Description
A group of refugees cross the Mediterranean Sea from Libya in search of a better life. When they reach shore on the island of Isola Bella, Sicily, they are gunned down in a senseless massacre. Their bodies are found by an Australian tourist, Susan Blackstone, while having her morning swim. She is able to raise the alarm after getting help from two university students, Angela and Aurelio, who are also on the island. After the police arrive she meets Commissario Luca Lombardo who is leading the investigation. He is a man committed to ending the exploitation of refugees. He has recently been in charge of two cases involving human trafficking which have affected him deeply. The discovery of this new crime drives him further in his determination to find out who is behind these shocking deaths. Susan unwittingly finds herself caught up in the murky world of the Mafia and their links to the trafficking of refugees. Several more deaths and a kidnapping leads her to form a close bond with the Commissario as they attempt to bring justice to the dead refugees and prevent more exploitation by local crime families. The investigation takes them from the wealthy, historical town of Taormina, to the busy capital Palermo, on to the town of Bagheria and the seaside village of Santa Flavia, finally ending in a terrifying climax on the island of Levanzo.
Julie Suwitra was born in Kyabram, a town in north central Victoria, Australia. She attended Girton C.E.G.G.S. Bendigo. In her last year she was awarded the Senior English Prize. She has worked as a journalist, a library technician and in 2000 graduated as a teacher. She taught Indonesian Language and Art. For the past fifteen years she has lived on the island of Bali, Indonesia teaching English and History at a private school. She makes regular visits to Italy, in particular Naples and Sicily where her first novel is set. She now spends her time between Australia, Bali and Italy. She is married and has three children and four grandchildren.
Member of Independent Book Publishers Association.
Heather Guest Buyer –
The Sea of Hope reminded me of all the reason I love Sicily, but also of the dark undercurrents of organised crime and the new players that are infiltrating this island and the terrifying events that can shatter the idyllic tourist’s dream. The main character, Susan Blackstone, starts her holiday in the way many of us do, and author – Julie Suwitra – sets the scene with authenticity and passion. Susan’s holiday quickly changes from birthday celebrations to involvement in a deadly crime that challenges her in ways she couldn’t have imagined. Ms Suwitra has written a griping plot with many characters, and she handles this well with clear narrative and a fast-moving pace. The characters are cleverly portrayed and we willingly invest our emotions in them and are anxious to see how they are linked by the events taking place on the island. This book is a new episode in the fascinating fictional, but very real, world of Italian crime novels.
Justine Duncan Guest Buyer –
I loved The Sea of Hope. This gripping Italian crime novel is set in the idyllic setting of Sicily. The protagonist is on a holiday of a lifetime that quickly takes a different turn when she is drawn into the murky world of the Mafia.
If you are going to read one book this year – make it this one. I can’t wait for the next one.