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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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The setting was stunning and gave me wanderlust for the beautiful city of Florence, the heat and the architecture. A huge thank you Random Things Tours, Penguin Random House and Penguin UK Books for my proof copy and place on the Book Tour. 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. It 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. Women and girls accused of witchcraft were murdered at a nearby beauty spot, so when she hears unearthly music in the dead of night she fears supernatural influences.

Delighted if you have guessed correctly as to what is going on but equally satisfied when the wool has been pulled over your eyes.She keeps having a see-saw of highs and lows with regard to how she feels about everything around her. Murder Under the Tuscan Sun’ by Rachel Rhys is set in an exquisitely beautiful place and the change of scenery is exactly what Constance believes she needs. The first weeks are promising as Constance settles in, is accepted as being valuable to the family by Evelyn (William’s niece) and husband Roberto, and William’s condition starts to improve.

Connie leaves London after the death of her husband to become a nurse/companion to William North, but it soon becomes clear he doesn't want her there. 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! A woman with nursing experience during the war, and with suffragette sympathies, Constance’s marriage was not a loving one and the loss of her daughter, leaving her with only her son James, now in his early 20’s, has left her looking for something to do with her life. Those who have read the book will understand when I say that I also loved Alina's story, the glamorous parties and the fabulous ending of the novel.

The building's dark history and fevered present is the perfect location for a mystery redolent of the Golden Age. She has been on her own for a year although the reader gets glimpses that perhaps she was not always happy in her marriage and sad and grieving though she may be you sense there is a small element of freedom surrounding her. I have read other books by the author that I have enjoyed more than this one, and I would continue to recommend the author to fans of the historical fiction genre.

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.Life has already been tough so she isn't going to shrink at Fascists, gold-diggers, a cantankerous charge, unpleasant social situations or the eerie music that fills the corridors of the castle at night.

So she does something wild and answers an ad in The Lady to be a companion to William North, a stroke victim in Tuscany. 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. 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 soon as I started reading I was completely lost in the story, lives of the characters and of course the beautiful Tuscan landscape that I love so much. We then jump back in time to 1927, and meet Constance, a widow disappointed by her life and grieving the loss of her daughter. Although there are simmering tensions in the background with the rise of the new fascist government, and this seeps into every day conversations. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. 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.

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