Novel set in 1720s SCOTLAND
Ten Great Books set in SOUTHERN ITALY
9th March 2026
Ten Great books set in Southern Italy.
Southern Italy, or Il Mezzogiorno, is a sun-drenched tapestry of ancient history and rugged beauty. Comprising regions like Campania, Puglia, Calabria, and Sicily, it is defined by its Mediterranean rhythm. The landscape is a dramatic contrast of the volcanic power of Mount Vesuvius, the turquoise waters of the Amalfi Coast, and the prehistoric cave dwellings of Matera.
Culturally, the South remains deeply rooted in its Magna Graecia origins, seen in the majestic temples of Paestum and Agrigento. Life here moves at a slower pace, centred on family, the daily passeggiata, and a world-renowned culinary heritage – think authentic Neapolitan pizza, fresh seafood, and rich olive oils. It is a region where the past isn’t just preserved; it’s lived.
Here are ten of our favourite books set in the Region.
Gelato Sisterhood on the Amalfi Shore by Chantal Kelly – AMALFI COAST
Warmed by the brilliant Campania sun and the lemon-scented breeze off shimmering Mediterranean waters, the Amalfi Coast has been seducing travelers since Roman times. Lush terraced mountainsides brimming with grape vines and olive groves tumble down to meet the sea. Sun-washed pastel buildings clinging to vertical cliffs, ancient timeworn villages, and secluded beaches beckon at every hairpin turn. Chantal Kelly takes the reader along on an unforgettable tour of the Amalfi Coast as she expertly guides a small group of women where blue horizons stretch endlessly and legend and romance abound. Intriguing towns are brought to life with humorous anecdotes and insights. Enchanting moments leap off the pages and into your heart as the women learn to cook traditional dishes, indulge in the incomparable regional food and drink, succumb to the siren song of stunning handmade ceramics, and admire Italy’s most attractive feature, the gorgeous, flirty men! Informative and practical, filled with Chantal s personal stories and delicious recipes, this book will mesmerize anyone who’s ever been tempted by the undeniable charms of Italy.
Story of the Lost Child by Elena Ferrante – NAPLES
The fourth and final book of the internationally renowned and bestselling Neapolitan novels
One of the major publishing events of 2015, this dazzling saga of two women – the brilliant Elena and the fiery, uncontainable Lila – firmly establishes the Neapolitan Quartet as perhaps the most significant work to date of the 21st century. Life’s great discoveries have been made, its vagaries and losses suffered. But, throughout it all, their friendship remains the gravitational centre of their lives. The unmissable finale to a great literary achievement.
The Optician of Lampedusa by Emma Jane Kirby – LAMPEDUSA
From an award-winning BBC journalist, this moving book turns the testimony of an accidental hero into a timeless story about human fellowship and the awakening of courage and conscience.
‘I can hardly begin to describe to you what I saw as our boat approached the source of that terrible noise. I hardly want to. You won’t understand because you weren’t there. You can’t understand. You see, I thought I’d heard seagulls screeching. Seagulls fighting over a lucky catch. Birds. Just birds.’
Emma-Jane Kirby has reported extensively on the reality of mass migration today. In The Optician of Lampedusa she brings to life the moving testimony of an ordinary man whose late summer boat trip off a Sicilian island unexpectedly turns into a tragic rescue mission.
The Potter’s Field by Andrea Camilleri – SICILY
While Vigàta is wracked by storms, Inspector Salvo Montalbano is called to attend the discovery of a dismembered body in a field of clay. Bearing all the marks of an execution style killing, it seems clear that this is, once again, the work of the notorious local mafia. But who is the victim? Why was the body divided into 30 pieces? And what is the significance of the Potter’s Field? Working to decipher these clues, Montalbano must also confront the strange and difficult behaviour exhibited by his old colleague Mimi, and avoid the distraction of the enchanting Dolores Alfano – who seeks the inspector’s help in locating her missing husband. But like the Potter’s Field itself, Montalbano is on treacherous ground and only one thing is certain – nothing is quite as it seems . . .
The Savage Shore by David Hewson – CALABRIA
Roman police detective Nic Costa has been sent undercover to Italy’s beautiful, remote Calabrian coast to bring in the head of the feared mob, the ‘Ndrangheta, who has offered to turn state witness for reasons of his own.
Hoping to reel in the biggest prize the state police have seen in years, the infamous Butcher of Palermo, Costa and his team are aware the stakes are high. But the constant deception is taking its toll. Out of their depth in a lawless part of Italy where they are the outcasts, not the men in the hills, with their shotguns and rough justice, the detectives find themselves pitched as much against one another as the mob. As the tension rises, it’s clear the operation is not going to plan. Is Nic Costa getting too close to the enemy for comfort – and is there a traitor among them …?
The Temple of Fortuna by Elodie Harper – POMPEII
The final instalment in Elodie Harper’s Sunday Times bestselling Wolf Den Trilogy
A courtesan in Rome. Playing for power. Haunted by her past. Her name is Amara. How will her fortunes fall?
Amara’s journey has taken her far, from a lowly slave in Pompeii’s brothel to a high-powered courtesan in Rome. She is now a freedwoman with wealth and influence, yet she is still drawn back to her past.
For while Amara is caught up in the political scheming of the Imperial palace, her daughter remains in Pompeii, raised by the only man she ever truly loved. Although she longs for her family, Amara knows they are safest while she is far away. Perhaps, with enough cunning and courage, she will manage to turn Fortuna’s wheel in their favour.
But the year is ad 79, and Mount Vesuvius is preparing to make itself known…
The Temptation to Be Happy by Lorenzo Marone – NAPLES
Cesare is a seventy-seven-year-old widower and cynical troublemaker. He has lived his whole life by his own rules and has no intention of changing now. Aside from an intermittent fling with a nurse called Rossana, he spends his days avoiding the old cat lady next door and screening calls from his children.
But when the enigmatic Emma moves in next door with her strange and sinister husband, Cesare suspects there is more to their relationship than meets the eye. He enlists the other residents to help him investigate and soon discovers a new and unexpected sense of purpose that leads him to risk everything for a future he had never thought possible.
Laced with humour and pathos in equal measure, this is a delightful book to savour, for young and old alike.
The Night Falling by Katherine Webb – PUGLIA
Puglia, 1921. Leandro Cardetta, born into poverty, emigrated to America to make his fortune and has returned home to southern Italy a rich man, accompanied by his glamorous wife, Marcie, an ex-showgirl fighting middle age. Now Leandro has money enough to hire renowned English architect, Boyd Kinsgley, to renovate a crumbling palazzo into an Art Deco statement of wealth, and host Boyd’s teenage son and his diffident young second wife, Clare, for one extraordinary summer.
Under the burning sky, beyond the luxury of Leandro’s home, tensions are high. Veterans of the Great War are desperate for work and food. Among these is Ettore, Leandro’s nephew. Gripped by grief at the loss of his fiancée, Ettore has sworn to identify Livia’s killer, and take his revenge. He is too proud to go to his uncle for charity, but when he injures himself one day, he has no choice but to knock on Leandro’s door. Meeting Clare there will change everything – and in the most violent way.
During the fierce summer of 1921, all these lives converge. Exactly how did Leandro grow rich in America, and what is the strange hold he has over Boyd? What happened to the first Mrs Kingsley, and what secret haunts the outwardly exuberant Marcie Cardetta? Hearts will be broken, blood will be spilt and the hardest of life’s lessons will be learnt as shadows fall.
My Lemon Grove Summer by Jo Thomas – SICILY
Zelda’s impulsive nature has got her precisely nowhere up until now. A fresh start in a beautiful hilltop town in Sicily looking for new residents, together with her best friend Lennie, could be just what she needs. And who better to settle down with than the person who knows her best?
But the sun-filled skies and sparkling seas can’t hide the shadow hanging over Citta d’Ora, which means not everyone is pleased to see their arrival. The dreams Zelda and her fellow new residents had of setting up a new life might be slipping away. But a friendship with restauranteur Luca could be about to unlock the possibilities that lie in the local lemon groves. And there’s a wedding on the horizon that might be just what the town needs to turn it around…
Children of the Mists by Lexa Dudley – SARDINIA
This is a story of enduring love. Set in the 1800s, life on Sardinia had barely changed since the time of the Caesars. Two families, the Sannas and the Canus, are united by friendship and honour; love and laughter; joy and promises; omens and superstitions; youth and experience transcend generations.
However, for Raffaella and Antonio their love becomes entangled with revenge. Death changes devotion. Promises are forgotten. Vendettas can’t be ignored. Ambition clouds judgements. Antonio and Raffaella were promised to each other, nothing would keep them apart, not even family. Committed to each other, they fight for their love against all odds.
Lexa won the Romance category with the Book Excellence Awards 2016 with Children of the Mists in the Sardinia section.
Enjoy our selection of great books set in Southern Italy!
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