As time passes you start to wonder whether events are real or if your mind is just playing tricks on you.

It was a book that I found myself racing through, just to find out what exactly was at the heart of all the strange happenings. The tension in the castle really begins to pick up when Connie’s son arrives unexpectedly at the castle for a holiday, and he too notices that something strange is going on. She’s so strong and worldly, even in the face of some weird and spooky happenings in the castle, and I liked that she tackled tricky situations with fortitude and courage. 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. Filled with breath-taking Tuscan scenery, a sinister atmosphere and an English widow caught up in a family feud with a wandering murderer out to get her.uk to find out more about her work, including her latest pyschological suspense title THE WEDDING PARTY. 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. For all the beauty of the countryside, there is a sinister air around the castle, exacerbated by the oppressive heat, and the backdrop of the rise of fascism within the country adds a layer of unease that is ever present. The Tuscan settings are beautifully described, I love Florence and it took me right back there, as are the local folk stories about witches.

To her surprise and her son’s dismay she is offered the job, but the household she joins is not happy. The story is told through Connie’s point of view for the entire length of the book and this does work very well. 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.To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Set in a remote castle in the lovely Tuscan hills at the time Mussolini was introducing Fascism and was starting to get a hold on Italy's disgruntled workers, this cosy mystery gives both a little escapism to the warm Mediterranean climate, so different from the cold English weather and claustrophobic house that Constance has left behind, and an insight into a diverse range of characters that Rachel has created. 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. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I will definitely be looking out the authors other books as the writing in this one was superb.

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. 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. 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.Evelyn is mercurial; at one moment all smiles and happiness, lavishing affection on Constance and at another, questioning everything Constance does.

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!The building's dark history and fevered present is the perfect location for a mystery redolent of the Golden Age. 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. But we first visit the castle with an unknown character in 1946, after German occupation has left it in a dreadful state. Rather than travelling inwards to mine the darkness of their own psyches, her protagonists set out across the world on jet planes and ocean liners and the famous Train Bleu with its starched white tablecloths and wood panelled couchettes.