Old Bones in Puglia

Pitch perfect . . . dive in and enjoy the ride - reader review

Another excellent addition to one of the best series around. Benjamin adds a large dose of witchcraft and superstition to his usual mix of crime, family drama and enchanting femme fatales to create a heady, intoxicating delight - Trevor Wood, author of the DCI Jack Parker series

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English detective and Bologna resident Daniel Leicester has been summoned by a dying relative to the wildest corner of Puglia, home to revered saints, fearsome mafia clans, hidden catacombs and sinister ceremonies.

As Daniel discovers that his Italian family's history runs deep in the veins of the region, old grudges resurface and life is breathed into ancient superstitions. He is enchanted by the mysteries of the region and joins a search for stolen antiquities, but when a contact is gruesomely murdered by mobsters, it's clear that mafia rule is more powerful than local mysticism.

Lured by magic but trapped by the mob, Daniel finds himself unable to return to his beloved Bologna. His family is bound to Puglia more tightly than he ever imagined, and powerful people want answers he can't give.

And when Daniel's daughter is snatched during a Holy Week procession, he sees first-hand just how far they're prepared to go . . .

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Full of treachery, intriguing characters, and a story that ends up knee-deep in the mafia! . . . authenticity radiates from the page - Books by Bindu

The book had me at "set in Italy" . . . incredible! - Susie's Book Bubble

Old Bones in Puglia is a terrific mystery that sweeps the reader off to Italy with elan and flair and straight into a world of skulduggery, superstition and cold-blooded murder. Brilliantly spiced with atmosphere, wit, tension and red herrings, this twisty and thrilling crime novel hits all the right boxes and once again continues to cement Tom Benjamin's standing as one of the genre's most exciting voices - Bookish Jottings

Daniel Leicester, like Donna Leon's Brunetti, has wonderful family ties, who all become very much part of the story . . . intriguing, well-paced and gripping . . . [Tom Benjamin] is my favourite author of Italian fiction! - reader review

Evocative, easy to read, and immersive... Old and new mysteries collide in this riveting tale.