Tuscan shadows - Maureen Donegan

A country party at a peaceful Tuscan villa is the scene for blackmail, murder and intrigue. The local captain of the carahinieri, Sergio Tavazzi is suspicious of a group of English guests gathered together in the villa, few of them are what they seem to be. He has a hunch that the Honorable Johnny Langdon Smythe and his lover are smuggling antiques out of the country by boat. His suspicions are aroused when their paid hand, a possible blackmailer is found dead in unusual circumstances. Later when a second body is found, the atmosphere at the villa, already tense and uneasy degenerates into fear and animosity. Rose Childs, an art graduate in her thirties is working as an au pair at the villa when the murders commence. It doesn't take her long to recognize that each member of the party has a personal motive for the murders and she decides that a little undercover investigation is called for. Meanwhile, Sergio is beginning to find that Rose is almost more interesting than murder.