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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Having read previous books by Rachel Rhys I was really excited to be part of the blog tour for her new book Murder Under the Tuscan Sun. I have loved her previous books and with her new book set just outside Florence, my favourite place to visit, and in a castle with some wonderful art and the setting of 1927 this was a book I had to read. Rachel Rhys is in a league of her own, creating compelling, engrossing historical mysteries that grip readers by the throat every single time' LISA JEWELL On a spur of the moment decision, she answers an advertisement in The Lady to be a companion to William North, a stroke victim in Tuscany. The ad has been placed by North’s niece, Evelyn who together with her husband, Roberto, live in and have charge of the castle. Evelyn starts to develop a relationship with William as she cares for him but then a strange atmosphere develops in the castle and after a while William’s health declines further despite an initial improvement. Competition closes at 11.59pm on April 8, 2023 (the “Closing Date”). Entries received after the Closing Date will not be counted.

This is a hugely atmospheric mystery set in the gorgeous Tuscan countryside. Recently widowed Constance Bowen takes the plunge to escape her drab lifestyle in London by taking the job as the carer/companion to William North who has suffered a brain haemorrhage. William lives in a castle near Florence with his niece Evelyn, her husband and daughter and at first Constance is entranced by the castle, its inhabitants and the glorious Italian sunshine. However, she soon begins to feel uneasy and realise that not everything is quite as it should be. Every night, Connie hears sinister noises and a terrible wailing inside the walls. Is she losing her grip on reality? I read and loved Rachel Rhys' 'A Dangerous Crossing' so I had high hopes for this one! Thanks to NetGalley for my copy of the book. A wonderful, atmospheric thriller with a cast of glamorous villains. I love Rachel Rhys and this is her best yet VERONICA HENRYIt is 1927 and widowed Connie decides she needs to make changes in her life and leaves London to take on the role of companion to art dealer William North, the owner of a castle in the Tuscan countryside. When she arrives, she meets not only William but his niece Evelyn, her fascist husband Roberto and Evelyn’s somewhat neglected daughter Nora. It soon becomes clear that all is not what it seems within the walls of the castle, and soon Connie finds herself questioning her own sanity. Reading a Rachel Rhys book always means being transported to another time and place; her stories are such a treat and despite some strong competition, I think Murder Under the Tuscan Sun might just be my favourite to date. The author does a brilliant job of creating a haunting atmosphere where neither Constance nor the reader are sure what is happening and who is behind it. Evelyn and Roberto seem welcoming but are completely wrapped up in each other leaving Evelyn’s daughter Nora to occupy herself for most of the time. William was making good progress after his illness but then mysteriously begins to worsen and Constance appears to be responsible for this. Evelyn is mercurial; at one moment all smiles and happiness, lavishing affection on Constance and at another, questioning everything Constance does. William is a taciturn charge who puts up with her ministering to him but seems wary of everyone around him.

While most of the novel is set in 1927, the prologue takes place in 1946 and finds an older Constance making an emotional return to somewhere clearly teeming with memories for her. 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. Rachel Rhys conjures up a time of immense change and yet still captures the timeless beauty of Tuscany, and particularly Florence. A huge thank you Random Things Tours, Penguin Random House and Penguin UK Books for my proof copy and place on the Book Tour. 🥰 Murder Under The Tuscan Sun is an atmospheric mystery set in 1920s Tuscany that keeps you guessing right to the end. Denouements are often neatly resolved, with the murderer caught and punished, leaving the reader feeling like all is well in the world. If that all sounds appealing right now, read on...

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The setting of the story both in place and time was brilliantly done. The Italian sunshine and countryside are both beautiful but the intense heat can also be oppressive and add to the dark atmosphere in the castle. The growing strength of fascism in Italy at that time also adds to the uneasiness that lays over everything. At first, life in the remote castle outside Florence seems wonderful, but the longer Constance remains at the castle, the more she seems to unravel... The book is set in 1927, with the growth of Fascism in Italy. When Connie gets to the castle, she finds an odd setup. The niece of the ailing man by marriage is the one who is in charge of the daily running of the household. She is charming, as is her chauvinist husband (when he wants to be). There is a neglected young girl wandering the castle, and the housekeeper has her own history with the place. Amidst all this, Connie is trying to build a new life. She keeps having a see-saw of highs and lows with regard to how she feels about everything around her.

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! We first join the story in 1946, when an unknown character is returning to the castle near Florence. I was immediately drawn into the atmospheric description of the castle, with its crumbling stone dragons, left devastated after occupation by German soldiers. Something terrible obviously happened here, but what? I loved this book and read it in virtually one sitting. It has everything. Interesting characters, a beautiful setting described in perfect detail, intrigue and a giant dog called Solomon. Wonderful!As the novel progresses your liking, and disliking, of the the individuals changes along with the subtle shifts as to who was causing Constance to feel she was losing her mind, whilst doing her best to protect those in her care. Murder Under the Tuscan Sun by Maureen Klovers features more adventures of the talented amateur sleuth Rita Calabrese. Rita and her husband, Sal, travel to Tuscany, Italy, for a second honeymoon. Rita meets an Italian detective on the plane flight who asks her to do some snooping for him as someone in Tuscany is suspected of smuggling Etruscan antiquities. She keeps her sleuthing a secret from Sal. Any of the guests staying at a villa for an upcoming wedding are possible suspects. In the aftermath of an earthquake, a dead body is discovered. Even though the position of the body points to death by the natural disaster, Rita believes the victim was murdered. What will be the outcome of Rita’s amateur investigation pertaining to antiquity smuggling and the demise of one of the guests? How long can Rita hide her snooping from Sal? There is something immensely captivating about the way Rachel Rhys writes and it only took minutes for me to be transported' *****

The story focuses on Connie Bowen, an English widow who - against her son's wishes - seizes the opportunity to travel to Tuscany to be a companion for William North, an ailing man living in an art-filled castle. It's 1927 and Fascism is on the rise in the beautiful country that Connie comes to love - and even present in the castle in the form of the handsome young Roberto who is married to Evelyn, William's niece. Also living in the castle is Nora, Evelyn's child by her first husband - who seems to be mainly an inconvenience to her mother now Evelyn is caught up with her new man. As the dynamic of the group shifts over the months of William's illness, Connie is forced to confront the fact that things in the castle aren't as they seem - and in fact are more immediately dangerous than the gathering political storm cloud. was fascinating to watch her relationship with the inhabitants of the castle grow, particularly with William and his niece, Nora. William’s health is failing and it is unclear how long he might have left. It is also clear to see that, at first, he doesn’t welcome Connie being there at all. Nora was a character, who I also felt for, particularly as her mother, Roberto seemed to be far more concerned about Nora’s looks and how they could be improved. I could really sense Nora’s growing attachment to Connie, and I was glad that Connie was there to look out for Nora, whose character really shines in this book.

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The winner is responsible for ensuring they are able to accept the prize as set out and in accordance with these terms and conditions, in the event they are unable to do so then the Promoter reserves the right to redraw the prize. I love books set between the Wars, and Agatha Christie is one of my all-time favourite authors. So the description of “Murder Under the Tuscan Sun” by Rachel Rhys (AKA @tammycohenwriter) appealed to me straight away.