From the outset, the welcome she receives and the interactions with the castle’s occupants are deeply unsettling. Things happen which cannot be explained and Constance finds that though she knows perfectly well that she is competent, nevertheless she begins to lose any confidence she has as strange occurrences, disappearances and odd happenings all seem to undermine her judgement. Connie lives in Pinner with her adult son , James; grieving the loss of her daughter and recently widowed, she decides to apply for a job in Tuscany caring for invalid, William, who has suffered a cerebral haemorrhage. The chapters were fairly long and detailed which enabled lots of small things to happen. You really got to know the main character, her thoughts and her feelings which I liked.

I loved the depiction of Constance. Her confusion as the events of the castle unfolded and she began to doubt her actions and memories felt very real. I also loved the relationship between her and her son James as they began to understand each other and regain their closeness. I also enjoyed the fact that the main character was an older woman who was not obviously attractive.A will written book with a well developed plot with plenty of mystery and suspense. Set in a remote castle with a strange atmosphere in the beautiful Tuscan countryside. The characters are interesting and well developed but all have their secrets. The story flows well and slowly unfolds and keeps you guessing till the end. Competition closes at 11.59pm on April 8, 2023 (the “Closing Date”). Entries received after the Closing Date will not be counted. 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. William North is a respected art connoisseur who has suffered a brain injury and needs assistance. He resides in the castle with his niece Evelyn Manetti, her husband Roberto and Nora, her young daughter from a previous relationship. As Connie settles into her new routine, the setting of the castle and the surrounding countryside come alive. The reader gets a real sense for the food, the climate, the architecture and the artworks. She explores the castle and its grounds but Connie just can’t shake off the feeling that there is a lot left unspoken and that the residents are all hiding something. Connie and William do not get off to a good start.He views her with disdain and I suppose this was because he was suffering but felt he didn’t need someone to look after him rather that he craved the independence that he once had. William is not old and decrepit but in fact is only in his mid 50’s. He has suffered tragedy in his life having lost his wife and son. He is brusque and offhand with Connie and she feels she can’t do anything right but she persists in assisting him through keeping him company, reading to him, writing correspondence and administering medication as recommended by the visiting doctor.

Murder Under The Tuscan Sun is an atmospheric mystery set in 1920s Tuscany that keeps you guessing right to the end. 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. What dawned on me as I was reading Murder Under the Tuscan Sun was that it reminded me of an Agatha Christie thriller, both in plot and the characters. There is the older Uncle, rich, an art expert, widowed and currently unwell. Then there is his niece Evelyn, young, beautiful, a social butterfly and newly married to the handsome Roberto. Evelyn’s eight year old daughter, who is awkward and neglected by her mother and Alina, the housekeeper who seems to have the weight of the world on her shoulders. Into this disfunctional family comes Constance Bowen, employed as a companion to William North, the Uncle. Consance is looking to spread her wings after the death of her husband and daughter but instead of flourishing under the Tuscan sun she seems to loose sight of herself, hearing noises, seeing things and starts to question her own sanity. This wonderful and eclectic cast of characters are not who they first seem. The story is told through Connie’s point of view for the entire length of the book and this does work very well. We see her unease and at times growing confusion as strange things start to occur. Incidents which she can’t provide a reasonable explanation for. She feels the sadness within the castle especially with Nora who comes across as a strange child who is more or left to her own devices whilst her mother flits around the city with her new husband. Although when Connie spots Roberto with some Fascists she is aghast that he is apparently on their side. 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. But Nora is watchful, odd but endearing and maybe she sees and remembers an awful lot more than she is given credit for. Connie strikes up a friendship with her as I felt she did with William the further the book progressed. But William is a closed book and as his health begins to deteriorate despite the best care afforded by Connie he becomes more angry, incapacitated and unable to communicate properly. They do develop a tentative connection of sorts but as things turn against Connie she feels as if she is in a desperate situation which is rapidly spiralling out of her control.

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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. Evelyn is a strange character, brittle and moody whilst Roberto devotes himself to the fascist cause. Evelyn’s young daughter, Nora, is completely ignored and left to her own devices and Connie soon feels a great sadness for the child.

They are often set in a quintessentially English setting, such as the (imagined) chocolate box village of St Mary's Mead where Miss Marple kept a beady eye out for trouble, or the luxury Coopers Chase retirement home of Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club series. This was my first Rita Calabrese story and I have to say it won't be my last. I love her descriptions of cooking the food and the recipes at the end are definitely something I want to try! And the explanation of the Italian words was a great start to help me and other readers understand what some of the characters were talking about without a full English explanation to slow down the story. It is not a difficult read, but it is very well done, be it the descriptions of the landscape and weather or the odd events that keep happening, with great pacing and the mounting sense of something amiss. It held my attention from start to finish. There are surprises throughout the book, many twists, and turns and of course lots of suspects as well as clues or red herrings. The solving of the murder of the host leads you down several paths with numerous suspects, and the final reveal is surprising and unexpected. Rita must be very smart and intuitive to have put it all together!Women are not required to be original, my darling. Just agreeable and easy on the eye.' - (Please note this is quoted from the uncorrected proof copy). These terms and conditions apply to all competitions (unless and to the extent that) the competition states otherwise.

In a remote castle high up in the Tuscan hills secrets are simmering among its glamorous English residents: This was an enjoyable and compelling read with some interesting characters giving the reader a lot to ponder when thinking about motivation. If you fancy yourself as an amateur detective, these are the books for you. Cosy crime takes much from the Golden Age of crime and authors such as Agatha Christie and Dorothy L Sayers: although there is often a (sometimes quite violent) murder, this isn't lingered on and the focus is very much on the investigation, often led by an amateur with a talent for sleuthing.

About this book

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