A glimpse into the past

Thursday with Luisa Jones Addendum to this morning’s post!

A glimpse into the past

This Thursday morning, it’s my turn to present a short piece from my book, published two days ago.

I was overjoyed with a recent review of The Sicilian Secret posted on #Netgalley. Here are a few lines relevant to my post this morning.

A Netgalley review – 5 stars

“Paige’s trip to Sicily is an intriguing one. I was transported to this gorgeous setting through the author’s divine descriptions. Angela Petch’s personal experience of the region is clearly noted and utilised. There was a familiarity about the environment as I followed the characters into both beautiful and frightening terrain. Even though I have never been to Sicily, I felt as if I had. Angela has a knack for drawing emotion out of you through her atmospheric scenes, believable characters and complex plots.”

In all my books, I try to write about what I know, to introduce what I hope are little-known facts about Italy during World War Two. Sicily is an island where I worked for over two years in my early twenties. A lot has changed since then: the places we used to visit are more touristy now and, indeed, one of the main locations in The Sicilian Secret has been designated a UNESCO site.

Noticeboard at entrance to the ancient site of Pantalica in eastern Sicily

Pantalica is a place where my then boyfriend (now husband) and I used to go on our free weekends. It was a wild, desolate canyon steeped in history where we camped with our two dogs and clambered up and down steep cliffs to explore caves. These hundreds of openings have been variously tombs and dwelling places dating back to the Bronze age. Geologists consider this Iblean Plateau to be the northernmost edge of the African continental crust. The area also has a multitude of microclimates and the flora and fauna are spectacular. Small wonder that it is now a World Heritage site. Unfortunately, in the past, the caves have been plundered but they are now safeguarded.

Quite apart from all these factors, all those years ago when I didn’t know half its history, I always felt it was a very special place. And that was reinforced by a research visit last year. Pantalica had to absolutely appear in my next book. It’s a destination that turns out to be the crucial missing cog in the wheel of mystery presented at the beginning of the story.

So, here is my short extract:

“Paige walked on, the path leading her through a disused railway tunnel and out into the light again. She emerged to the spectacle of hundreds more – no thousands more – tiny doorways in the cliffside. She stood for a moment holding her breath at the sight. Pantalica seemed like the end of the earth: beautiful and wild. But what on earth had it got to do with her mother?

The scene before her held such a unique sense of history and was almost indescribable. The guidebook had told her that besieged Siculi had adapted homes from tombs in ancient times. They were the original inhabitants of Sicily, and she shivered as she imagined how many dead might be buried in these little dwellings. Maybe there were still bones in some.”

No spoilers, but Pantalica holds an important clue for resolution of the mystery set at the beginning of my new novel.

I’m delighted with the reviews already posted on #Netgalley:

“a captivating read from start to finish” ; “atmospheric”; “complex and interesting characters”; “beautifully researched”; “sumptuous descriptions of the landscape, people and food”; “profoundly moving”; “a story of love, danger and sacrifice”.

Available also on audio (at the moment on offer at 99 pence for a limited time, narrated by the talented Ashley Tucker and on Amazon in paperback and Kindle (including Kindle Unlimited. Why not grab yourself a copy?

Link for purchasing The Sicilian Secret