books set in Italy Archives

Last month I was in Italy with the Glam Italia Tours and wasn’t able to post on here, but of course I was still reading and listening to loads of books. When I’m traveling I listen to loads of audiobooks, especially in airports and on trains and buses. I’ll be traveling all summer until the end of October, then again in November and in December, so will be consuming tons of audiobooks all year.

If you are new to the Glam Italia bookclub, this is not about brand new books. It is about fantastic books. Most great authors have wonderful backlists that don’t get as much attention, but are soooo deserving of it. The books I talk about in the book club are what I read and listened to this month/last month. I’m sure you are going to love them too!

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With that in mind I want to tell you about Amazon’s free trial program with Audible, the largest seller of audiobooks in the world. You can get a free 3-month trial of audible at the moment. Consume all the books and if you want to keep going they have subscription options, or you can opt out. Your choice. Check out the Audible free 3-month trial here.

Audiobooks

Some of the audio books I’ve loved over the past couple of months:

The Medici Return

I just finished The Medici Return by Steve Berry. It’s a fantastic mystery/thriller involving the Catholic Church and the Medici family, both back in the 1500s and in modern day. It is part of a 20 book series with a mystery solving protagonist called Cotton Malone. I loved it and am excited to have a new series that takes place across multiple countries. This book is available in paperback, kindle and audible formats. Check here on Amazon.

Cold Tuscan Stone

Cold Tuscan Stone is the first book in series. The protagonist, Rick Montoya is a translator who left New Mexico to build a life in Rome. He gets recruited by the Italian Art Squad to take an undercover mission to Volterra posing as an art buyer from Santa Fe while trying to flush out traffickers in priceless Etruscan burial urns. On his first day in Volterra, the first gallery employee he meets with suddenly mysteriously dies. This is a tremendous story that gallops through Volterra with twists and turns, murders and art heists. I loved it. Available in Paperback, Kindle and Audible formats. See here on Amazon.

I absolutely loved The Expats by Chris Pavone. If you enjoy books about spies and espionage set in European cities and in New York, you too will love this brilliantly written, incredibly clever story. This one is the first of a 2 part series, and I have the second book lined up and ready to go. I only discovered Chris Pavone recently and am already 4 books deep. Available in Paperback, Kindle and Audible formats, see here on Amazon.

On Kindle

I also consume an enormous number of books on my Kindle Paperwhite. (In fact once I have this post finished I will be floating around my pool reading my kindle.) The past couple of months I’ve both been reading newly purchased books, and have also been reading books I bought eons ago and forgot to read.

Under A Siena Sun by T.A Williams is a fun beach read for anyone who loves Tuscany. The protagonist, Lucy, is a doctor who leaves a dangerous post in the Congo with Doctors Without Borders for an easier, less stressful life in Tuscany. Lucy is consumed with internal conflict, not being able to balance the extreme poverty of her previous patients in war torn Africa with the wealth and advantage of her current patients in Siena. Her turmoil grows when she encounters injured tennis star David Lorenzo, whose potent smiles make Lucy forget her aversion to the rich. She’s soon falling for the sportsman but feels like she’s losing herself in this world of excess. All she’s ever wanted was to help the underprivileged and be a positive change in the world, so can her future lie in Siena at the clinic – with David?

This sunny romance is the perfect summer escape. Available in paperback, kindle and audible formats. See here on Amazon.

Collecting Can Be Murder

Collecting Can Be Murder is another book I bought ages ago, probably from a Bookbub email, and then forgot about. I recently rediscovered it in my kindle library and enjoyed it so much I ordered the next in series as soon as I finished it.

This time instead of Italy, this book is set in France. After tragedy struck three years earlier, art sleuth Carmen De Luca vowed to never work in the field again. But fifty is too young to fill her days with water aerobics and bingo, so when her former partner calls and begs for her help, Carmen gladly agrees.
Yet after their first assignment – the recovery of a rare medieval prayer book from an eccentric collector living in rural France – goes horribly wrong, Carmen ends up in the crosshairs of both the local police and a murderer!
With her target dead and the stolen book missing, she and her partner will have to pull out all of the stops to sleuth out the true killer’s identity – before their stay in France becomes permanent.

Introducing Carmen De Luca, an art sleuth with a nose for mystery and the job of locating valuable artwork stolen from museums around the world. If you love strong and resourceful heroines, puzzling mysteries, and a dash of art history, pick up Collecting Can Be Murder now!

Available in paperback, kindle and audible formats. See here on Amazon.

The Perfect Place is another fantastic summer read. Again this one takes place in France and takes you through plenty of twists and turns with a fabulous chateau in the center. What would you be willing do to get a French Chateau?

Elle Littlewood can barely believe her luck when her producer tells her about the chance to get her hands on a dilapidated chateau in Aix-En-Provence, France for a rock bottom price. It seems too good to be true, but as a home interiors influencer, she knows this would make incredible content. Lately, Elle has noticed the cracks start to show. Her life is the envy of thousands, and her social media posts show a beautiful, accomplished woman. Yet this wasn’t always the case. If they knew the truth about her past, they would never look at Elle the same way again.

Elle needs this house. She doesn’t care that it comes with huge strings attached. And when people get in her way, there’s nothing Elle won’t do to protect her brand. After all, she’s survived by doing things that people could never imagine – and knows she would do them again.

See here on Amazon.

Murder In Pitigliano by Camilla Trinchieri is the 5th in the Tuscan Mystery series. I’ve loved the first four, so had this one on pre-order. The first four are set in a gorgeous little town close to where I take my Glam Italia Tour travelers for cooking lessons, and this one is set in Pitigliano, a fantastic town where I spent a week a couple of years back. Lots of reasons to devour this book.

Ex-NYPD detective Nico Doyle finds himself unwittingly stepping into the role of a PI to investigate a murder that has torn a young family apart in this rustic mystery set in the beautiful Medieval village of Pitigliano, Italy.
One morning at his favorite café, Nico Doyle notices Cilia, a seven-year-old girl he has never seen before, frolicking with his dog on the floor. He later discovers she has left a note in his collar—Please help my babbo.
With help from the local carabinieri, Nico discovers that Cilia’s father, Saverio, has fled town following an unfortunate incident. His business partner was killed at their electronics store, and Saverio is the hot-headed local carabiniere’s main suspect. Cilia’s mother, Livia, who just moved to Gravigna to get away from Pitigliano’s wagging tongues, asks Nico to find the real killer and hands him a long list of suspects. Against his better judgment, Nico accepts for Cilia’s sake. Since the case is outside of the local carabinieri’s jurisdiction, Nico finds himself on his own as he travels back and forth to Pitigliano. He goes down Livia’s list of suspects one by one in pursuit of the truth, putting his skills as a retired NYPD detective to work. But will Livia and her little girl be happy with what Nico finds?

See it here on Amazon.

Finally, the audiobook that is at the top of my must-have list: Let Them, by Mel Robbins. Although it is available on kindle I’m getting this one next on Audible. I love Mel Robbins message and I also love her voice. There’s something about her voice that cuts through all the B.S and gets right to your brain with her powerful messages. This time two of the most important words in the world: Let Them.

What if the key to happiness, success, and love was as simple as two words?

If you’ve ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or frustrated with where you are, the problem isn’t you. The problem is the power you give to other people. Two simple words—Let Them—will set you free. Free from the opinions, drama, and judgments of others. Free from the exhausting cycle of trying to manage everything and everyone around you. The Let Them Theory puts the power to create a life you love back in your hands—and this book will show you exactly how to do it.

In her latest groundbreaking book, The Let Them Theory, Mel Robbins—New York Times bestselling author and one of the world’s most respected experts on motivation, confidence, and mindset—teaches you how to stop wasting energy on what you can’t control and start focusing on what truly matters: YOU. Your happiness. Your goals. Your life.

Using the same no-nonsense, science-backed approach that’s made The Mel Robbins Podcast a global sensation, Robbins explains why The Let Them Theory is already loved by millions and how you can apply it in eight key areas of your life to make the biggest impact. As you listen, you’ll realize how much energy and time you’ve been wasting trying to control the wrong things—at work, in relationships, and in pursuing your goals—and how this is keeping you from the happiness and success you deserve.

See here on Amazon.

I hope you enjoyed this month’s entries in the Glam Italia Bookclub! I have loved all of these books and hope you will read/listen to and love them too!

View across the Bay of Naples to Mount Vesuvius.

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Welcome back to the Glam Italia Bookclub! I missed our March entry because even though I read voraciously and listened to several audiobooks, I was also packing up the Arizona house and flying to my home in Tuscany. We also launched the Glam Italia Photo Presets which have been HUGE! I knew people would love the presets, but had no idea quite how much! It has been such fun going through the hundreds of emails we have received with customers sending us their before and afters using the presets on their photos.

Anyway, I’ve just been in Naples for a few days. I absolutely love Naples and of course want everyone else to love this sensational city as well. My latest book is about Naples – Glam Italia! 101 Fabulous Things To Do In Naples: Adventures, Intrigue and Glorious Mayhem In Europe’s Most Exciting City and I honestly just cannot get enough of the place, so decided the April bookclub picks will be books I’ve loved that are set in Naples.

I always find that reading books set in the destinations you are traveling to makes the entire travel experience even more exciting. When you get back home it helps keep the experience alive. So with that in mind I want to share with you books set in Naples that I have loved, and that will enhance your Naples experience 1000 fold!

The Guardian Of Mercy by Terrance Ward

Even if you think you don’t love Caravaggio or you think you don’t love art, you still need to read this wonderful book!

Author Terence Ward was living in Florence with his girlfriend, when she took a fateful trip to Naples and met Angelo, the government worker charged with watching over Caravaggio’s Seven Acts of Mercy. An unlikely yet adorable friendship evolved amongst the trio over multiple subsequent trips to Naples. Along the way Angelo teaches the couple the nuances of the painting, while drawing them into the craziness of his life. Ward’s powerful and electrifying writing style is superb. It draws you in from the beginning and keeps you mesmerized throughout.

I couldn’t wait to get back to Naples to re-see the painting through Angelo’s eyes! Terence Ward weaves a glorious tapestry with his words, giving you wonderful understanding of Caravaggio and Naples both historically and in recent modern life.

I loved this review: This is a story of grace! Terence Ward’s powerful, moving narrative interweaves Caravaggio’s life story with those of people in contemporary Naples whose lives are transformed by the power of art and mercy.” Elaine Pagels, Harrington Professor of Religion, Princeton University

Available on Kindle, Paperback and Audible Audiobook. Check here on Amazon.

Lost In The Spanish Quarter by Heidi Goodrich

As seen in the New York Times Book Review.

Set in the passionate, intense, and crumbling neighborhood known as the Spanish Quarter of Naples, comes a tale of two students searching for love and belonging in the city they so desperately want to call home.

This achingly gorgeous (true) story takes place in Naples’ notorious Spanish Quarter. Heddi, an American foreign exchange student decides to stay on in Naples after high school and go to university. She is already living a dreamy, somewhat bohemian life with her fascinating and fun roommates in an old palazzo apartment, when she meets Pietro. The two fall into a romance doomed from the beginning, yet glorious throughout.

As she leads you through the story, Heddi also takes you on a journey through Naples. You discover its wonderful university and she introduces you to a compelling cast of characters who make up her daily life. You get a strong sense of how life works in Italy’s southern capital and I found myself wishing that I too had gone to university in Naples and lived in the Spanish Quarter.

A Love Letter to Naples—and a Doomed Romance That Burns Bright

Lost in the Spanish Quarter is a stunningly intimate and lyrical memoir set against the chaotic beauty of Naples’ infamous Spanish Quarter. Heddi Goodrich, an American foreign exchange student, chooses not to return home after her high school year in Naples, instead throwing herself headlong into the gritty poetry of Neapolitan life as a university student. Her world—a crumbling palazzo shared with a cast of eccentric, vibrant roommates—feels like something out of a Fellini film.

Then comes Pietro.

Their love story is both inevitable and impossible: intense, radiant, and ultimately destined to unravel. But even as their romance frays, the book never loses its emotional intensity. Goodrich writes with a raw, unflinching honesty that makes you feel every heartbreak, every stolen moment of joy.

Beyond the romance, this memoir is an intriguing exploration of Naples itself. Heddi is a brilliant guide to the city’s tangled alleys, anarchic charm, and hidden warmth. Through her eyes, we meet professors, fellow students, lovers, and friends—each adding richness to the colorful tapestry of her life abroad.

By the final page, I found myself not only heartbroken for Heddi and Pietro, but also aching for a life I never lived—studying in Naples, falling in love under its faded balconies, and being swept up in the city’s stubborn, breathtaking pulse.

Available in Paperback, Kindle and Audible Audiobooks. See here on Amazon.

Falling Place by Dan Hofstadtler

A beautiful portrait of the sun-drenched volcanic city from an American who has lost his heart to the place and to a beguiling Neapolitan woman.

In Falling Palace Dan Hofstadter brilliantly reveals Naples, from the dilapidated architectural beauty to the irrepressible theater of everyday life. We witness the centuries-old festivals that regularly crowd the city’s jumbled streets, and eavesdrop on conversations that continue deep into the night. We browse the countless curio shops where treasures mingle with kitsch, and meet the locals he befriends. In and out of these encounters slips Benedetta, the object of the author’s affections, at once inviting and unfathomable. Weaving the tale of an elusive love together with a vivid portrayal of a legendary metropolis, this is a startling evocation of a magical place.

I loved this book, especially the insight he gives into the complexities and nuances of life in Naples. This was another fabulous read that left me aching to move to Napoli.

Available in Kindle and paperback. Check here on Amazon.

The Collaborator by Gerald Seymour

My absolute favorite genre to read is thrillers, so this book hit all the right notes. Set between London and Naples, Seymour’s 26th book features brilliantly developed characters – a Camorra killer, a hostage negotiator, a kidnap victim, and the daughter of a Camorra clan leader, all hurtling through time as the story builds to a frantic conclusion. Thriller readers will love this book.

A friend’s death drives an Italian woman to collaborate against her criminal family in this “propulsive, neatly structured thriller” (Guardian (UK)).

She is an Italian accountancy student in London, and her boyfriend Eddie teaches at a language school. But the prime reason Immacolata Borelli came to Britain was to look after her gangster brother, wanted for multiple murders back home in Naples. For the Borelli clan are major players in the Camorra, a crime network more close-knit and ruthless than the Sicilian Mafia.

Mario Castrolami is a senior Carabinieri investigator of the Camorra, his career dedicated to destroying the corruption and violence of the clans. When Immacolata calls from London to say she is prepared to collaborate with justice—to betray her own family—he knows she is setting in motion a terrifying and unpredictable series of events.

The Borellis will not lose their criminal empire without a vicious fight. They will use anything and anyone to prevent her from giving evidence against them. Even Eddie, and Eddie’s life.

Available in Kindle, Paperback and Audio CD formats. See here on Amazon.

The Night Villa by Carol Goodman

If you will be traveling to The Amalfi Coast, Capri and Ischia, or to Naples, this book is a must read. Having spent 13 consecutive summers on the Amalfi Coast with my Glam Italia Tours (broken only by 2020’s Covid pandemic) everything about this book resonated with me. It is beautifully written, combines current day with 79 A.D, and locations you are bound to visit all wrapped up in a compelling, unputdownable story.

An evocative tale of intrigue, romance, and treachery, Carol Goodman’s spellbinding new novel, The Night Villa, follows the fascinating lives of two remarkable women centuries apart.

The eruption of Italy’s Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79 buried a city and its people, their treasures and secrets. Centuries later, echoes of this disaster resonate with profound consequences in the life of classics professor Sophie Chase.

In the aftermath of a tragic shooting on the University of Texas campus, Sophie seeks sanctuary on the isle of Capri, immersing herself in her latest scholarly project alongside her colleagues, her star pupil, and their benefactor, the compelling yet enigmatic business mogul John Lyros.

Beneath layers of volcanic ash lies the Villa della Notte–the Night Villa–home to first-century nobles, as well as to the captivating slave girl at the heart of an ancient controversy. And secreted in a subterranean labyrinth rests a cache of antique documents believed lost to the ages: a prize too tantalizing for Sophie to resist. But suspicion, fear, and danger roam the long-untrodden tunnels and chambers beneath the once sumptuous estate–especially after Sophie sees the face of her former lover in the darkness, leaving her to wonder if she is chasing shadows or succumbing to the siren song of the Night Villa. Whatever shocking events transpired in the face of Vesuvius’s fury have led to deeper, darker machinations that inexorably draw Sophie into their vortex, rich in stunning revelations and laden with unseen menace.

Available in Kindle, Paperback and Audible Audiobook. See here on Amazon.

Secrets Of The Italian Island by Barbara Josselsohn

I don’t normally read WWII fiction, but this book is set on a fictitious island off the coast of Naples and it combines modern day with 1943, so I decided to give it a go. And I am so glad I did! This is a fabulous book and is book one in a series of three, each focusing on the life of a different sister. ** This book is based on the true story of another island and castle off the Ligurian Coast.

Italy, 1943. A castle once full of love and laughter is left in ruins by the Nazis, as three sisters are torn apart by one terrible mistake…

New York, present day. Mia is heartbroken by the loss of her beloved grandmother Annalisa, the only family she had left in the world. But she is shocked when she finds a fraying letter sent from Italy in her grandmother’s belongings. She had no idea Annalisa once lived in a magnificent, vine-covered castle on an isolated Italian island. What secrets was she hiding there? Could retracing her steps finally help Mia heal from her grief?

Arriving on the stunning Italian coast just a boat ride away from Isola di Parissi, Mia instantly falls in love with the crumbling castle surrounded by lush olive groves. And when she meets handsome local guide Leo, she’s charmed by the sparkle in his eyes and his passion for the beautiful country he calls home. With his help, they sneak into the closed-off areas of the isolated island in search of clues…

Soon they find handwritten notes hidden in the walls of the castle. But Mia is left reeling when she discovers that her grandmother had sisters… and rather than the happily-ever-after Mia thought she’d find, she uncovers a terrible secret that causes her to question everything she ever thought she knew. What happened to them all those years ago when the Nazis stormed onto the once peaceful island? And will it force Mia to leave Leo and Italy forever?

An epic, heart-wrenching tale based on the incredible true story of an island at war. Fans of Lucinda Riley, Fiona Valpy and Victoria Hislop will be utterly gripped.

Available in Kindle, Paperback and Audible Audiobook formats. See here on Amazon. *** at the time of writing this post this book is only 99 cents if you have an Audible membership. Check out a free audible trial here.

The Poison Keeper by Deborah Swift

Based on the true story of Giulia Tofana, a professional poison maker in Renaissance Italy, this is another book you just cannot put down! 17th century Italy was a treacherous place for women. Girls were married off young to much older men. Many of them were raped and beaten, even tortured by their husbands. The only way out was to procure the magical Aqua Tofana from Giulia, and slowly poison your abusive husband to death…

Wishing Shelf Book of the Decade

BookViral Book of the Year

Naples 1633

Aqua Tofana – One drop to heal. Three drops to kill.

Giulia Tofana longs for more responsibility in her mother’s apothecary business, but Mamma has always been secretive and refuses to tell her the hidden keys to her success. But the day Mamma is arrested for the poisoning of the powerful Duke de Verdi, Giulia is shocked to uncover the darker side of her trade.

Giulia must run for her life, and escapes to Naples, under the shadow of Mount Vesuvius, to the home of her Aunt Isabetta, a famous courtesan. But when Giulia hears that her mother has been executed, and the cruel manner of her death, she swears she will wreak revenge on the Duke de Verdi.

The trouble is, Naples is in the grip of Domenico, the Duke’s brother, who controls the city with the ‘Camorra’, the mafia. Worse, her Aunt Isabetta, under his thrall, insists that she should be consort to him.

Based on the legendary life of Giulia Tofana, this is a story of hidden family secrets, and how courage and love can overcome vengeance.

Available in Kindle, Paperback and Audible Audiobook formats. See here on Amazon.

Do You Listen To Audiobooks?

As much as I read all the time, I also tend to have audiobooks on as I go about my day. Especially now, while the news is so angst inducing, I prefer to escape into a compelling story while I’m exercising, commuting, doing housework, even while I’m cooking.

Audible has several different options for audiobook memberships. The Unlimited Plus membership gives you a free one month trial, and you have access to the thousands of Unlimited Plus audiobooks, podcasts and original Audible shows. The Audible Premium Plus Annual Membership gives you all of this plus 12 titles from the best seller collection.

If like me you consume books digitally, a Kindle Unlimited Membership gives you access to thousands of books, free with your membership. I read on a Kindle Paperwhite. I’ve had the same one for years now and it’s still going strong. Before buying my Kindle I read eBooks using the free Kindle App on my iPad.

Glam Italia! 101 Fabulous Things To Do In Naples

Naples is one of the coolest, most exciting cities on earth, yet strangely has remained mostly below the tourism radar. Much more than just pizza and Pompeii and being the gateway to the Amalfi Coast, Naples is historically one of the most important cities in the world.

In the space of 100 meters you can see and touch ancient Greece, ancient Rome, the Middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque and modern day architecture. For centuries Naples and Paris were the two cultural centers of Europe, famous for art, music and incredible foods. Add to that the magnificent views from all over Naples, and it becomes a must-see stop on any Italian trip. My book Glam Italia! 101 Fabulous Things To Do In Naples takes you on a glorious journey through the city, showing and explaining the incredible site the tourists just don’t know about. It is designed to make you fall in love with Napoli the way I have. If you are anything like me, it will make you ache to get back to Naples as often as you can!

It’s been a while since I’ve done a post with a new list of books for intrepid travelers. Over the past couple of years I’ve been reading a few new series (new to me anyway) and more books in existing series, all with a travel oriented theme.

I love reading books set in Italy (obviously!) and in France where I have also spent an enormous amount of time over the years. I was explaining to a friend recently that for the most part I tend to read two types of books. When my brain has down time I like to read complex, fast paced thrillers (like Mark Dawson’s John Milton series and L.T Ryan’s Jack Noble series. I also enjoy Patricia Cornwall’s and Kathy Reichs’ books, and anything that moves quickly and requires more thinking to follow what’s going on.

But when I am super busy, which this year has been most of the time, I use books to quiet my mind and relax, so look for a different type of book. Mostly books set in Italy and France and other euro-locales. I am a voracious reader and blow through books quickly, so love reading on a Kindle (I have the Kindle Paperwhite). You can borrow library books on Kindle, you can access prime reading (free books from the Amazon library), and with no manufacture and shipping costs you can access books very inexpensively too. Often authors with big series will make the first in series free, and from there the books run anywhere from 99cents on promotion to an average price of $4.99. Heads up: as an author I can tell you I make the same amount of money if someone buys my books in paperback or as a kindle eBook, so don’t be thinking an author loses out if you buy eBooks!

Anyway, in no specific order the following are book series I’ve been reading over the past couple of years. They make great holiday/anytime reading for you too, and also make fantastic end of year gift ideas. Enjoy!

The Department Q Series

The Department Q series is a police series with a twist, set in Denmark. A course of unfortunate events leads the police department to create a one man cold case squad in order to get this trouble maker (Carl Mørck, our protagonist) out of their hair. They then give him a quirky Syrian immigrant and a schizophrenic girl as assistants, and somehow the three of them build their department into a brilliant case solving unit.

The main characters are diverse and quite nutty, but incredibly compelling. These books are so clever and so well written, with intriguing subplots. I’m about to start book 7 on 9 and am dreading finishing the series. Book one is The Keeper of Lost Causes, pictured above. See the series here on Amazon. It is also available as a library book on Kindle.

Philip Gwynne Jones Venice Series

The Philip Gwynne Jones Venice Murder Series is a murder mystery series with a twist. Nathan Sutherland is a slightly bumbling British fellow living with his temperamental attack cat in an upstairs apartment on the Street of Assassins in Venice. He works as a translator of boring DIY manuals, and is the British Honorary Consul of Venice, an unpaid and only marginally interesting position that at least gets him into some interesting cocktail parties. Throughout the series he stumbles into one murder mystery after another, somehow managing to solve them in the end. These books are hard to put down and have the added advantage of being set in the most unique city on earth, Venice

The first book in the 7 book series is The Venetian Game . Check out the series here on Amazon. Also available as a library book on Kindle.

The Murder In Tuscany Series

T.A Williams’ Murder In Tuscany series falls into the cozy mystery category. These are fun, breezy murder mysteries that are easy to read and superbly enjoyable. In book one, Murder in Tuscany, we meet Dan Armstrong, a recently retired British detective who has come to Tuscany on a creative writing retreat for Brits. A murder transpires and as an English speaking ex-cop he is able to help the local homicide detective. The two form a friendship and Dan decides to stay in Tuscany, setting up the rest of the series.

If you enjoy books set in and around gorgeous Tuscany you’ll love this fun series. At the time of writing this post there are 6 books in series with book number 7 on pre-order. Check them out here on Amazon.

The Tuscan Vineyard Series

34 year old Chicago ad exec Olivia Glass finds her life crumbling around her so takes her best friend up on the idea of spending the summer in Tuscany. While there she gets a job in a local winery, buys a round down farmhouse, and finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery.

The Tuscan Vineyard Series makes for fun, breezy reading with the backdrop of beautiful Tuscany adding to the splendor. These books are enjoyable reading for anyone who has ever fallen in love with Tuscany, dreamt about moving there or has wished they could fix up a rundown stone house in the Tuscan hills. The first book in the series, Aged For Murder, is free on Kindle, or 7.99 in paperback. Check it out here on Amazon. Author Fiona Grace has several other series including one set in Sicily which I have downloaded but not yet read.

Camilla Trinchieri Tuscan Mysteries

I recently started reading Camilla Trinchieri’s Tuscan Mysteries series and have been throughly enjoying them. Her protagonist is an ex NYPD homocide cop who relocates to Chianti to be with her family after his Italian wife dies. Of course he stumbles upon a murder, and then ends up helping the local carabinieri to solve it.

I am midway through this series and am thoroughly enjoying it. The first in series is Murder in Chianti, and is available on Kindle for 2.99. The series does seem to be available to borrow from the library on Kindle too. See the Tuscan Mysteries series here on Amazon.

Bruno, Chief of Police

Zipping over to my other great European love – France, we now get to meet Bruno, Chief of Police. This 16 book series is a glorious romp through southern France where our hero, Bruno, a small town policeman, solves murders while juggling village life, cooking French food and enjoying local wines. Bruno lives in a remodeled shepherd’s cottage in the hills, grows his own vegetables, and lives a simple but pleasurable life. This is a lovely balance to the complexity of the murders he solves. This is a fabulous series and I am hoping author Martin Walker will keep Bruno’s adventures going for many more books!

See bruno Chief of Police here on Amazon.

The MAGGIE NEWBERRY Mysteries

I couldn’t really get into the first book in this series, but you need to read it in order for the rest of the series to make sense. And once it gets going it is fabulous!

Maggie Newberry is an Atlanta based ad exec (I think she was in advertising?) who comes to the South of France to bring her murdered sister’s body home. While there she discovers her sister had a child the family knew nothing about. With the help of a local conman she works to track down the missing child and figure out a more complex and dark mystery along the way.

The first book in series, Murder in the South of France, combines murder, mystery, and romance, setting up the entire series to follow. This is a tremendous series, 24 books deep at the time of writing this post, with more books on the way. Check them out here on Amazon.

The Stranded In Provence Series

Before I discovered the Maggie Newberry books I read Susan Kiernan Lewis’s Stranded in Provence series, and then her American in Paris books. All three series are highly addictive!

All three protagonists in these separate series hail from Atlanta and wind up living in France. This time the initially ditzy Jules Hooker has booked a trip to Provence with her boyfriend, thinking he will propose to her. When he backs out at the last minute she decides to come alone anyway. She then discovers she has booked herself into a remote Provençal village, far from the glamor she had envisaged. She is about to give up and head back to Atlanta when a dirty bomb is dropped in the Mediterranean, knocking out all electrics and communications for the foreseeable future. Now she is trapped in a village where she knows no one, in a country where she doesn’t speak the language, where cars and phones and microwaves no longer work. To top it off she finds a dead body and has to solve the murder in order to save herself.

Parlez Vous Murder is the first book in this series. From the beginning the premise is quite clever, and sets up endless complications for Jules as the series progresses. These books are lots of fun and are wonderful for anyone who loves the South of France

See the Stranded in Provence series here on Amazon.

The American In Paris/Claire Baskerville Series

This series is also by Susan Kierman Lewis with another clever premise. Claire Baskerville is a 60 something American woman with a genetic brain anomaly that makes it impossible for her to remember faces. She travels to Paris with her husband, who is then brutally murdered. Alone in the City of Light Claire now has to not only figure her way around the city, but also figure out who killed her husband. Making matters worse, the local police are hopeless. Claire then discovers her husband had a whole secret life, a financial crisis is looming, and she is going to have to hide out in Paris for the foreseeable future.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable series especially if you enjoy Paris. It’s fun to have a protagonist in her 60s too! The first book in this series, Dejà Dead is free on Kindle or $10.99 in paperback. Check the series out here on Amazon. There are 12 books in the series, with book 13 on pre-order for 2024.

8 Fantastic Books To Boost Your Summer Reading List