Thorpe, Annabelle – The Bell Bookshop https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk Henley-on-Thames Mon, 14 Jul 2025 09:52:58 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/cropped-Bell-Background-Blue-32x32.png Thorpe, Annabelle – The Bell Bookshop https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk 32 32 The moonlit piazza https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk/product/the-moonlit-piazza/ Thu, 20 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk/?post_type=product&p=46875 The Village Trattoria.]]> Hidden loves and dangerous secrets may be uncovered as suspicion and lies swirl around trattoria Casa Maria and the Nazis tighten their grip on power in Italy in the powerful follow-up to Annabelle Thorpe’s The Village Trattoria.

Family-run Casa Maria is the beating heart of beautiful Amatino in Umbria. But now it is under Nazi control, to the fury of matriarch Elena Capaldi. Forced to give board to a hated young German soldier, she reluctantly realises he shares her passion for cooking and can be a real help. But should an enemy soldier ever be trusted?

In Rome, Elena’s charismatic grandson, Giorgio, is undercover at the other family trattoria, leaving his new wife, Sophia, to keep the secret of his whereabouts. Amatino is seething with conspiracies and some would happily bring down the Capaldis and all they stand for. In war, there are always people ready to do business with the enemy…

Return to Casa Maria in this heart-wrenching follow-up to The Village Trattoria!

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Readers LOVE The Moonlit Piazza:

‘A poignant and evocative tale of resilience, family, and resistance’ 5* Netgalley review
‘Thorpe’s lyrical prose and nuanced storytelling make this a standout novel’ 5* Netgalley review
‘A moving story that will keep you hooked until the end’ 5* Netgalley review
‘The characters truly feel like family and their stories felt so real and powerful’ 5* Netgalley review

]]> The enemy of love https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk/product/the-enemy-of-love/ Thu, 04 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000 https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk/?post_type=product&p=41351 ** PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED AS THE ENEMY OF LOVE **Italy 1943The village trattoria, Casa Maria, is famed for its food and for Elena, the formidablematriarch who runs it. But now war has come to Umbria.Sophia di Luca cooks brilliantly and expects to take over the trattoria from Elena one day.But instead it is charismatic, unpredictable Giorgio Capaldi who has inherited it and nowarrives from Rome to run it.While Sophia and Giorgio clash, the town falls under Nazi occupation. And when no oneknows who to trust, it is Casa Maria that becomes the centre for secrets, dangerouspassions and ultimately betrayal.‘A wonderful, joyous book, which really spoke to me about the indomitability of the humanspirit.’ Elizabeth EnfieldPraise for Annabelle Thorpe: ‘Unputdownable!’ Claire Dyer, author of The Last Day ‘A pacy, engaging tale of human weakness and of passion so overwhelming it can make fools of us all’ Daily Express

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