The Hunting Season by Tom Benjamin

It’s truffle season and in the hills around Bologna the hunt is on for the legendary Boscuri White, the golden nugget of Italian gastronomy. But when an American truffle ‘supertaster’ goes missing, English detective Daniel Leicester discovers not all truffles are created equal. Did the missing supertaster bite off more than he could chew?

As he goes on the hunt for Ryan Lee, Daniel discovers the secrets behind ‘Food City’, from the immigrant kitchen staff to the full scale of a multi-million Euro business. After a key witness is found dead at the foot of one of Bologna’s famous towers, the stakes could not be higher. Daniel teams up with a glamorous TV reporter, but the deeper he goes into the disappearance of the supertaster the darker things become. Murder is once again on the menu, but this time Daniel himself stands accused. And the only way he can clear his name is by finding Ryan Lee…

Discover Bologna through the eyes of English detective Daniel Leicester as he walks the shadowy porticoes in search of the truth and, perhaps, even gets a little nearer to solving the mystery of Italy itself.

My Thoughts

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Set in Bologna, Italy, The Hunting Season begins by taking us on a journey to the hills surrounding Bologna, where the hunt is officially under way for the most legendary of truffles. This event entices people from all over the world to try their luck at uncovering the best there is to find in the hills, including American truffle ‘supertaster’ Ryan Lee.

When Ryan’s parents arrive in Bologna to meet their son, and he fails to turn up at the airport to pick them up, they are immediately concerned. This is when they reach out to Detective Daniel Leicester to help them locate the whereabouts of their son. As Daniel begins his investigations, it becomes clear that this is far more than a missing persons case, and he is determined to get to the bottom of this mysterious case.

I found this book to be an enjoyable, easy read that I found myself delving in to throughout the day. The author certainly puts a lot of detail in to the setting, allowing the reader to feel as though they are experiencing the sights of Bologna alongside the characters we meet within this novel.

The characters were all wonderfully developed and realistic, it was easy to find ways in which to connect with them as the story progressed and we learnt more about them as individuals. Daniel Leicester is a really intriguing character, I found the ways in which his mind worked and came up with conclusions in this curious case fascinating.

The story flowed brilliantly from beginning to end, with plenty of twists and turns throughout that really engage the readers interest to the very end. I really enjoyed this book, and will certainly be awaiting future releases by this author!.

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