Sunflower Publishing Book Reviews

    Italian Rules   By Tom Benjamin   SUMMARY: When Hollywood comes to Bologna, La Dolce Vita turns into sweet murder... A famous Hollywood director arrives in Bologna to remake a cult film, and the city's renowned cinema archive decides to mark the occasion with a screening of the original... only to discover it has disappeared. After English detective Daniel Leicester follows the trail of Love on a Razorblade to an apparent murder-suicide, he begins to suspect there may be more at stake than just missing negatives - could the film contain a clue to one of the city's most enduring mysteries? Together with a Hollywood star from the upcoming remake, Daniel moves from the glamour of Venice Lido to the depths of Bologna's secret tunnel system as a sinister network closes in. Daniel is about to learn that, for the ultimate 'director's cut', some people are ready to kill.   TERRI’S REVIEW:   What do you get when Hollywood movie elit...

    Il Lupo By Gregory Alexander Sharp SUMMARY: When Nick Frobisher's father reveals he is dying, Nick reconnects with his old friend Charlie Mortimer. Now wracked with grief, Nick invites Charlie to join him on a trip to the Amalfi Coast in Italy. When they arrive, it becomes clear that Charlie suffers with anxiety and panic attacks, yet a self-medicating Frobisher steers them into harm's way. Bar fights, a night in the cells, drunken behaviour, and Charlie's anxiety only increases. Just when it seems things can't go much worse, they do, as Nick and Charlie find themselves confronting a man who is believed to be a werewolf. This man's name is Telemaco Russo, and wherever he goes, trouble follows. Now, with the full moon approaching, Charlie must find a way to protect those he loves, and save his own soul - but first, he must take on Telemaco, and somehow survive the experience. And what of Fredo Esposito? Fredo is a man whose family has been decimated by...

    The Unravelling of Julia By Lisa Scottoline       SUMMARY: When Julia’s husband is brutally murdered in a random attack, her life unravels in ways she never could have foreseen. Haunted by his death and spiralling into despair, Julia seeks refuge in a secluded Italian villa she has mysteriously inherited from a stranger. But her sanctuary becomes a prison as she uncovers disturbing connections to her own past – and faces chilling threats that may not be imaginary. Caught between a heritage she doesn’t understand and a darkness she can’t escape, Julia must confront secrets that could cost her what little she has left. The Unravelling of Julia is a gripping, atmospheric tale of grief, memory, and a descent into psychological terror that will keep readers turning pages deep into the night.   MY REVIEW: If you ever wondered what a page turner was… this is it. Engrossing, exciting, suspenseful, compelling. Ghost meets Home Before Dark ...

    A Perfect Crime    By Larry Maness SUMMARY Before 11 priceless pieces of art were stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, a respected Italian violin maker visited the museum to inspect a rare musical instrument requiring restoration. He took measurements and photographs and reported his findings to the museum’s director. Then, he disappeared. Was the innocent invitation to the violin maker the first step in a complex plot to rob the Gardner? The museum director thinks so and hires Theo R. Perdoux, an expert in worldwide art theft, to investigate. Inspired by the actual unsolved robbery of Boston’s Gardner Museum, Maness spins a plausible web that races ahead like a shot. The brisk pace and clever twists offer an intriguing explanation why masterpieces worth millions have never been found.   MY REVIEW: After the success of The Last Perdoux, Larry Maness is back with a second Theo R. Perdoux mystery/crime which promises to be a cap...