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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Verdict: An easy, flowing narrative quickly gets the reader into the central plot and the mystery and intrigue all build up to a crescendo where you begin to wonder who is innocent and who, is anyone, is responsible for some life threatening moments. Although the broad outline of the plot was in evidence fairly early on the story had nuances that kept me engrossed throughout as the story came to a shocking climax. William was making good progress after his illness but then mysteriously begins to worsen and Constance appears to be responsible for this.

I read this in the run up to and during a holiday in Tuscany so I was able to have an immersive experience so to speak! Evelyn seems to be a flighty young woman whose approach to her young child Nora is one of careless regret. The story is inspired by a real diary which the author discovered by accident while helping her mother move house.I loved the landscape of Tuscany that Rachel Rhys describes as Connie settles into her new life in William North’s home, and Rachel Rhys captures the grandeur of the time as well. What makes this truly remarkable is that the novel was written during the Covid lockdown but not actually in Tuscany.

Her position in the castle was ambiguous as she wasn’t treated like the luxurious Evelyn or like the working servant women. So much so that you begin to question Constance’s reliability as a narrator when she cannot seem to remember whether she has been following instructions as they were given or not. uk to find out more about her work, including her latest pyschological suspense title THE WEDDING PARTY. 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. They were all suspicious in their own way with their own unique backstories that gradually came to light.

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. She is widowed with an adult son and is still grieving a tragic loss which turned her world upside down. The atmosphere in the castle is beautifully evoked and the difficulty of living under the fear of the Fascists is potent. This is an atmospheric and evocative read set in Tuscany in the late 1920s just as Mussolini is coming to power. 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.