable as he thought he was, but that was still a person who had cared for him. I thought that Renzo's feelings/reaction would be more complex than it was. I know that thousands of people really loved this book, but I found it pedestrian and unremarkable. Thumbs down - Rhys, you need a new editor.