When a violent storm blasts England’s south coast, it’s up to retired Italian detective Giuseppe Bianchi to sift through the devastation and piece together the tragic events left behind in the storm’s wake.
Giuseppe Bianchi’s brief visit to Bexhill-on-Sea has become an extended stay. He is loath to return to his home in Rome because of the haunting images that made him leave in the first place.
During his morning walks along the seafront with Beagle, Max, he meets Edward Swain, who becomes Giuseppe's walking companion. They form a friendship of sorts and find they have a similar outlook on life.
But the devastating events of a single night lead Giuseppe to question the truth about Edward Swain. Teaming up with young journalist, Christina Rossi - his cousin's daughter - Giuseppe learns about the brutal reality lurking behind the day-to-day life of families in the local community. And as the story unravels Giuseppe is reminded how anger and revenge can lead to the most dreadful of crimes.
After the Storm is the second novel in the Giuseppe Bianchi mystery series – the much awaited sequel to Crossing the Line.
Grab your copy today and enjoy the intrigue of traditional English mystery, cleverly combined with a continental twist.
Purchase Links
UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/After-Storm-Giuseppe-Bianchi-mystery-ebook/dp/B08P534Y2K
US – https://www.amazon.com/After-Storm-Giuseppe-Bianchi-mystery-ebook/dp/B08P534Y2K
Review
As 1954 draws to a close, a devastating storm blows into the seaside town of Bexhall-on-Sea leaving tragedy in its wake. Retired Italian detective Giuseppe Bianchi is convinced there is more to the death of his friend than a fallen tree but fears he is chasing at shadows.
There's something very British about this mystery. In some ways, it was very refreshing to read something so... normal. There's no shocking plot twists or clever gimmicks, merely an ongoing investigation that unfolds to reveal the full story. In some ways, the mystery serves as a railroad to carry the intertwining themes of family and unresolved pasts.
Despite being the second in the series (Giuseppe encountered tragedy immediately after arriving in England a few months prior), I didn't find it difficult to understand family dynamics and enough of the past was explained that I wasn't left hanging. It's all very tangled, but the ending hints at hopes of reconciliation.
I found this a very comfortable read, a quietly enjoyable period piece with fish-out-of-water elements. The solution was logical, if rather sad, and Giuseppe's unofficial status means that justice is not certain. Overall, a good option for when I'm in the mood for a mystery.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Rachel's Random Resources; all opinions are my own.
Author Bio
Isabella is never happier than when she is immersing herself in the sights, sounds and experiences of the 1960s. Researching all aspects of family life back then formed the perfect launch pad for her works of fiction. Isabella rediscovered her love of writing fiction during two happy years working on and completing her MA in Professional Writing and since then she has gone on to publish six novels, three novellas and two short story collections.
Her latest novel, After the Storm, is the second novel in a new series of Sussex Crimes, featuring retired Italian detective, Giuseppe Bianchi who is escaping from tragedy in Rome, only to arrive in the quiet seaside town of Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, to come face-to-face with it once more.
Her first Sussex Crime Mystery series features young librarian and amateur sleuth, Janie Juke. Set in the late 1960s, in the fictional seaside town of Tamarisk Bay, we meet Janie, who looks after the mobile library. She is an avid lover of Agatha Christie stories – in particular Hercule Poirot. Janie uses all she has learned from the Queen of Crime to help solve crimes and mysteries. As well as three novels, there are three novellas in the series, which explore some of the back story to the Tamarisk Bay characters.
Isabella’s standalone novel, The Forgotten Children, deals with the emotive subject of the child migrants who were sent to Australia – again focusing on family life in the 1960s, when the child migrant policy was still in force.
Social Media Links
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