A mix of suspense, historical fiction, & mystery, this book is about a woman, Sara Marsala, who finds out she’s inheriting land in Italy after her beloved aunt passes away. She heads to Italy to find out more & she has quite the adventure while she’s there. It goes back & forth between the perspectives of Sara & her great aunt Serafina. I could’ve gone without some of the bits & pieces that were thrown in. Overall it was good, but not great.

3.75 stars rounded up. Warning: this book will make you want to pack a bag and leave for Sicily right away. I really enjoyed this historical fiction/realistic fiction novel. The story is told through the eyes of two women- one is current day, and the other is 100 years ago. Serafina is trying to raise her kids and deal with life as essentially a single parent in Sicily. Her husband Gio is over in America trying to forge a new life for the family. Sara Marsala is our modern day character. She is named for Serafina. When a beloved aunt dies, Sara is left an inheritance on the island of Sicily. On her trip there she discovers there is much more to figure out than just her inheritance. This is a fast read- the only time I paused is when the author’s descriptions of places in Sicily inspired me to go look it up on Google.
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this as an ARC.

I loved this book! A fun romp through the Sicilian island chasing a mystery, learning about the struggles women faced was interesting and sad. I would read more from this author.

Thank you Netgalley for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honesy review.

Summer’s almost here, which has me utterly ITCHING for a vacation. Although I have a few getaways on the books, I’ve still got some time to wait, which means I’m indulging in my favorite pre-summer tradition of turning to novels that transport me to new places.

This season, the first book up was Jo Piazza’s THE SICILIAN INHERITANCE. (A huge ty to @duttonbooks for my copy!)

This dual-timeline novel opens with the death of Sara’s beloved aunt Rosie just as her life is imploding. Not only is getting divorced, but she’s also forced to shutter the restaurant she’s spent years building. At Rosie’s funeral, Sara receives a letter calling her to Sicily, where she’s tasked with spreading her aunt’s ashes, potentially recovering a parcel of land worth a pretty penny, and uncovering a dark family secret. As the narrative moves between Sara’s present-day adventure and the life of Rosie’s mother Serafina in the 1900s, we watch as their stories coalesce, putting Sara’s life in danger from the same people who harmed Serafina nearly a century before.

We love a genre-bender over here, and this book truly embodies that. Not only is it a multigenerational family epic, but it’s a travel tale packed with both historical fiction and thriller elements. While I’m the first to admit that I’m often a historical fiction naysayer, I found Serafina’s chapters to be fascinating, especially in the latter half of the book as she fought for the women in her community. Dare I say I liked them even more than the present-day chapters? This is where the thriller element came in. Although some of the mafia characters felt a little cartoonish, the mystery had me HOOKED.

My only true gripe with this book was that Sara was largely pretty unlikable. She never seemed to take full accountability for what went wrong before, and expected everyone else to solve her problems. I know she was in a foreign country, but WHEW! I was stressed by her lack of problem-solving skills.

All in all, a SUPER fun romp through Sicily that made me want to drink wine and eat cheese and explore a new place.

Two stories of a modern day woman who inherits a ticket to Sicily to find out what happened to her Grandmother and why she never immigrated with her family. In flashbacks the reader learns of the story of her Grandmother in Sicily.

So good. I love that there's a personal backstory (listen to Jo's podcast too!) but this novel stands alone as an twisty, steamy exploration of heritage, family, and place.

This book is a must read for anyone with an interest in Italian heritage. One of the more interesting books and storylines I have read in a while. A great mother/daughter read or for any book club. Something for everyone of all ages.

Sara Marsala is dealing with the loss of her business and marriage when her great Aunt Rosie passes away along with the trip to Italy. Not knowing her Aunt had bought the ticket for her and made all of the arrangements this way she can find her way back to herself. She also asks to look into one other item and that is her great-grandmother Serafina, who supposedly died in Sicily before she could come over with her children. Hence is the beginning of the story of finding what happened to Serafina. An interesting story that goes back and forth from past to present and once you get into it you do not want to stop. Well well-written and makes you wonder if we have come that far because it seems some men are still afraid of smart powerful women and want to take away things from them. A much different story than I was expecting.

I love a historical fiction novel with a spooky mystery and an examination of the Cosa Nostra, so I really enjoyed this one. I have qualms about the pacing--the story ends abruptly and lingers in places I didn't expect--and I wasn't sure how much Italian Sara actually understands/speaks throughout the book, which is a pet peeve of mine. But overall it's a quick read for fans of Jo Piazza's other books and those who want to read about Sicily's past and present.

A perfect beach read for the summer - beautiful scenery, interesting characters and a fast-paced story line. I loved it and will be highly recommending it!

You could not beat the setting of this book and it's the perfect summer/beach read. While I expected a thriller, I wasn't expecting a mob type thriller lol The book kept me engaged and I loved the female empowerment, but it was just ok for me.

I'd heard a lot of buzz about this one but wasn't planning on reading it until one of my book club's selected it for the month of June. And while it was an enjoyable read (and definitely made me wish I was in Italy, or at the very wanting to eat a LOT of Italian food), I found it a bit over the top. Some of the side characters felt a bit cartoonish and unbelievable, as did a couple aspects of how it all wrapped up. It's not a book that will stick with me, but I liked it enough while reading it and will try some of Piazza's other books (like Charlotte Walsh likes to win).

Title: The Sicilian Inheritance
Author: Jo Piazza
Genre: historical fiction
Rating: 4.50
Pub Date: April 2, 2024

I received a complimentary eARC from Penguin Group Dutton via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted

T H R E E • W O R D S

Transporting • Empowering • Readable

📖 S Y N O P S I S

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 prove her birthright. Flashing back to the past, we meet 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 it isn’t long before a woman challenging the status quo 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.

💭 T H O U G H T S

I'd previously read two books co-authored by Jo Piazza and enjoyed them both, so it was easy to add The Sicilian Inheritance to my list of anticipated 2024 releases. Admittedly, I was drawn to the word 'inheritance' and the Italian setting really sealed the deal.

Inspired by the life of the author's great-great-grandmother, who was murdered in Sicily before she was able to join her husband in America, this novel part historical fiction, part murder mystery, part romance, and part family saga. The dual perspective and dual timeline narrative allowed the reader to get a rich history of Sicilian women and it's a beautiful portrait of women supporting women. Sara and Seraphina are equally complex and I was thoroughly intrigued by both of their storylines.

Sicily was already on my bucket list, but let's just say this book definitely moved it closer to the top. The scrumptious food descriptions had me salivating, while the rich architectural descriptions brought it all to life. Getting to learn about the history of the people was an added bonus.

What kept this from being a five-star read, was how everything wrapped up a little too quickly and nicely for my liking. It was a book to be savored (although I couldn't stop turning the pages) and that required patience, yet unfortunately the ending came across rushed.

Overall, The Sicilian Inheritnace was an enjoyable reading experience. It combined so many of my favourite elements - historical detail, dual timeline, food, adventure, travel, feminism, picturesque setting. It's easy to imagine this being turned into a movie or mini series down the road.

📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• multigenerational stories
• genre bending novels
• strong female characters

⚠️ CW: murder, death, death of parent, grief, violence, domestic abuse, infidelity, sexism, animal death, animal cruelty, war, sexual assault, rape, alcohol, sexual content, religious bigotry, abortion, vomit, car accident, divorce, toxic relationship

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"Maybe permanency was not the only metric of success. My marriage didn’t work out, but I got a wonderful daughter out of it. My restaurant was a great success, just not forever because forever is hard. Maybe I couldn’t do it all and be everything to everyone and that had to be OK."

"It is more a way of life, a spirit, a story we pass down, a way of reminding ourselves that the only way for a woman to survive in this world is to help other women."

This dual timeline historical novel is a crowd pleaser! Inspired by the real story of author Jo Piazza's great great grandmother, who was murdered in Sicily a century ago right before she was supposed to join her husband in America (he’d immigrated there to work and send money back to his family). Piazza heard this story over and over at various family gatherings over the years before deciding to write about it, including many of the rumors she'd heard about the story along the way. In present day, Sara Marsala inherits a plane ticket to Sicily, the deed to a plot of land there, and the instructions to take this journey to figure out what’s going on with the land and her own life from her Aunt Rosie. In Sicily in the early 1900's, we follow Serafina (the character based on Piazza’s great great grandmother) as she tries to break out of the mold of the traditional Sicilian wife while her husband is in America, which eventually puts her in danger. The mystery in this multigenerational family story (what happened to Serafina) keeps the pages turning, but the real star for me was the world of Sicily in the 1920's. A large chunk of the working aged men went to the United States to work in factories or mines, and the women were left to run the town (the only working age men left in Sicily were mafia, which made for interesting dynamics in this VERY patriarchal society. The Sicilian setting was incredibly lush and felt like summer!

Overall, I did enjoy this. I do wish I got to learn more about Sara’s backstory, and I found myself a bit confused with the family tree at times, but I was very invested in both Sara and Seraphina. That being said, I feel as though the melodramatic “thriller-esque” elements toward the end of the book did not fit in with the rest of the story. It felt a bit cheesy to the point that it took me out of the book. I still enjoyed the writing style of the book, and was very captivated by how the writer brought me to Sicily.

"The Sicilian Inheritance" is a captivating tale that intertwines the past and present, drawing readers into the heart of Sara Marsala's journey of self-discovery amidst familial secrets and Italian landscapes. From the depths of grief to the heights of courage, the novel navigates the complexities of love, loss, and the resilience of women across generations. With its twist-filled plot and vivid descriptions, it's an immersive read that leaves a lasting impression.

I enjoyed this multigenerational story! A solid mystery mixed with a story of personal growth.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own

I loved this book! It was a wonderful mix of mystery, thriller, adventure, romance, travel, and history. Plus it somehow managed to be funny even when dealing with heavy topics. Highly recommend.

This was an incredible book about a woman who goes on a journey to a small town in Sicily to learn about her roots. Her aunt Rosie just passed, and she gave her this trip to gain the land that is rightfully theirs. She will have a big fight on her hands, though.

excellent book. was so excited to receive this ARC. it became one of my top favorite reads. cannot wait to read more from this author.