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Murder in St Jude's
With every step forward made in the case, past murders resurface and new ones get uncovered.
Set against the backdrop of the charming fishing village of St Jude’s, a series of events occur. At first the villagers think it’s a miracle of the Madonna, but as things unfold a much more macabre truth is found lurking behind it.
When called in to investigate, Inspector Lucio Vella finds himself entangled in a case like nothing he ever faced in his career which challenges him to face his own personal demons. Teaming up with other police officers and members of the clergy, he spirals into a journey to unravel the truth, always striving in pursuit of justice.
Set against the backdrop of the charming fishing village of St Jude’s, a series of events occur. At first the villagers think it’s a miracle of the Madonna, but as things unfold a much more macabre truth is found lurking behind it.
When called in to investigate, Inspector Lucio Vella finds himself entangled in a case like nothing he ever faced in his career which challenges him to face his own personal demons. Teaming up with other police officers and members of the clergy, he spirals into a journey to unravel the truth, always striving in pursuit of justice.
343 pages, Paperback
First published March 18, 2022
29 people want to read
About the author
Robert Busuttil
5 books13 followersSocial worker by profession, specializing in the area of children in care, with experience in working with trauma, LGBTQI and youths. Started writing as a way of processing my personal looses and ended up finding a new way of how to express myself with the rest of the world. I try to enrich my narrative novels with core values which are part of my identity. Elements such as righteousness and sense of justice, empathy and above all, kindness.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 27, 2022
A solid debut novel for this author. While reading this book, one could feel the authenticity of the settings. Set on the little Island of "Malita" a horrible unthinkable crime against a newborn baby occurs. Throw in the Catholic Church, various brooding but honest policemen, and small communities in which nothing goes unnoticed, and you have this absorbing story. Being Maltese myself, I enjoyed trying to imagine the various scenery and the word play with locations.
I expect as the writer continues to develop his craft, no doubt the novels will become even more slick and polished, hopefully bringing Lucio Vella and Marius Agius back into some other new intrigue to lay bare.
I expect as the writer continues to develop his craft, no doubt the novels will become even more slick and polished, hopefully bringing Lucio Vella and Marius Agius back into some other new intrigue to lay bare.
August 30, 2022
A captivating and easy-to-read murder mystery with a punchy finale. Inspector Lucio and his team uncover murder after murder, loose end after loose end, but everything comes together in the grand finale, when everything makes sense.
The number of characters is fairly small and the plot is fairly simple, so this is a great read for anyone getting their feet wet in murder mysteries.
The number of characters is fairly small and the plot is fairly simple, so this is a great read for anyone getting their feet wet in murder mysteries.
March 26, 2022
Approximately a year ago, I was having a chat with a new acquaintance and as it usually goes I mentioned my love for books and how each story transports me into a new world, full of possibilities. Rather timidly he hinted that he had written a story of his own and asked if I would have a look and give him my opinion…. Of course I said YES!
Needless to say, I fell in love; with the landscape, the characters and the feel of times gone by; the feeling of nostalgia hit me right in the chest from the very beginning, but that quickly changed to intrigue as the story took quite a twisted turn to the macabre. I had to know who did what and why??? The more I read, the more in depth the characters became and…. they were not just characters anymore…. They had become my friends, I felt their joy, pain, fear and their sorrow. I could not put this story down; I had to know more….. NEEDED to know more. Alas I got to the end and as usually happens when finishing a good book, that bittersweet feeling hit me, I was saying goodbye to an old friend….
This story couldn’t just be shared with the chosen few….. AND IT'S FINALLY HERE.
Needless to say, I fell in love; with the landscape, the characters and the feel of times gone by; the feeling of nostalgia hit me right in the chest from the very beginning, but that quickly changed to intrigue as the story took quite a twisted turn to the macabre. I had to know who did what and why??? The more I read, the more in depth the characters became and…. they were not just characters anymore…. They had become my friends, I felt their joy, pain, fear and their sorrow. I could not put this story down; I had to know more….. NEEDED to know more. Alas I got to the end and as usually happens when finishing a good book, that bittersweet feeling hit me, I was saying goodbye to an old friend….
This story couldn’t just be shared with the chosen few….. AND IT'S FINALLY HERE.
October 30, 2023
I really enjoyed reading this book. The story is about a discovered murder and the process to find the culprit but along the story we get to know the characters in more depth and the surprises and adventures do not stop.
I highly recommend this book and well done to the author Robert Busuttil :)
Looking forward to read the next two books of the same author.
I highly recommend this book and well done to the author Robert Busuttil :)
Looking forward to read the next two books of the same author.
June 2, 2022
Beautiful!
June 8, 2022
Fabulous! Interesting, captivating, well structured!
My first book written by a Maltese author!
Would like to read from this brilliant writer!
My first book written by a Maltese author!
Would like to read from this brilliant writer!
April 3, 2024
The story of these books goes back quite a few months for me. I saw Murder in St Jude's sitting on a shelf in a local bookshop in Malta and the cover art instantly caught my eye. Being the collector of books that I am (and not being able to get rid of a single one), I slowly walked over to the book and realised it was a Maltese author, which intrigued me even more. Knowing I had to be somewhere else in a few minutes, I put the book down and completely forgot the title and author's name, making difficult to search for online.
Knowing the National Book Fair was a couple of months away, I decided that my mission on the day would be to find this book. I searched stall after stall, until right in front of me was the sunset-coloured book calling me to it. I literally ran away from my husband and to my amazement, realised that there were 2 more books by the same author sitting right next to it, with the same type of gorgeous cover art looking back at me. I picked up all 3, just as my husband appeared at my side. Out of nowhere, I heard a man whisper in my ear "Sinjorina, would you like to meet the author of the books you have in your hand?" as he pointed towards Robert Busuttil sitting at a desk, smiling at me, pen in hand, ready to greet me and sign my books. He is a lovely man, who left me a beautiful message on all 3 of the books and also introduced me to the person who created the artwork for the books! It absolutely made my day.
Now, back to Murder in St Jude's. This book was interesting, fast-paced, nostalgic and had me at the edge of my seat throughout. Busuttil manages to trigger core Maltese memories in those who have them, without making the books exclusive to only Maltese readers. If you are Maltese or have spent any time on the Maltese islands, you can probably picture the imagery that Busuttil describes and taste the flavours of the food on the tables of his characters. Every time a new location was introduced, I could not help but picture the story happening at a location from my own childhood.
I get the sense that a lot of Maltese authors tend to focus on social commentary, philosophy, religion and concepts that sometimes can be quite heavy to read. This book gave me a good story that I thoroughly enjoyed and allowed me to make my own deductions on the possible social commentary that Busuttil was trying to make. The focus, however, was on the story. I also enjoyed the fact that I could read a book with inherently Maltese cultural aspects to it, but that was written in English. I prefer to read in English and that often means that I have to read books that are not set in environments that I know. This was a chance for me to really connect with the surroundings in the book, while leisurely reading in the language I prefer.
You cannot help but like the main characters, especially Lucio and Marius, who have their own set of personal issues to deal with but have traits that I believe many can resonate with, no matter the culture, country or age bracket they come from.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and have already started the second one!
Knowing the National Book Fair was a couple of months away, I decided that my mission on the day would be to find this book. I searched stall after stall, until right in front of me was the sunset-coloured book calling me to it. I literally ran away from my husband and to my amazement, realised that there were 2 more books by the same author sitting right next to it, with the same type of gorgeous cover art looking back at me. I picked up all 3, just as my husband appeared at my side. Out of nowhere, I heard a man whisper in my ear "Sinjorina, would you like to meet the author of the books you have in your hand?" as he pointed towards Robert Busuttil sitting at a desk, smiling at me, pen in hand, ready to greet me and sign my books. He is a lovely man, who left me a beautiful message on all 3 of the books and also introduced me to the person who created the artwork for the books! It absolutely made my day.
Now, back to Murder in St Jude's. This book was interesting, fast-paced, nostalgic and had me at the edge of my seat throughout. Busuttil manages to trigger core Maltese memories in those who have them, without making the books exclusive to only Maltese readers. If you are Maltese or have spent any time on the Maltese islands, you can probably picture the imagery that Busuttil describes and taste the flavours of the food on the tables of his characters. Every time a new location was introduced, I could not help but picture the story happening at a location from my own childhood.
I get the sense that a lot of Maltese authors tend to focus on social commentary, philosophy, religion and concepts that sometimes can be quite heavy to read. This book gave me a good story that I thoroughly enjoyed and allowed me to make my own deductions on the possible social commentary that Busuttil was trying to make. The focus, however, was on the story. I also enjoyed the fact that I could read a book with inherently Maltese cultural aspects to it, but that was written in English. I prefer to read in English and that often means that I have to read books that are not set in environments that I know. This was a chance for me to really connect with the surroundings in the book, while leisurely reading in the language I prefer.
You cannot help but like the main characters, especially Lucio and Marius, who have their own set of personal issues to deal with but have traits that I believe many can resonate with, no matter the culture, country or age bracket they come from.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and have already started the second one!
September 5, 2025
Wow! If you enjoy crime thrillers with strong plots and richly drawn settings, this book is a must-read. The murders are complex, the suspects unpredictable, and the resolutions highly satisfying. I found myself completely absorbed—like watching a crime drama unfold, only more vivid and personal.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews