High Tide: A taught, tense, sun-soaked literary noir

by Livia Franchini

‘A complicated, disturbing and intelligent book with all the propulsion of a page-turner.’
Amy Sackville, author of Painter to the King

‘So perfectly captures the light and taste and colour of an Italian summer.’
Sara Baume, author of Spill Simmer Falter Wither

Summer, 1992. Peter, a promising young artist, vanishes off the coast of Tuscany. Ten days later, his body washes ashore, bloated and unrecognisable. For one sweltering summer, his death grips the public imagination, before fading into the haze of nineties lore.

Thirty years on, Peter’s widow, Marie, has become infamous in her own right. A cult but reclusive horror writer, her novels are celebrated for their dark brilliance – but no one knows the woman behind the pen name, or the memories she’s spent a lifetime suppressing.

When a retrospective of Peter’s work is announced at a prestigious London gallery, an old friend resurfaces who seems determined to drag Marie from the shadows and unmask her. Drawn back to Italy, she feels the past begin to the heat, the secrets, the girl she once was. What does she owe the dead – and how far will she go to protect the living?

327 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication November 5, 2026

About the author

Livia Franchini is a writer and translator from Tuscany, Italy. She has translated Michael Donaghy, Natalia Ginzburg and James Tiptree Jr. among many others. She is the author of one novel, SHELF LIFE (Transworld, 2019) and one poetry pamphlet, OUR AVAILABLE MAGIC (Makina Books, 2019). The Italian translation of Shelf Life, GUSCI (Mondadori, trans. Veronica Raimo) won the Premio Letterario Pisa first novel award in 2020.

Reviews

[Mitsy_Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a thing for a book about a summer in youth, that changes the characters’ lives forever. Especially if it comes with compelling mystery and suspense.

In 1992, a group of friends spend a summer in Tuscany, living together, enjoying the freedom of youth. But when an incident happens, tone of them, Peter, missing and found dead. Decades later, Mary in London finds herself forced to confront the past, returning to Italy in search of the truth and closure.

This is a story about secrets, grief, toxic relationships/friendships, and how past can continue to haunt us decades later. The mystery drives the plot, but it is still very much character-driven. All the characters are very flawed, narcissistic even. I didn’t understand all their decisions, but I was intrigued by the complexity of their lives and relationships.

I loved the Tuscan setting and the mysterious tones of the novel. The story gradually reveals what happened to Peter who was an up and coming artist before his death, keeping the reader guessing as the past and present begin to intertwine. It’s a gripping mystery with a twist I didn’t see coming, and I loved the ending too.

One thing I wish the novel had done, however, was circle back to its first chapter, which I thought was brilliantly written. Full of suspense, with blurred lines between fiction and reality. It was a fascinating opening, and I would have loved to see the story circling back to it. I also wanted to see the relationship between Mary and her sister Clare explored more both in the past and present.

So there are some things I wish more of, but I enjoyed and devoured this book and recommend it if you like literary mystery/suspense.

4/5 🌟

[Maria Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully atmospheric, slow-burn mystery about the stories we tell to survive. Franchini writes the Italian setting beautifully; you can practically feel the oppressive, sweltering heat of the Tuscan coast. The shifting timelines capture the hazy, pre-digital lore of 1990s Italy and Great Britain with distinct, evocative prose.

This novel is less of a traditional crime thriller and more of an elegant, moody meditation on grief, art, and the price of protecting the living. Whilst the first half of the book hooks you instantly with an incredibly intriguing premise, the middle section slows down significantly. Readers looking for a fast-paced, high-stakes thriller might find the psychological, slow-burn nature a bit testing. It is a perfect read for fans of literary mysteries and character-driven psychological dramas. Recommended for fans of "The Talented Mr. Ripley", "The Shards", or readers who love rich, Italian-set gothic fiction.

[Caroll-Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

📖 High Tide by Livia Franchini

⭐️⭐️💫 2,5 stars

I went into High Tide expecting to really enjoy it because the premise sounded so intriguing. The story follows Marie, a reclusive cult horror writer whose identity has been carefully hidden behind her pen name. Thirty years after her husband Peter, a promising young artist, mysteriously disappeared off the coast of Tuscany and his body was later found, a retrospective of his work brings old memories, secrets, and people from Marie’s past back into her life. As she returns to Italy, she is forced to confront the girl she once was and everything she has spent years trying to leave behind.

The premise had so much potential, and I really liked the dark, atmospheric feel of the story. I also have to say that I really enjoyed Livia Franchini’s writing style. Her prose was beautiful and immersive, and I found myself appreciating the way she created the atmosphere and captured the heat, tension, and darkness surrounding Marie’s past.

Unfortunately, though, the actual story just didn’t pull me in as much as I had hoped. I kept waiting for it to really grab me and make me invested in what was happening, but I never quite got there. There were definitely interesting ideas and moments that I enjoyed, but overall I felt somewhat disconnected from the story.

I honestly think this book had a lot of potential, and I can appreciate what Franchini was trying to do with it. It just unfortunately wasn’t the book for me. The writing was probably my favorite part, but the story itself didn’t leave the impression on me that I had hoped it would.

[Natasha Leighton · Rating 4 out of 5]

An atmospherically sun soaked and slow-burn exploration of grief, identity, co-dependency and legacy that had me so thoroughly hooked!

Set in the early 90s, Livia Franchini cleverly reimagines the tumultuous Mary Shelley and husband Percy Bysshe Shelley as up and coming creatives in the YBA movement.

And follows the tragic events that lead to the death of aspiring artist, Peter Shelley and the life his young widow, Marie builds, thirty years on from the tragedy. Now a reclusive horror writer, Marie is desperate to keep her identity and the memories of that fateful summer in the shadows.

So when a retrospective of Peter’s work is announced, stirring up old memories (and acquaintances) Marie finds herself drawn back to Italy. To the secrets she left behind, and a life she had thought long buried…

At just over 300 pages, I was really surprised by the emotional intensity that Franchini manages to capture, and the depth we get to explore in Marie. From her hedonistic uni days (in the first blush of love) to the more intimate, claustrophobia-infused scenes in Florence and Pisa. We carefully unravel her guarded persona to the vulnerable woman below, still trying to come to terms with all she experienced.

Narratively, Peter (his emotional complexity, relationship with Marie and subsequent demise) is quite a big focal point of the story, but I did find him a difficult character to like.

With an air of toxic masculine ego and a host of narcissistic (impulsive) tendencies, he chips away at Marie’s ambitions until she’s more an assistant than wife. Though Franchini does touch upon mental illness in a way that was deeply emotional and led me to reexamine my thoughts on Peter (and his instability in later chapters.)

I don’t want to say too much (in case of spoilers) but the psychological, suspense driven prose and behind-the-scenes look into Britain’s rebellious (90s) art scene was amazing. Literary Mystery lovers should definitely consider checking this out.

Also, thanks to Milly at Transworld UK for the proof.

[Roman Clodia · Rating 3 out of 5]

** Spoilers below **

This has a great opening and it soon became clear that there were obvious intertexts with the Mary and Percy Bysshe Shelley story, though that's not mentioned in the blurb. Here Peter Shelley is the doomed brilliant artist, Mary Godwin, natch, the student who, in the 'now' sections set thirty years later, is a cult horror novelist whose debut was 'that creepy, lyrical novella I wrote in my early twenties... the stream of consciousness of a monstrous creature abandoned by her maker' - a clear reference to Frankenstein. The intensity of the early relationship between Shelley and Mary as students at Goldsmiths is well done with enough variation on the underlying story for it to feel creative and interesting.

But once they leave London, it feels like the well-known parameters switch in and take over this re-writing: Lord Noel Byrne (Byron), Teresa Guiccioli (Byron's later mistress, here moved back in the story to that fateful summer in Italy), Mary's stepsister Clare (Clare Clairmont) and a devilish Edward Trelawny all pile into the narrative and the creative muscle seems to slacken - it feels like both characterisation and events in the story depend overly on the story that we already know, and there isn't quite enough variation to continue to hold my interest.

In the end, this feels too wedded to the original story and, after an intriguing start, doesn't continue to forge its own trajectory for this reader. I'm interested in why the blurb avoids even suggesting that this is a retelling of the Shelley/Mary Shelley story - and how other readers will respond.

Thanks to the publisher for an ARC via NetGalley

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

High Tide is a beautifully shadowed novel, the kind that pulls you into its heat‑hazed memories and refuses to let you look away. From the moment Peter’s body washes ashore in that sweltering Tuscan summer of ’92, the story feels steeped in something both tragic and strangely magnetic—a moment frozen in time, destined to echo decades later.

Marie, now a reclusive horror writer with a cult following, is such a compelling presence. There’s a quiet intensity to her, a woman who has built an entire life on the art of looking away while her past sits just behind her shoulder, waiting. When the retrospective of Peter’s work forces her back into the light, the novel shifts into something richer and more unsettling. Old friendships resurface, old wounds stir, and Italy—sun‑bleached, secretive, humming with memory—becomes a character in its own right.

What I loved most is how the book moves between past and present with a kind of dreamy precision. The heat of that long‑ago summer, the youthful recklessness, the unspoken tensions—they all rise to the surface as Marie returns to the place where everything changed. The writing captures that feeling of being haunted not by ghosts, but by versions of ourselves we can’t quite reconcile.

As the truth begins to unspool, the story becomes a quiet, gripping exploration of art, grief, and the stories we tell to survive. It’s not just about what happened to Peter—it’s about what Marie has carried ever since, and what she’s willing to risk to protect the life she’s built.

Atmospheric, introspective, and beautifully tense, High Tide is a slow‑burn mystery wrapped in memory and heat. A haunting, elegant read that lingers long after the final page.

With thanks to Livia Franchini, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC

[Sevde · Rating 4 out of 5]

High Tide by Livia Franchini is an atmospheric, deeply psychological read that requires patience but rewards the reader in the end.

The story moves between two timelines: 1992 and the early 2020s. At first, the narrative structure can be a bit confusing. The shifts between the third-person perspective in 1992 and the first-person narrator in the early 2020s left me wondering whether we were following the same person or two different characters. However, once the puzzle pieces clicked into place and the connection between the grief-driven fictional story of 1992 and the protagonist's present reality under a pseudonym was revealed, the book truly gained momentum.

Franchini’s writing style is beautifully crafted and very elevated. As a non-native English reader who usually enjoys lighter fiction, I found the vocabulary quite challenging at times. Relying on context clues helped keep the reading flow going and it ultimately added to the rich, literary atmosphere of the novel.

If you enjoy complex, slow-burn literary fiction that deals with grief, hidden identities and the heavy shadow of the past, this is definitely a compelling read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Ben Dutton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Livia Franchini's latest novel, High Tide, takes as it's basis the story of Mary and Percy Bysshe Shelley and reimagines it into our contemporary world. Italy, in the early 1990s, and Peter, a talented young artist, goes missing off the coast. A few days later his body his found. Decades later and Marie, a horror writer and friend of Peter, has her stability rocked by news that a retrospective of Peter's work is to open in London.

High Tide is an extremely well written, engaging novel, exploring issues of grief, the fragility of memory and the power of art to change lives. Her characterisation of Marie is beautifully done, and as a reader I fell fully involved in her story. That it is based upon Mary Shelley was soon forgotten as Livia Franchini has her own tale to tell, right through to it's wicked sting. In summary, I loved this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has so much potential, and unfortunately I spent most of the book waiting for it to finally pull me in.

The premise intrigued me, a reclusive horror writer returning to Italy thirty years after her husband’s mysterious death, with old secrets and memories resurfacing along the way. And there were definitely things I enjoyed, particularly Franchini’s writing. Her prose is beautiful and immersive, and she creates such a vivid sense of place that I could practically feel the heat of Italy and the darkness surrounding Marie’s past.

Unfortunately, the story itself never quite gave me that 'i need to keep reading' feeling. I kept waiting for the tension to build or for everything to click into place, but instead I often found myself putting it down and forgetting I was reading it. There are some really interesting ideas here, but ultimately the atmosphere and writing worked much better for me than the actual story.

[Nic_thebookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an atmospheric and emotionally layered novel that moves between past and present, exploring grief, memory, art and the lingering weight of tragedy. The story begins in 1992 when Peter, a talented young artist disappears off the Tuscan coast before his body is eventually discovered days later.

Decades later, his widow Marie has become a famous but deeply private horror writer, until a London exhibition of Peter’s work forces her to confront the secrets and unresolved emotions she has spent years trying to bury.

What makes the novel so compelling is the way it slowly peels back layers of memory and identity. Marie is a fascinating character. She is guarded, complicated and shaped by both love and trauma. The novel carefully explores how the past can continue to haunt the present.

[midnight margins books · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 3.5 stars

High Tide had such an intriguing premise and the first half really pulled me in.

The story follows Marie, whose husband Peter disappeared off the coast of Tuscany in 1992 before his body was discovered ten days later. Thirty years on, Marie is a successful but private horror writer who has tried to leave the events of that summer behind. But when a retrospective of Peter’s artwork is announced, the past begins to resurface.

I really enjoyed the mystery surrounding Peter’s death and wanted to discover exactly what had happened all those years ago. The Italian setting added a lovely atmosphere and the story explored grief, secrets and how the past can continue to affect us years later.

Unfortunately, around halfway through it started to lose me. Some parts felt overly descriptive which slowed the pace down and I found my attention wandering. I wanted the mystery to keep pushing the story forward, but at times it felt buried underneath too much detail.

Overall, a promising and atmospheric read that started strongly but didn’t quite hold my attention throughout.

3.5⭐️

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am such a sucker for a summer set, literary fiction with an unreliable narrator and 'High Tide' gave me it all. The opening sets up the mystery as a body is washed up on a beach shore and we're quickly pulled into a modern retelling of the story of Mary and Percy Bysshe Shelley. I loved the writing style and the imagery is so vivid throughout and the unnerving relationships between Peter, Marie and their friends simmer in the Italian heat. No spoilers but I loved the way Franchini set up the end of the novel and also played with the duality of Mary/Marie throughout as that summer is unravelled. Loved this one so so much!

[The-grateful-spoonie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt the description really pulled me in to want to read this book. Livia's style of writing is great and I went to all these places in Italy and really felt I was there. The settings were great and the story had lots of potential but I kept waiting for that grab. Unfortunately for me, there was no grab. It was an ok read but there was nothing that grabbed me and it felt like it didn't really go anywhere. Because of this is was a book I'd put done and remember 4 days later that I was reading it and read a bit more. Thank you @netgalley for allowing me to read this pre publication.

[Sophie Howieson · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

“It’s too pathetic. The transformation of a girl into a women stitched from grief and guilt, never alive in the same way again”.

Thanks NetGalley for the arc! From the blurb I thought this was going to be more about the death and be more murder mystery and so when it wasn’t that it took me a little bit to get into it but overall I enjoyed it.

A lot of tragic events throughout Peter and Mary’s time together. They deserved longer and they should never have gone to Italy