Murder Under the Tuscan Sun: A gripping classic suspense novel in the tradition of Agatha Christie set in a remote Tuscan castle

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There were lots of different ways that the story could have gone and so the ending for me was a surprise! Nora is lonely and needs guidance as her mother dismisses her as being rather an inconvenience as opposed to someone to love, cherish and nurture. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice. So when the position of companion to an invalid English gentleman living in a castle in Tuscany is advertised, she jumps at the chance of adventure. They were all suspicious in their own way with their own unique backstories that gradually came to light.

It was written with care and attention by a servant girl who travelled from England to Australia on a cruise liner in the late 1930s. This didn’t occur and I didn’t think I would ever say this but I wasn’t let down that this did not occur in the traditional format of a mystery/crime book. Opportunity arises when she sees a job posting for a companion to Mr William North, a celebrated art expert and dealer, who has suffered a brain haemorrhage and whose recovery is expected to be slow.The tantalising descriptions of the Tuscan landscapes were impressive and made me very jealous of Connie. Then there is the castle itself, set in a beautiful landscape, but interestlingly seems more gothic, with it’s turrets and gargoyles than the usual Renaissance architecture, which suits the plot line with it’s darker undercurrent. Roberto and his wife, Evelyn brashly welcome Connie to their castle but the same can't be said for the man she has been engaged to take care of.

There seems to be some sort of darkness hanging over the household and Connie is both drawn to them as well as feeling repelled by what is happening in the castle. I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for an advance copy of Murder Under the Tuscan Sun, a stand-alone thriller mostly set in Tuscany in 1927. Rachel Rhys takes us to an isolated castle in 1920s Tuscany for a brilliant and Du Maurier-esque tale of dark secrets, rising menace and the importance of taking a leap of faith. To remove herself from her mundane existence in England and the shadows that still haunt her connected to the death of her daughter Millie several years ago.Desperate for her mother to notice her, she soon forms an attachment of sorts to Constance, who has warmed to the child’s intelligence and wit. The younger Connie of 1927 is actually a middle-aged woman who has experienced the worst life can throw at a person.

When Constance Bowen, recently widowed, mourning the loss of her daughter, and in a not particularly close relationship with her son, is given the opportunity to work as a paid companion to an infirm gentleman in Tuscany she leaps at the chance for an escape from her humdrum life - despite the disapproval of her son. This tumultuous way of living really echoed the read and how it makes you uncertain what to expect throughout. We then jump back in time to 1927, and meet Constance, a widow disappointed by her life and grieving the loss of her daughter.There are a number of scenes which made my heart ache for this little girl but for all her suffering, there's a story attached to the castle about another young girl which is too horrific to even contemplate.

It's notable too that this scene is set shortly after the Second World War and the main storyline examines lives irrevocably affected by the First World War – and with the shadow of fascism and all the horrors to follow looming over everything. When she arrives, she meets not only William but his niece Evelyn, her fascist husband Roberto and Evelyn’s somewhat neglected daughter Nora. I knew that Rhys was excellent at writing complex and interesting characters plus simmering tension, but 'Murder under the Tuscan Sun' proved to be even more nuanced, compelling and moving than I'd hoped.William is not getting better, his niece is a social butterfly with a short attention span, who neglects her daughter and her husband is a fascist. As a fan of mysteries set in the past, think Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh this definitely appealed to me. Evelyn is a strange character, brittle and moody whilst Roberto devotes himself to the fascist cause.