Murder Under The Tuscan Sun by Rachel Rhys
An isolated castle, a deadly crime. Is this real or a nightmare?
High up in the Tuscan hills in a remote castle, secrets are simmering among its glamorous English residents:
The ailing gentleman art-dealer
His dazzling niece
Her handsome Fascist husband
Their neglected young daughter
The housekeeper who knows everything and Connie, the English widow working for them.
There is a terrible wailing inside the walls and sinister noises at night.
Is Connie losing her grip on reality? Or does someone in the castle want her gone?
Filled with breath-taking Tuscan scenery, a sinister atmosphere and an English widow caught up in a family feud with a wandering murderer out to get her. Murder Under the Tuscan Sun is a compelling tale of classic crime with an escapist setting, a 1920s background, and vivid characters trapped in a murder mystery.
About the author
RACHEL RHYS is the pseudonym of psychological thriller writer Tammy Cohen. Her debut, Dangerous Crossing, was a bestselling Richard and Judy Book Club pick and was followed by A Fatal Inheritance and Island of Secrets. Rachel'latest novel, Murder Under the Tuscan Sun is once again a superb historical suspense crime, this time with an irresistible Italian 1920s setting. She lives in North London, with her three (allegedly) grown up children and her neurotic rescue dog.
Visit www.tammycohen.co.uk to find out more about her work, including her latest pyschological suspense title The Wedding Party. You can also find her on facebook or twitter as @MsTamarCohen or on Instagram as @tammycohenwriter.
Review
‘Murder Under The Tuscan Sun’ is an unsettling and engrossing mystery set in 1920’s Tuscany. I devoured this book in a few sittings and it strongly reminded me of the golden age crime from the period. A book about its characters as much as the mystery. It was an evocative read that places the reader deep within the story, you feel as if you can feel the heat of the Tuscan sun and hear the violins! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I will definitely be looking out the authors other books as the writing in this one was superb.
Constance Bowen’s husband has recently died and she is feeling unsettled. Her daughter also died 5 years earlier and her relationship with her son isn't on the best terms. So she does something wild and answers an ad in The Lady to be a companion to William North, a stroke victim in Tuscany. When she gets the position she packs up and heads to meet the family. The advert had been placed by his niece Evelyn who is a flighty young woman. She is married to Roberto who is a black shirt, something Constance finds hard to stomach. Evelyn has a daughter Nora, a lonely child from a previous marriage. When Constance meets her charge William is surprised to see his nearer to her age and less ill than she thought he would be.
Constance finds herself in that strange position of not being a servant but not on par with the family who owns this huge castle and her interactions with the family highlight this. Then when strange events cause Constance to begin to question her sanity she starts to question what is going on around her!
This is one of those beautiful slow burn of a story. Its excellent characters and writing make you question everything you are reading. Can Constance really be making these mistakes or will she prove to be an unreliable narrator? I really liked Constance and I hope that I am still having adventures at her age. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book as you see quickly drawn into the story and then you never want to leave these characters alone. This was a great read.
Let me know if you pick this one up!
