This is rare, I can use living on an island to my advantage because the tricky thing is to find books set here, but I didn’t fully cheat since I did pick books set in Europe from my Kindle that I haven’t read, but I think about 97% are set in the USA, and yeah, some have been there for years. So, most of the time, it’s a game of whether I’m getting a gem or a rock. Top Five Wednesday is currently being hosted by Stephanie at Books Less Travelled.
October 8th- For today’s prompt, we are sharing books that either take place in a country not your own, or feature a main character from a different country.
Goodreads Blurb:
Etta and Dora, both newly retired teachers, travel from their home in Southern Italy to a fairy-tale German town for their first home swap holiday, delighted by their neighbours’ warm welcome. But the welcome turns sour when the Night Watchman of Rothenburg is brutally murdered while his tour group takes photographs nearby, a halberd buried in his chest and a peculiar iron mask by his side.
When the murderer claims a second victim and the son of their hospitable neighbours becomes the number-one suspect, Etta’s analytical mind goes to work. Why was a shame mask left at the scene of each murder? Is there a clandestine trade going on behind the scenes of apparently upstanding local businesses? And why does every lead take her back to the sinister Devil’s Ale pub and the terrifying gang who lurk within?
Meanwhile, Dora has a puzzle of her own – how can she persuade Etta that a loveably disobedient Basset Hound called Napoleon is now a permanent part of their lives?
Goodreads Blurb:
Italy, 1946. “Estee, I bought this ring years ago and have kept it safe ever since. You’re the only woman I’ve ever loved.” She reached for Felix’s hand and gently closed it over the box. “No,” she whispered. “I want you to propose only when you’re truly free.”
Estee always believed that she would spend her life with her childhood sweetheart Felix. But when her incredible gift for dance gave her the opportunity to move to a big city and provide for her mother, she knew she had to sacrifice her happiness for her family’s future and a chance at a better life.
But years later, in a city of over a million people, Felix finds Estee. Due to marry the daughter of a prominent family, he is prepared to sacrifice everything to be with the love of his life. But Estee knows what is at his family’s love and his livelihood could be lost forever if she says yes. Can she really follow her heart if it means him losing everything?
London, present Lily clutches a faded piece of paper in her hands, knowing that her life will never be the same again. Whilst grieving for her late father, she is told that her grandmother was born in a home for unmarried mothers, the only clues to her past contained on a handwritten Italian recipe and an old theatre programme.
Desperate for answers, Lily accepts a job on an Italian vineyard – a dream her father once shared. Lily receives a warm welcome from the owner’s charming son Antonio and as they chat long into the night, Antonio offers to help her discover her family’s heritage.
But arriving in Estee and Felix’s village, Lily unearths a tragic love story which has the power to change her future. As she unravels the truth of her own legacy, she begins to fall for Italy and for Antonio. Can Lily give up everything she has ever known to rebuild her life or will the risk of heartbreak force her home?
Goodreads Blurb:
Amy Winthrow is shocked when her grandmother dies–not because Elizabeth Hathaway’s death is unexpected but because her existence had always been hidden. Ever-inquisitive and prone to letting her imagination get the best of her, Amy embarks upon a journey with an unlikely friend to unravel the mysteries of the elusive Lizzie Hathaway. As she follows the trail of broken dreams and promises of her grandmother’s life, Amy finds herself on a path of accidental self-discovery–a path that she chases all the way to Paris where Lizzie’s story ends and Amy’s begins.
Goodreads Blurb:
An escapist romance from the USA Today bestselling author – another in a series of standalone heartwarming reads set in Italy’s most evocative and romantic locations.
The Italian city of Verona has always been a draw for lovers. The setting of the famous Romeo and Juliet love story, tourists flock not only to the city’s picturequese Italian beauty, but to try and capture some of the story’s romantic essence.
Newly-weds Sarah and Nate are there for their honeymoon, but after a stressful wedding, family tensions and major travel delays, neither are in the mood for love and married life has got off to a very bad start.
Widower Declan is in Verona on the last request of his beloved wife. He doesn’t understand her insistence that he visit there exactly one year after her death.
Romantic novelist Lily is visting the city in the hope of finding inspiration for her next project, but having just had her own heart broken for the umpteenth time, she doesn’t feel like much of an expert on romance.
Over one glorious Autumn weekend, four visitors converge at a charming trattoria run by an elderly Italian couple, who have seen people from all walks of life pass through their doors, each with different expectations of Verona. Can the city work some of its magic on their latest customers?
The Italian countryside was bathed in the soft light of an autumn afternoon; they were travelling to Verona just as sunset approached, and the soft golden light only enhanced the beauty of the scene.
Sarah scooted closer to the window to gaze out at the gentle roll of hills, farms and lavender fields dusky in the last rays of light, trees casting gentle shadows over white-washed family homes. It was a captivating scene, and she couldn’t help but feel enchanted as she watched the countryside roll by.
She noticed that Nate also moved closer to the window to look out as the scenery flew by them.
The train entered Verona at dusk, but even in the fading light Sarah caught a small glimpse of what the city had to offer.
The old stone architecture was impressive even in the falling gloom of night, and Sarah craned her neck for a better look at the old buildings.
She’d expected a fusion of the modern and the classical in this city, but she hadn’t been prepared for how much old-world charm the place exuded. Once they were in the taxi en route to their hotel she kept her face to the window of the car, peering excitedly at the city streets. Iron gates and winding cobbled streets whispered of another time, before the arrival of modern things like automobiles.
Balconies trailed with vines, abloom with the last flowers of the year and Sarah could almost imagine their fragrance. She felt as though she were truly slipping into another world.
It was a beautiful city and unmistakably romantic.She couldn’t read a single one of the many signs in Italian, but even the look of the language was charming and exquisite. She caught sight of couples sitting outside of trattorias, enjoying their evening meals as day turned to night, and she felt a small pang of jealousy mixed with hope. They all looked so carefree, sipping wine and savoring their food together.Instantly Sarah felt her mood lighten, and decided that by the end of this stay in Verona, she and Nate would be among those happy couples, talking and laughing as though they hadn’t a care in the world.
Whether he liked it or not.
Goodreads Blurb:
Fiercely independent Mabel Canning can’t wait to begin working for the Useful Women’s Agency. But when she discovers a body on her client’s doorstep, it’s time to add solving murders to her job description…
London, 1921: Mabel Canning is proud to be a modern woman working for the Useful Women’s Agency, carrying out tasks for gentlewomen from flower arranging to washing muddy dogs. But when she answers the door for wealthy widow Rosalind Despard, she almost chokes on her cucumber sandwich when she finds a soldier’s body on the doorstep.
As she offers tea to the policemen of Scotland Yard, Mabel can’t resist getting drawn into the investigation. Who was the mysterious dead man? And why was he holding a letter for Rosalind, written by her husband on the day he disappeared?
As Mabel hunts for clues, she joins forces with Rosalind’s handsome brother, former detective Park Winstone, and his adorable terrier, Gladys. But when Mabel suspects she is being followed, the detective duo know that time is running out before the killer strikes again.
As she investigates, Mabel discovers dusty old photographs that help her reveal the soldier’s true identity. But as she gets closer to uncovering the young man’s murderer, she knows she’s also one step closer to danger… Can she outsmart the killer and save Park and Rosalind before they also turn up dead as doornails?
Mybookworld24 