The Sicilian Woman's Daughter by Linda Lo Scuro

“If you loved My Brilliant Friend, The Godfather, and Montalbano, you’ll love this utterly gripping novel about women in organised crime in Sicily.”

Most victims of the mafia are the Sicilians themselves. The role of women both as perpetrators and victims has been grossly overlooked. Until now.

As the daughter of Sicilian immigrants, in her teens Maria turns her back on her origins and fully embraces the English way of life. Notwithstanding her troubled and humble childhood in London, and backed up by her intelligence, beauty and sheer determination, she triumphantly works her way up to join the upper middle-class of British society. There she becomes a bastion of civility.

But a minor incident wakes up feelings of revenge in her like those lurking in Maria's Sicilian origins. As she delves deeper into her mother's family history a murky past unravels, drawing Maria more and more into a mire of vendetta.

Reviews

“The charm of reading this book is that: always, and I mean always, the reader is satisfied with the result.” - Manuela Iordache

"An extraordinary and inherently riveting read from beginning to end, The Sicilian Woman's Daughter is an original and deftly crafted novel showcasing the genuine flair for narrative storytelling by author Linda Lo Scuro (a pen name)...highly recommended for community library Contemporary General Fiction collections." - Midwest Book Review

“Wow – this is a great story!” - Phil Rowan

"An enthralling read on many levels.” - Book Trail

“It’s a must-read for mystery lovers.” - Carolyn Bowen

“A cracking good read” - Ann Gough

“This is an addictive read from page one to last and thoroughly enjoyable!” - Janet Cousineau

“Insightful, well written and I found the pace just right” - Dawn D’auvin

“Certainly exciting and riveting reading.” - Emma B Books

“I enjoyed it very much!” - Mary Weimer

“I really enjoyed the book.” - Pamela Lewis

“Ms. Lo Scuro does a fantastic job filling in the sordid past of Maria’s family and blending it in with the present day characters.” - Writeknit Reviews

"The things I loved about it: Mary’s identity is formed from drastically different parts of her life, leaving her feeling as though she fits nowhere. It’s not hard to feel that way, in this day and age, and makes for a lot of sympathy towards her character. The plot is fast, and makes for a gripping read. Though the tension grows rapidly throughout, the writing is witty and there are moments that are laugh out loud funny. Though life is extremely tough for them, there are an endless amount of strong women in the novel, with our protagonist having a horrendous start in life. A brilliant, thrilling read about real life grit..." - Sara Wingfield

About the Author

Linda Lo Scuro lives in London. This is her first novel.