Italy

1944. Florence & London. Bombs are falling in Italy when a young British soldier spends a chance evening with a 64 year old art historian. It's a meeting that will turn out to shape the rest of his life, and the lives of those around him. A fabulous assortment of memorable characters, a 'family' of eclectic personalities, and an infectious delight in all things Italian. A novel full of love, kindness and generosity of spirit and of imperfect people doing the best they can.

Liri Valley, Lazio. A forensic archaeologist is flattered when she is invited for a working holiday in Italy to assist with the discovery of bones from Roman times. Once there she discovers a roman mystery, and a dark secret involving wartime and the Resistance. The discovery sparks a murder and she is caught up in the police investigations past and present.

Rome. A romantic trip to Rome becomes a solitary one with a sudden end to a relationship. Arriving alone, a young artist gives herself over to six days of wandering the streets and absorbing the music, food and beauty of the city. When she meets an American who seems to be living the perfect life in Rome she starts to reflect on her past life and choices, who she really is and what she really wants.

Ancient Rome. In a society of ruthless and ambitious men, Cicero, a brilliant and rising young lawyer, decides to risk everything on a dramatic courtroom battle. The stakes are high - win and he could win control of Rome. Lose and his reputation is destroyed forever.

Late 1960s. Rome. A young man drifting through life looking for meaning and purpose. His days and weeks blurring into a series of uninspiring jobs and meaningless liaisons, much of it viewed through a fog of alcohol. But then he meets Arianna and begins an intense whirlwind evening, staying up all night.

Pompeii. A much-loved daughter, now enslaved in the town's most infamous brothel, subject to the cruelty and violence of the man who owns her and those who pay for her. Desperate for the seemingly impossible chance to regain her freedom. Sharp and resourceful she must hide her true self, walking the fine line between making herself valuable to her master yet never threatening his position. Can she ever secure her freedom and what price will she have to pay in trying?

The Vatican City. Behind the locked doors of the Sistine Chapel, 188 cardinals are meeting in conclave to case their votes in the most secretive  of elections. Holy men, they are also ambitious and are rivals. Over the course of 72 hours, one of the will become a supremely powerful spiritual figure. Which one of them will it be?

Rome. Newly married Lottie arrives in Rome ready for change. Taking up her new role as an archivist she discovers a valuable 15th century painting and is drawn into finding out more about Nina, the woman who left it behind. And if Nina had a successful life restoring Italian gardens destroyed during WW2 to their former splendour, why did no-one attend her funeral when she died relatively young? Lottie's research uncovers a love story, mired in the violence and political turmoil of post-war Italy. A story of loyalties, betrayals and sacrifices.

The Vatican City. 1943. Nazi forces occupy Rome. SS Office Paul Hauptmann rules with terror. An Irish Priest, Hugh O'Flaherty, dedicates himself to helping people escape. In his home in the Vatican - a neutral, independent country inside Rome - he gathers a team to set up an Escape Line. But Hauptmann's net begins closing in and the need for a terrifyingly audacious mission grows critical. By Christmas it's too late to turn back. A powerful thriller inspired by a true story.

Venice, 1510. The world's greatest artists gather to enjoy fame, fortune and colour. Once a rising star, painter Giorgione 'Zorzo' Barbarelli's career hangs in the balance. Until he hears rumours of a mysterious new pigment, brought to Venice by a wealthy merchant. When Zorzo wins a commission to paint a portrait of the merchant's wife, Sybille, he draws ever closer to acquiring the most coveted colour it the world - and writing his name in history. But is Sybille whose eye he catches. And when their relationship drags Zorzo into a conspiracy spanning Europe, it is far more than his career that is in danger...

Historical fiction. September, 1943. Tuscany, Italy. In the hilltop town of Barga, everyone holds their breath. Even the bells fall silent. Everything Vittoria Guidi knows and loves is at risk. German troops occupy the mountains around her home, as America's Buffalo Soldiers prepare to invade. As Vittoria's country is torn in two, so is her conscience. Should she side with her Scots-Italian father or her Fascist mother? Should she do what she is told - or what she believes in? Frank Chapel, a young, black American soldier fighting with the Buffalo soldiers for a country that refuses him the vote, is unlike anyone Vittoria has ever met. In the chaos, they find each other - but can their growing love overcome prejudice and war?