#BlogTour The Hunting Season by Tom Benjamin

It's my turn on the BlogTour The Hunting Season by Tom Benjamin.

About the Author

Tom Benjamin grew up in London and began his working life as a reporter before becoming a spokesman for Scotland Yard. He went on to work in international aid and public health, developing Britain's first national programme against alcohol abuse and heading up drugs awareness campaign FRANK. He now lives in Bologna, Italy.

Find @tombenjaminsays on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook or visit tombenjamin.com

About the book

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.

Review

I think it's fair to say searching for a supertaster - yes that's a thing - isn't exactly a normal case for any detective. At first Daniel Leicester finds the whole thing peculiar, then interesting and eventually he realises he has stumbled into something quite dangerous. 

As Daniel and his team get closer to finding the supertaster they also discover the nature of the truffle market is a very expensive and lucrative business, perhaps one even worth killing for. Will Daniel find the supertaster or is it already too late?

Although there were moments when I thought the beautiful descriptive prose was wasted on the plot that didn't pull a punch that was hard enough, it's exactly that element of the read that draws the reader in. Benjamin has a Dibdin like style and charm, especially when it comes to taking his readers by the hand and walking them through the landscape, history and culture.

Delving into the world and history of truffles, the hidden morsel that went from fungi to delicacy, from background singer to A list edible - it's an eye opener. Probably one which will make readers want to try some, but perhaps not at the ridiculous prices they sell for.

I actually think this is a series that will grow in strength and popularity. I look forward to seeing where the author takes it.

Buy The Hunting Season at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Constable pub date 5 Nov. 2020.  Buy at Amazon com.