Murder on Lake Garda by Tom Hindle

Murder on Lake Garda is the third novel by Tom Hindle and the first one I’ve read. I bought it in Sainsbury’s a few months ago when I was short on books, then there was a flurry of publications by favourite authors – including The Examiner, We Solve Murders and Midnight and Blue – so it took me a while to get round to reading it. I was attracted to the 1920s stye lettering on the cover, but mostly because it was about Lake Garda.

Many years ago, we went to Lake Garda for my sister-in-law’s wedding. So many things went wrong for my family. It was an absolute farce. I didn’t realise until I actually started reading Murder on Lake Garda that it was set at a wedding! At least the wedding we went to wasn’t quite as bad as that one…

Two families gather at a castle on Lake Garda for the wedding of wealthy businessman, Laurence Heywood, and glamorous influencer, Eva Bianchi. But not everyone is happy to be there.

Best man, Stephen, wonders if he even actually likes Laurence. His wife, Abigail, definitely doesn’t like Laurence or Eva. Younger brother, Toby, isn’t happy to be back with his family. A wedding isn’t the best time for his girlfriend, Robyn, to meet them for the first time. Especially when they can’t even be polite to her.

As the guests wait in the stifling sun for the bride’s arrival, there is a loud scream…

Someone has been murdered. Could anyone have got onto the island without being seen? It looks like the killer must be one of the wedding guests. Are any of them safe? And will the police ever come?

As they wait for help to arrive, it seems like everyone has a secret. But would it be enough to drive them to kill? As Robyn suspects Toby and Stephen suspects Abigail, it feels like the Heywoods and their family and friends will destroy each other if the murderer doesn’t get to them first…

Told mainly from the point of Robyn and other characters slightly removed from the action, this is a fun murder mystery in the style of an Agatha Christie locked room. I read most of it in one day. If you like your crime novels with a minimum of gore and zero police presence, I would recommend Murder on Lake Garda.