The Italian House

by Teresa Crane

“A wonderfully rich web of intrigue and romance, love and betrayal” set in 1920s Tuscany—from the author of Freedom’s Banner (Barbara Erskine). When Carrie Stowe unexpectedly inherits her eccentric grandmother’s Italian villa, she sets her heart on escaping the suffocating and toxic reality of life with her repressive husband, Arthur.But after arriving late at night during a violent storm, she discovers that she is not alone. Waiting for her in the darkness is Leo, a mysterious figure from her past. As Carrie sifts through the secrets of her grandmother’s diaries, she finds herself increasingly drawn to Leo. Entangled in a vice of obsession, she must ask is he really who he claims to be? The Italian House is a spellbinding saga perfect for fans of Victoria Hislop and Elena Ferrante. “The plot—involving revelations of murder, bigamy and greed—is solid, and the descriptions of the Italian landscapes and seasons are positively lyrical.” — Publishers Weekly

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Italy, Chick Lit

288 pages, Hardcover

First published July 6, 1995

Reviews

[Marianne K. Benvenuti · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not a fan

I love reading about Italy, but I didn't like this book. I didn't like reading about Carrie's life in England. In Italy, she became obsessed with someone she shouldn't have. I guessed her grandmother's secret fairly quickly. The only thing I liked was the ending--because the book was over and because, maybe when she learned the truth, Carrie would finally grow a backbone.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Italian House: The Unmissable read of 2018 is by Teresa Crane. This is an exceptionally well-written book that keeps you reding to find out the secrets of the Italian House. You definitely do not expect the twists she puts in the book that stun you and yet make you read on. It is simply a book that must be read and must not be put down.
Carrie Stowe is a rundown, trod-upon woman in England. Her husband rules the household and everything runs like clockwork as he wants it to run. No matter what Carrie does, she comes up short giving him one more weapon to use against her. Then, Carrie’s Uncle Henry dies and Carrie must travel to Italy to regain control of the house her Grandmother left to her. Italian law says she must appear in person before inheriting the house. Unfortunately, Arthur can’t handle it from afar and he can’t get the time off from work to go to Italy. He must let Carrie go on her own and try to pull the strings from England. So, timid and scared Carrie sets out to gain her inheritance only to sell everything like Arthur wants her to.
Something happens to Carrie when she finally arrives at her house. She begins to feel more and more and in charge. She finds her cousin Leo at the house and tells him that he can have whatever he wants from the estate since their grandmother had left him with nothing. Carrie questions why their grandmother disliked Leo’s father so much as to take it out on her grandson. She and Leo begin to try to unravel the secrets their grandmother took to her grave. What will they uncover? Will it be worth it?

[SOPHIA GABRIEL · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing.

Just like others have commented previously. It starts promising then it sags in the middle and then it's wrapped up in the very end with revelations. I can't say it was a waste but it was predictable.

[Angela Petch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tuscan passion

My rating would be 3.5 if that were possible but I was disappointed with this novel that started so well and sagged in the middle, to fizzle out into melodrama.
Teresa Crane describes Tuscany beautifully and I loved those passages but I became weary of the bonking under the Tuscan sun. There were hints of mystery and I wasn't really surprised by Leo in the end, but the final revelation (difficult not to give spoiler, so forgive my enigma), should have been woven into the story earlier - it almost felt like it was stuck in the end of the saga to bring it to an end.
The voice is a little old-fashioned, but fits the era of the turn of century. The cover of the version I read is disappointing - the two statues in front of the villa look photo shopped - it shouldn't be difficult to create a more magical, mysterious Tuscan image.
On the whole, I was disappointed by this book, which is described as unmissable. Mmmm, sorry.

[Jill Oseman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great story of a dangerous love.

I found this tale utterly gripping in it’s complexity. The characters were real and compelling. The scenery and atmosphere of Tuscany that one could feel and see as one read it. I could feel the pain and misery experienced by the heroine at the beginning of the story and the transformation in her character as she came to find herself and know love for the first time. The ending will have you totally in it’s grip as the mystery surrounding the family and what becomes of our heroine is revealed.

[Carolee Duckworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has turned me into a Teresa Crane fan. I love Italy, and have traveled there many times. The beauty of this book is that it immediately took me back to places I remember vividly, but with an engaging story added to the wonderful settings--Tuscany, Siena, Florence.

I have already ordered 4 more Teresa Crane novels, and have started reading her book set in Siena. With no trip to Italy planned for this year, I can take imaginary trips there in my mind's eye by immersing myself in Teresa Crane's enthralling books.

[michelle gilbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Totally bizarre

Writing is good, fluid and easy to read.
The storyline is bizarre at best. While it is nice to read something other than the typical romance, this was a jaunt into twisted mental illness and incest which spanned 2 generations. It seemed more like a whitewashed plot from a fetish novel.

[Michele Cowan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not enjoy a weak female going from a dominant husband to an abusive first cousin
Weird

[Julia Ibbotson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was disappointed after all the hype for this book. The plot was very predictable, I'm afraid, and I found the protagonist Carrie hard to identify or empathise with; she was so fragile and suggestible, her reactions and behaviour somehow unbelievable! I prefer stronger heroines. This one seemed to be just swept along by men: her controlling husband and the equally controlling and unstable 'lover'. The Italian atmosphere was quite enjoyable although I expected more of an ambiance. It started well, but sadly did not live up to the intriguing opening; what a shame.

[Cathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Loved the setting. Didn't love the characters or the storyline.

[Deb crisanti · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ew

Just ew. I can't believe i actually read this book all the way through, knowing how it was going to end

[Valli · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't know if I read the same book as the other reviewers but this book was the biggest waste of my time. The plot was nonsense, a child would have figured this out. Don't waste your time.

[Heather · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow. I hated this. It wasn’t badly written but the story was AWFUL. I kept hoping something would happen and the plot twist would save it but NOPE. Bad to the end. I wouldn’t recommend this but would give the author another chance.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was extremely disappointed with this novel. While the Italian setting was stunning, I found Carrie to be a very uninspiring protagonist. In fact, I didn't like any of the characters and very little happened throughout the whole novel. Overall, a very lacklustre read.

[Lubna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this as an audio book. I especially loved the descriptive scenes of the surroundings and places in Italy where scenes were set. I had a feeling about Leo from the start. Just a niggle to begin with but more persistent as the story unfolded. I must admit I did become quite engrossed in the story. Parts of it were a little predictable but otherwise it was on the whole "a good read".

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have to give this book more of a 3.5 rather than 3, and for various reasons. I found that the storyline of Carrie going to Italy to sell the home her grandmother lived in was intriguing, as there was the potential for many things to occur along the way. From the start, I was glad that Carrie was going to leave Arthur for quite some time, as he was a bore, making my heart lurch at the rudeness he displayed towards Carrie. When Leo came into the picture, I found Carrie to be at ease with herself, despite that they were both first cousins. Their love felt real, and the reasons behind their willingness to be together, despite what others thought of them, were genuine. However, as the story took a twisted turn, I began to hate the character of Leo, and wanted Carrie to steer as far away from him as possible. There were a few things that happened at the end that puzzled me, such as the involvement with the sculptures, which I was unable to comprehend for the life of me. I did like how everything fell into place once Angelique explained it all to Carrie. I was angry with how Leo deceived so many individuals, and wanted Carrie to experience true love, in which each partner values the other equally. The ending was definitely open-ended, leaving the gap for another book which could continue from where this one ended. I did find some of the writing to be a bit boring, especially when the author rambled on about Carrie and her inability to function without Leo. Overall though, this book will definitely give you chills, and leave you wondering who you could really trust when it comes to your own family members.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Descriptions are good only

I love to read, and the quick summary sounded very good. I was ultimately disappointed. The main character, Carrie , was a downtrodden and suppressed person From the beginning, which you believe she'll overcome on her new adventure. The monotone , dark, slightly feel of the writing throughout where Carrie never changes drives you just nuts.. you figure out the plot at the beginning as well.

[seventhdevil · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 read for me. In a nutshell, I would've liked to know a lot more about Carrie's grandmother and her story than Carrie's Tuesdays Thursdays and Saturdays and all that jazz. The premise was promising and I expected a better development of the whole "mystery" bit. Oh well. Probably not reading this author again.

[Kathy Giannotti · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not all I’d hoped for

The writing was extremely simplistic and one dimensional. The characters were merely sketched, not well-drawn. I figured out the gist of the plot very early on. It was, sorry to say, a disappointment.

[Dan C Auton · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disturbing

Not my idea of a nice beach read. No fun at all in this book. A waste of my vacay time.

[Ms_G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the early 1920s, Carrie Stowe is married to Arthur and they live in Hastings, England. Carrie is notified by solicitors that she has inherited her grandmother's house, The Villa Castellini in Tuscany. The solicitor instructs her to go to Italy for 3-4 weeks, or the house could not be transferred into her name. Carrie feared her husband's disapproval that he would not let her go to Italy alone, 'Quiet out of the question. There must be some other way' said Arthur. She insisted that there was no other way because her solicitor had said so. Her Grandmother had given the property to a close friend of hers, the solicitor didn’t know who it was, and held the Villa in trust whilst her Uncle Henry lived there. She has to pay a small sum of money and, according to her Grandmother’s wishes, the house becomes hers. Arthur can't take time off work to go with her to Tuscany, and after a long discussion between them agrees to let her travel to Tuscany alone.


When she reaches the house, she discovers that her long lost cousin (thought dead) is living there. Instantly, she is attracted to him and he is aware of her attraction to him. He takes advantage of her attraction. From here onwards, the story between them evolves into the realms of tabu, of attraction, of love, of deception and of undermined greed.

It's a story filled with lots of surprising twists and turns that may shock you. The author doesn't fail to hint of the reveal ahead of the story. Is this a good thing? Perhaps for some, it's a spoiler. Read on and be taken into a world that intrigues and shock you at the same time.

[Jenny Lakin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first Theresa Crane novel I have read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Carrie lives in the UK in the period just after WW1 She was married to a dominating husband who was
set in his ways and kept her down. Her life as a housewife married to Arthur was quiet mundane, everything revolved around Arthur and his strict routines.
She had spent her childhood holidays each year visiting her beloved Granma who lived in Italy in a
beautiful old villa in the hills above Sienna.
Carries’ life suddenly changed when she inherited her Grandma’s villa.
Due to Arthur’s work she had to travel alone to Italy to claim her inheritance. On arrival she is
reunited with her cousin Leo, Leo who been her childhood friend offered to help her sort through
the contents of their Granma’s villa getting it ready to sell.
This story is full of intrigue and passion Murder and mystery with twists and turns.
Loved it couldn’t put it down.

[Joanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of a downtrodden young wife, who unexpectedly inherits her grandmother's villa in Italy, but strange events in the present form a link to family secrets from the past. The sense of place in this novel is so strong that the book ought to have a warning blazoned across the cover: this book will make you want to sell everything you possess and move to Tuscany. It is just 284 pages long, whereas most novels I read are over 400 pages. Yet when I had finished it, the richness of the writing made me feel as though I had read something much longer – which isn't to suggest it is over-written or flowery. It isn't. When the words are the right words, you don't need masses of them. This is a superb story, by a skilled writer.

[Sue · Rating 2 out of 5]

The setting in a small village and old villa in Italy was wonderful. It made me want to live there and drink wine, eat good food and make good friends. I think that I expected something more along the lines of Under the Tuscan Sun and therefore was somewhat disappointed. I found myself being very angry with the main character because of her neediness and because of the poor decisions that she made. While I did like the fact that she evolved and became independent, I would have liked to see her grow on her own rather than being a victim of circumstance. This was an easy read and the setting was wonderful.

[Gregory Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story had the potential to be quite good, instead it is mediocre. the idea that a granddaughter inherited an Italian villa forms the basis for a good setting, but we are told so little about how the grandmother acquired said villa, and how she accumulated what is described as rare artifacts, is disappointing. The idea that there were rare statues - somehow smuggled out of the ruins of Pompeii - added intrigue, yet that intrigue was missing (not to mention that holding on to those statues after granddaughter discovered their source is a crime, so reality was lacking).
Read with caution for the facts.

[Nicole Holt · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

I really enjoyed the descriptive writing style of this book which created distinct imagery of the beautiful scenery of Italy in my mind. I also enjoyed the thriller-type undertones of the story.

I found it really hard to connect with Carrie, who I believe is portrayed as a naive, weak victim in the story. I think the ending of the story was anticlimactic and rushed, and I would have liked to have seen more involvement of Angelique, and learned more about her and Leo's dark secrets.

Overall a well-written story that kept me engaged throughout.

[Renata · Rating 2 out of 5]

I debated between giving this book two or three stars. Like other reviewers, I enjoy reading both fiction and non-fiction set in Italy. This book was a bit of a disappointment. My first problem was the love story between two cousins. I know norms have changed over the years and this book is set in the 1920s, but it still felt creepy to me, especially when there is abuse on the part of Leo. The book starts with a lot of promise -- the idea of inheriting a house in Italy is something that capture's one's imagination, but about half-way through the book becomes too melodramatic.

[Janie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Family

Family can be both loving and destuctive. I must admit the book kept me intrequed, I thought I had it figuried out and and understood a new turn would keep me more and more wanting to find the next little bit of information and I thank you for this wonderfull read, I really can not say when was the last time I enjoyed a wonderfull time reading. Thank You!!! An awsome dawson rating of 10 stars

[joseph m messina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story about central Italy.

The writing is excellent. The main characters are very well flushed out. The story pretty much id confined to the British expat comm?unity in the area around Lucca Italy. I would have liked to have learned more about the Italian community I assume that was not possible because none of the Brits spoke Italian. Did Leo really love Carrie? Each teader will have to decide that for him/her self. I definitely recommend the book to others.

[Donita L. Keeley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly good read

This is a well written story for which readers will anticipate the ending. Not very fast paced in the beginning but with a plethora of twists and turns that keeps readers glued in anticipation and takes them down a twisted road to a surprise ending. I usually can figure out a plot about halfway through a book. Not so with this one. I plan to read more by this author.