Death of an Englishman (Crime club), Magdalen Nabb

It could not have been a more inconvenient time for murder. Florence was alive with Christmas shoppers, half the Carabinieri were already on leave - and the Marshal had flu.

 That left the enthusiastic, but inexperienced Bacci to deal with the murder of a seemingly respectable Englishman abroad.

And to cope with the two Scotland Yard detectives who arrived to help the Italians out.  But even from his sickbed, the Marshal manages to keep a firm, but friendly eye on things - and produce the winning hand in the game.