Daniel Leicester
3 total works
'There are two major stars in this book, the laconic private eye Daniel Leicester and the city of Bologna itself. Tom Benjamin mixes these ingredients perfectly making Italian Rules a really great read.' Ian Moore, author of DEATH AND CROISSANTS
'Italian Rules is a fabulously sophisticated and classy mystery with an utterly gripping plot' Victoria Dowd
When Hollywood comes to Bologna, La Dolce Vita turns sweet murder...
A famous Hollywood director arrives in Bologna to remake a cult film and the city's renown cinema archive decides to mark the occasion with a screening of the original, only to discover it has disappeared.
After English detective Daniel Leicester follows the trail of Love on a Razorblade to an apparent murder-suicide, he begins to suspect there may be more at stake than missing negatives - could the film contain a clue to one of the city's most enduring mysteries? Together with a star from the forthcoming remake, Daniel moves from the glamour of Venice Lido to the depths of Bologna's secret tunnel system as a sinister network closes in and he learns some people are ready to kill for the ultimate director's cut.
Praise for Italian Rules
' Benjamin skilfully combines a cracking crime novel with a love letter to Italian cinema . . . Italian Rules is an absolute treat' Trevor Wood
Praise for Tom Benjamin
'The locale is brought to life . . . the plot keeps you guessing' The Times
'A slow-burning, tense and brooding thriller' The Herald Scotland
'Tom Benjamin's debut novel blows the lid off a political cauldron in which Leftist agitators, property moguls, the police and city elders struggle for survival and dominance' Daily Mail
'It's an immensely promising debut, which leaves the reader feeling they really know the city.' Morning Star
'Another great crime novel set in Bologna' Reader Review
'The mystery smolders away nicely and the wrap-up throws some curve balls. Another indulgent offering in this rewarding series.' Reader Review
When Daniel Leicester goes in search of his late wife's missing bicycle in the oppressive heat of a Bologna summer, he is transported to her final days. But as unfinished business bleeds - quite literally - into the present, Daniel begins to suspect Lucia's accidental death may not have been an accident after all.
With characters ranging from the Bologna branch of Italy's Right and Acknowledged Masons to an activist group trashing tourist lets, Tom Benjamin takes the reader on another colourful excursion to one of Italy's most mysterious locations as the English detective and his partner Dolores Pugliese go after the truth, and a trace of justice, in a changing city.
Praise for Tom Benjamin
' Bologna is perfectly captured, the crime plot is fresh and intriguing, and the characterisation remains spot on. I found myself totally immersed and swept through this stunner of a story in 24 hours. Highly, highly recommend' Philippa East
'An atmospheric, intelligent crime novel that is an intricate portrait of the heart of Bologna. Beautiful, gripping, and very clever' Victoria Dowd
'A brilliant, involving crime novel' Louise Hare
'Clever and beautifully written... his best yet' Louise Fein
'The locale is brought to life . . . the plot keeps you guessing' The Times
'A slow-burning, tense and brooding thriller' The Herald Scotland
'Tom Benjamin's debut novel blows the lid off a political cauldron in which Leftist agitators, property moguls, the police and city elders struggle for survival and dominance' Daily Mail
'It's an immensely promising debut, which leaves the reader feeling they really know the city.' Morning Star
'Another great crime novel set in Bologna' Reader Review
'The mystery smolders away nicely and the wrap-up throws some curve balls. Another indulgent offering in this rewarding series.' Reader Review
'Benjamin's latest captivating mystery will keep the reader hooked to the very last page while also bringing the city of Bologna to fascinating life. Bravo!'
Camilla Trinchieri, author of Murder in Chianti
'Excellent! This time, English detective Daniel Leicester takes us on a hairpin ride through the glamorous, perilous world of Formula One. An absorbing portrayal of what happens when wealth, rivalry and corruption collide, this is a compelling read from a writer who knows Italy inside out and is at the top of his game.'
Eleni Kyriacou, author of The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou, selected for BBC 2 Between the Covers Book Club 2023
'Raced through this latest in the fab crime series featuring English 'tec Dan Leicester. Set in the murky world of Formula 1, this souped-up thriller should ensure that Tom Benjamin takes his rightful place at the front of the crime-writing grid' Trevor Wood
When an old man makes a bequest to investigate the mysterious death of his son, English detective Daniel Leicester follows a trail leading to one of Bologna's wealthiest families - makers of some of the world's most coveted supercars. He soon discovers that beneath the glitz and glamour of the Formula One circuit lurk certain people, with sinister interests, who may just be prepared to kill to keep their secrets. Time and tide wait for no man - or woman - and while biology obliges one of Faidate Investigations' team to finally undergo a long-delayed operation, history catches up with another. Shadowing a suspect along one of Bologna's blood-red porticoes or mixing with the glitterati in the paddock at Imola, the English detective comes to learn in Italy the past not only has a long tail, but its sting can be deadly.
Praise for Italian Rules
'There are two major stars in this book, the laconic private eye Daniel Leicester and the city of Bologna itself. Tom Benjamin mixes these ingredients perfectly making Italian Rules a really great read.' Ian Moore, author of DEATH AND CROISSANTS
' Benjamin skilfully combines a cracking crime novel with a love letter to Italian cinema . . . Italian Rules is an absolute treat' Trevor Wood
Praise for Tom Benjamin
"Tom Benjamin does it again! Last Testament in Bologna is another brilliantly-immersive crime mystery, seeped in the culture and scenery of Italy, that leads you through a compellingly-twisty plot balanced with authentic and heartfelt characterisation, and unspools to a perfectly satisfying conclusion." Philippa East
'The locale is brought to life . . . the plot keeps you guessing' The Times
'A slow-burning, tense and brooding thriller' The Herald Scotland
'Tom Benjamin's debut novel blows the lid off a political cauldron in which Leftist agitators, property moguls, the police and city elders struggle for survival and dominance' Daily Mail
'It's an immensely promising debut, which leaves the reader feeling they really know the city.' Morning Star
'Another great crime novel set in Bologna' Reader Review
'The mystery smolders away nicely and the wrap-up throws some curve balls. Another indulgent offering in this rewarding series.' Reader Review