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Belle Hamilton #3
Beneath the Pepper Tree
From the author of Interwoven and A House of Lies comes the continuing story in the Belle Hamilton Novels: Beneath the Pepper Tree.
Tuscany, 1984: On the evening of the annual Medieval Spring Festival, a child mysteriously vanishes without a trace, shattering the tranquil existence of a small town. Her body was never found and charges were never laid.
Thirty-five years later, Belle is living a peaceful life in a Tuscan farmhouse with her fiancé, Andrea, when she stumbles across a box buried beneath the old pepper tree on the farmhouse grounds.
The box contains a collection of curious items and as Belle sets out to locate the owner, she discovers the town has some carefully buried secrets of its own. The anniversary of the child’s disappearance draws near and Belle is faced with the question of what really happened to her.
When Belle digs deeper, she realises that some in the town will do anything to protect the truth about that night. Confronted with grim theories, dubious suspects and a town too entrenched in its faith to be objective,
Belle, at great personal cost, must fight to uncover the truth about the missing girl and the box beneath the pepper tree.
Tuscany, 1984: On the evening of the annual Medieval Spring Festival, a child mysteriously vanishes without a trace, shattering the tranquil existence of a small town. Her body was never found and charges were never laid.
Thirty-five years later, Belle is living a peaceful life in a Tuscan farmhouse with her fiancé, Andrea, when she stumbles across a box buried beneath the old pepper tree on the farmhouse grounds.
The box contains a collection of curious items and as Belle sets out to locate the owner, she discovers the town has some carefully buried secrets of its own. The anniversary of the child’s disappearance draws near and Belle is faced with the question of what really happened to her.
When Belle digs deeper, she realises that some in the town will do anything to protect the truth about that night. Confronted with grim theories, dubious suspects and a town too entrenched in its faith to be objective,
Belle, at great personal cost, must fight to uncover the truth about the missing girl and the box beneath the pepper tree.
ebook
First published June 11, 2018
11 people are currently reading
35 people want to read
About the author
Michelle Montebello
19 books237 followersMICHELLE MONTEBELLO is a writer from Sydney, Australia where she lives with her family.
She is the internationally bestselling author of The Quarantine Station, The Lost Letters of Playfair Street and The Forever Place.
Her books have won numerous accolades. The Quarantine Station won the 2023 International Book Excellence Award while The Lost Letters of Playfair Street won the 2020 ARRA Award for Favourite Historical Romance. The Forever Place was a 2022 ARRA and RWA RuBY Award finalist.
Michelle has been shortlisted three times for ARRA Australian Author of the Year.
For all Michelle’s book news, subscribe to her newsletter at www.michellemontebello.com.au.
Reach out to Michelle on social media:
Facebook: https://bit.ly/2JA6EsB
Instagram: https://bit.ly/2HzdOeP
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2LzG4Aj
She is the internationally bestselling author of The Quarantine Station, The Lost Letters of Playfair Street and The Forever Place.
Her books have won numerous accolades. The Quarantine Station won the 2023 International Book Excellence Award while The Lost Letters of Playfair Street won the 2020 ARRA Award for Favourite Historical Romance. The Forever Place was a 2022 ARRA and RWA RuBY Award finalist.
Michelle has been shortlisted three times for ARRA Australian Author of the Year.
For all Michelle’s book news, subscribe to her newsletter at www.michellemontebello.com.au.
Reach out to Michelle on social media:
Facebook: https://bit.ly/2JA6EsB
Instagram: https://bit.ly/2HzdOeP
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2LzG4Aj
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 7, 2018
I have thoroughly enjoyed this series the three books are all real page turners, fast paced, moving the emotion flows off the pages and Belle is such a fabulous character with all that she has been through she gets her HEA and so beautifully, but of course not without some more adventure in this book, I had a fabulous trip to Tuscany and can highly recommend it.
Belle and Andre are living in the farmhouse in country Tuscany these days and planning their wedding but Belle has been through a tough time and still feels the need to stay away from big crowds after Paris, while spending time in the yard she notices the big pepper tree is not growing like it should and while digging discovers a box buried below the roots, this box opens up a Pandora’s box filled with mystery and Belle is determined to get to the bottom of it.
This box is linked to the disappearance of a child thirty five years ago at the medieval spring fair and it is just about time for the fair again, Belle does a lot of investigating with Riley’s help, along the way there are new friends to be made and suspects to investigate, all the time she should be doing things for her wedding. This does not sit well with Andre who worries so much about her, but as we have come to learn Belle can be stubborn and determined.
This is a beautifully written story one that will pull you in from the start, solving the mystery opens up a lot of pain for some people and this causes more worry, but this book finishes this series off so beautifully, this series is one that I highly recommend to anyone who loves a good story that has characters that come to life on the pages, fabulous settings that take the reader away and a book that will leave the reader very happy at the end. Thank MS Montebello for another fantastic story I loved it and this is one that will stay with me for a long time to come and I look forward to many mores books.
Belle and Andre are living in the farmhouse in country Tuscany these days and planning their wedding but Belle has been through a tough time and still feels the need to stay away from big crowds after Paris, while spending time in the yard she notices the big pepper tree is not growing like it should and while digging discovers a box buried below the roots, this box opens up a Pandora’s box filled with mystery and Belle is determined to get to the bottom of it.
This box is linked to the disappearance of a child thirty five years ago at the medieval spring fair and it is just about time for the fair again, Belle does a lot of investigating with Riley’s help, along the way there are new friends to be made and suspects to investigate, all the time she should be doing things for her wedding. This does not sit well with Andre who worries so much about her, but as we have come to learn Belle can be stubborn and determined.
This is a beautifully written story one that will pull you in from the start, solving the mystery opens up a lot of pain for some people and this causes more worry, but this book finishes this series off so beautifully, this series is one that I highly recommend to anyone who loves a good story that has characters that come to life on the pages, fabulous settings that take the reader away and a book that will leave the reader very happy at the end. Thank MS Montebello for another fantastic story I loved it and this is one that will stay with me for a long time to come and I look forward to many mores books.
June 27, 2018
“I was wondering how the author was going to conclude the Belle Series and she did not disappoint! Beneath the Pepper Tree is a bittersweet story of love and loss with a superbly crafted mystery. Belle continues to struggle with the tragedy of Paris in “Interwoven” as well as dealing with new losses she has recently faced, all while trying to sort out her wedding and solve a thirty-five year old mystery. The story is well-paced, full of intrigue and the pages just kept turning themselves. I could not put it down. The downside to this book is that it is the last for Belle. I’d love to see a book 4 in this series and am hoping the author decides to continue Belle’s story as she is such an intriguing character.
July 1, 2018
I was lucky enough to read all three novels back to back which anyone purchasing from now on is also able to do. I was hooked within the first few pages. Loved the books and the characters. Lots of original themes in the books and at times couldn’t put them down. I hope #3 isn’t the last Belle Hamilton book.
April 6, 2019
If you haven't yet picked up a Belle book, you are MISSING OUT! Start with Interwoven and go from there.
The third and final book in the Belle series, Beneath the Pepper Tree, was everything I thought it would be. Romance, mystery, the closure to all the different storylines that had taken place in the first two books. And while I'm disappointed to see the end of this series, the author was superb and timely in her closure. That's not to say I won't inhale another Belle book if one is released, because I will !! I'm experiencing a mass Belle hangover right now.
Beneath the Pepper Tree was an absolute page-turner, from the first to the last. I didn't pause for air or food or anything else. The storyline was gripping and the mystery of the missing child is expertly weaved with the storyline of Belle and Andrea, who I am so glad are now together and we got to see more of their relationship.
And the end of Chapter 26 - it will blow you away! Just saying!!
A full 5 stars from me!
The third and final book in the Belle series, Beneath the Pepper Tree, was everything I thought it would be. Romance, mystery, the closure to all the different storylines that had taken place in the first two books. And while I'm disappointed to see the end of this series, the author was superb and timely in her closure. That's not to say I won't inhale another Belle book if one is released, because I will !! I'm experiencing a mass Belle hangover right now.
Beneath the Pepper Tree was an absolute page-turner, from the first to the last. I didn't pause for air or food or anything else. The storyline was gripping and the mystery of the missing child is expertly weaved with the storyline of Belle and Andrea, who I am so glad are now together and we got to see more of their relationship.
And the end of Chapter 26 - it will blow you away! Just saying!!
A full 5 stars from me!
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August 20, 2021I loved this third book in the Belle series. Had me from the first few pages and didn’t disappoint through to the end. Intriguing, sensitive, romantic. A totally enjoyable read. If there is another book in the Belle series, I’ll be reading it. Thank you again Michelle for writing such a wonderful book.
March 21, 2020
Another masterpiece! The Belle Hamilton series keeps delivering with fresh intrigue and lessons on what it really means to love someone...and forgive them.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews