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NATIONAL BESTSELLER
One of the NY Post's Best Beach Reads, an US Weekly pick for "mystery novels to read on the beach’, a Woman's World "captivating beach read you won't be able to put down this summer" ("a riveting saga"), an Eater food-filled beach read for your summer vacation ("an appealing mix of romantic escapism, whodunit intrigue, and feminist introspection.")
From bestselling author and award-winning journalist Jo Piazza, comes "A Journey to the Boot of Italy, With Murder, Romance and Ricotta’ (The New York Times) about a disputed inheritance and a family secret that some will kill to protect . . .
Sara Marsala barely knows who she is anymore after the failure of her business and marriage. On top of that, her beloved great-aunt Rosie passes away, leaving Sara bereft with grief. But Aunt Rosie’s death also opens an escape from her life and a window into the past by way of a plane ticket to Sicily, a deed to a possibly valuable plot of land, and a bombshell family secret. Rosie believes Sara’s great-grandmother Serafina, the family matriarch who was left behind while her husband worked in America, didn’t die of illness as family lore has it . . . she was murdered.
Thus begins a twist-filled adventure that takes Sara all over the picturesque Italian countryside as she races to solve a mystery and learn the story of Serafina—a feisty and headstrong young woman in the early 1900s thrust into motherhood in her teens, who fought for a better life not just for herself but for all the women of her small village. Unsurprisingly the more she challenges the status quo, the more she finds herself in danger.
As Sara discovers more about Serafina, she also realizes she is coming head-to-head with the same menacing forces that took down her great-grandmother. At once an immersive multigenerational mystery and an ode to the undaunted heroism of everyday women, The Sicilian Inheritance is an atmospheric, page-turning delight.
Genre: Mystery
One of the NY Post's Best Beach Reads, an US Weekly pick for "mystery novels to read on the beach’, a Woman's World "captivating beach read you won't be able to put down this summer" ("a riveting saga"), an Eater food-filled beach read for your summer vacation ("an appealing mix of romantic escapism, whodunit intrigue, and feminist introspection.")
From bestselling author and award-winning journalist Jo Piazza, comes "A Journey to the Boot of Italy, With Murder, Romance and Ricotta’ (The New York Times) about a disputed inheritance and a family secret that some will kill to protect . . .
Sara Marsala barely knows who she is anymore after the failure of her business and marriage. On top of that, her beloved great-aunt Rosie passes away, leaving Sara bereft with grief. But Aunt Rosie’s death also opens an escape from her life and a window into the past by way of a plane ticket to Sicily, a deed to a possibly valuable plot of land, and a bombshell family secret. Rosie believes Sara’s great-grandmother Serafina, the family matriarch who was left behind while her husband worked in America, didn’t die of illness as family lore has it . . . she was murdered.
Thus begins a twist-filled adventure that takes Sara all over the picturesque Italian countryside as she races to solve a mystery and learn the story of Serafina—a feisty and headstrong young woman in the early 1900s thrust into motherhood in her teens, who fought for a better life not just for herself but for all the women of her small village. Unsurprisingly the more she challenges the status quo, the more she finds herself in danger.
As Sara discovers more about Serafina, she also realizes she is coming head-to-head with the same menacing forces that took down her great-grandmother. At once an immersive multigenerational mystery and an ode to the undaunted heroism of everyday women, The Sicilian Inheritance is an atmospheric, page-turning delight.
Genre: Mystery
Praise for this book
"A sweep-you-away story about three generations of women who rebel against the expected in search of their own sense of self - it feels as much a feminist adventure as a redemptive family mystery, with as much wit and humor as heart and soul. Jo Piazza gives us complex, original heroines, a rich Italian setting, and a puzzle-piece journey that keeps the pages turning. There's nothing not to love here - I was gripped and entertained from start to finish." - Ashley Audrain
"Equal parts rich historical fiction, gripping murder mystery, and a moving exploration of identity, grief, and the long shadow of the past. With lush prose and airtight plotting, Piazza's novel made me laugh, cry - and start planning a trip to Sicily." - Andrea Bartz
"A gorgeous, propulsive read that keeps you guessing until the last page, The Sicilian Inheritance is a poignant meditation on secrets and myths that exist in family lore. I finished the book and immediately wanted to research my own roots." - Janet Skeslien Charles
"Equal parts riveting mystery and engaging family saga, The Sicilian Inheritance will transport you to the gorgeous island of Sicily and keep you up all night." - Emily Giffin
"The Sicilian Inheritance is the perfect travel novel!! A fiercely original family saga that you need to pick up for your next flight." - Jane Green
"The Sicilian Inheritance is an addictive family saga with a rich abundance of strong women, quick wit, immersive history, and page-turning suspense. What else could one want from a novel? With her wise prose, Piazza grabs us by the hand as we journey through the picturesque Italian countryside while our heart thumps in anticipation of what Sara will find next. Mined from Piazza's own family history, this novel is a lyrical elegy to the past and its influence. . . . Narrated by two powerful women who refuse to let others define them - Sara, a butcher, and Serafina, an Italian woman healer - will steal your heart and threaten to never give it back. Piazza is a master storyteller with a voice of deep wisdom, and The Sicilian Inheritance is don't miss historical fiction with a dash of Mario Puzo and a hint of Nora Ephron." - Patti Callahan Henry
"Strong women, rich history and page-turning suspense make for a rich and satisfying read . . . In The Sicilian Inheritance, Jo Piazza turns her formidable talents to the dual present/past timeline of a woman who goes to Italy because of a bequest but discovers much deeper - and more dangerous - family secrets." - Pam Jenoff
"All of The Sicilian Inheritance shimmers and stuns: the gorgeous writing, the complex and fascinating history of Sicily, the immersive Italian setting, and the propulsive family mystery that had my jaw hanging open. But what leaves a mark most of all are Piazza's heroines, the unforgettable and inspiring cast of women who defy the patriarchy and the odds stacked against them and learn to live life on their own terms." - Carola Lovering
"This rich and complex family mystery is completely addicting! A tale of delicious food and wine with a cast of vibrant characters that is easy to devour in a single sitting." - Jenny Mollen
"Jo Piazza's latest is everything a person could want in a novel: Instantly gripping, gorgeously written, ingeniously plotted, filled with complicated, fascinating characters, both timely and timeless, and, of course, underpinned by Piazza's characteristic wit, intellect, and warmth. I couldn't put it down and now can't stop thinking about it. Remarkable, astonishing, and just plain wonderful." - Joanna Rakoff
"I loved this epic tale of one woman's quest to learn the truth about what happened to her great-grandmother a century ago. A gripping story of motherhood, ambition, misogyny and female power, now and then, it is also a great mystery that kept me guessing until the final pages." - J Courtney Sullivan
"Equal parts rich historical fiction, gripping murder mystery, and a moving exploration of identity, grief, and the long shadow of the past. With lush prose and airtight plotting, Piazza's novel made me laugh, cry - and start planning a trip to Sicily." - Andrea Bartz
"A gorgeous, propulsive read that keeps you guessing until the last page, The Sicilian Inheritance is a poignant meditation on secrets and myths that exist in family lore. I finished the book and immediately wanted to research my own roots." - Janet Skeslien Charles
"Equal parts riveting mystery and engaging family saga, The Sicilian Inheritance will transport you to the gorgeous island of Sicily and keep you up all night." - Emily Giffin
"The Sicilian Inheritance is the perfect travel novel!! A fiercely original family saga that you need to pick up for your next flight." - Jane Green
"The Sicilian Inheritance is an addictive family saga with a rich abundance of strong women, quick wit, immersive history, and page-turning suspense. What else could one want from a novel? With her wise prose, Piazza grabs us by the hand as we journey through the picturesque Italian countryside while our heart thumps in anticipation of what Sara will find next. Mined from Piazza's own family history, this novel is a lyrical elegy to the past and its influence. . . . Narrated by two powerful women who refuse to let others define them - Sara, a butcher, and Serafina, an Italian woman healer - will steal your heart and threaten to never give it back. Piazza is a master storyteller with a voice of deep wisdom, and The Sicilian Inheritance is don't miss historical fiction with a dash of Mario Puzo and a hint of Nora Ephron." - Patti Callahan Henry
"Strong women, rich history and page-turning suspense make for a rich and satisfying read . . . In The Sicilian Inheritance, Jo Piazza turns her formidable talents to the dual present/past timeline of a woman who goes to Italy because of a bequest but discovers much deeper - and more dangerous - family secrets." - Pam Jenoff
"All of The Sicilian Inheritance shimmers and stuns: the gorgeous writing, the complex and fascinating history of Sicily, the immersive Italian setting, and the propulsive family mystery that had my jaw hanging open. But what leaves a mark most of all are Piazza's heroines, the unforgettable and inspiring cast of women who defy the patriarchy and the odds stacked against them and learn to live life on their own terms." - Carola Lovering
"This rich and complex family mystery is completely addicting! A tale of delicious food and wine with a cast of vibrant characters that is easy to devour in a single sitting." - Jenny Mollen
"Jo Piazza's latest is everything a person could want in a novel: Instantly gripping, gorgeously written, ingeniously plotted, filled with complicated, fascinating characters, both timely and timeless, and, of course, underpinned by Piazza's characteristic wit, intellect, and warmth. I couldn't put it down and now can't stop thinking about it. Remarkable, astonishing, and just plain wonderful." - Joanna Rakoff
"I loved this epic tale of one woman's quest to learn the truth about what happened to her great-grandmother a century ago. A gripping story of motherhood, ambition, misogyny and female power, now and then, it is also a great mystery that kept me guessing until the final pages." - J Courtney Sullivan
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