‘Old Bones in Puglia’ by Tom Benjamin

Published by Constable,
14 May 2026.
ISBN 978-1-4087-2418-7 (PB)

English born Daniel Leister and his father-in-law, Giovanni Fraidate, head of the Bologna-based family firm of private investigators, travel to the wilds of Puglia for an Easter break. Their destination is the remote town where Daniel’s late wife’s family originated. Giovanni, called even by his family, the Comandante, has requested the trip to visit the dying sister of his late wife who is in hospital in the town. Daniel’s daughter also accompanies them to the hospital and Daniel is struck by the resemblance between Rose and her great aunt. Both are pale skinned with striking red hair in contrast to the rest of the region’s occupants. 

They visit the Palaeolithic Museum and discover that artifacts are going missing and replaced by clever forgeries. The value of the stolen pottery lies not in its monetary value but in its historical origins. The pieces date back to an ancient tribe who inhabited this remote area in pre-Roman times. The original objects could only have been stolen by someone working in the museum. The elderly Professor Malaparte in charge of the museum is keen to buy back the originals and requests the Comandante and Daniel’s help in trying to identify the thief and trace the missing historical treasures. 

Their investigation leads them to a local art teacher, an expert craftsman still using the same clay and traditional techniques, but before they can question him, the man goes missing. Before long, Daniel and the Comandante are drawn into a confusing world of feuding mafia families, revenge, kidnap and murder where no one can be trusted. 

As in all the books in the Daniel Leicester series, ‘Old Bones in Puglia,’ has a complex plot that weaves to a fast and furious finale that keeps the reader turning the page. As always, the characters are well drawn, and this book reveals far more about the Comandante who served as a military police officer in the town many years ago and is forced to face the demons of his past. Tom Benjamin’s greatest skill as a writer is his ability to create an immersive setting. This is a community steeped in the past, where witchcraft, mysticism and superstition are never far from the surface. Even the preparations for Holy Week create an eerie sense of unease and foreboding. 

Although this is the seventh book in this excellent series, it can be read as a standalone.  
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Reviewer: Judith Cranswick

Tom Benjamin started off as a reporter covering crime in North London. After a stint on the nationals, he joined Scotland Yard as one of its famous spokesmen. He went on to pursue a career in international aid before emigrating to Italy, where he credits his language skills on the time he spent working as a bouncer on the door of a homeless canteen. A Quiet Death in Italy, the first in a series featuring Bologna-based gumshoe Daniel Leicester, was published in ebook by Little, Brown in November 2019, and in paperback in May 2020. Book Two in the series, The Hunting Season, will be published in November 2020. 

Judith Cranswick was born and brought up in Norwich. Apart from writing, Judith’s great passions are travel and history. Both have influenced her two series of mystery novels. Tour Manager, Fiona Mason takes coach parties throughout Europe, and historian Aunt Jessica is the guest lecturer accompanying tour groups visiting more exotic destinations aided by her nephew Harry. Her published novels also include several award-winning standalone psychological thrillers. She wrote her first novel (now languishing in the back of a drawer somewhere) when her two children were toddlers, but there was little time for writing when she returned to her teaching career. Now retired, she is able to indulge her love of writing and has begun a life of crime! ‘Writers are told to write what they know about, but I can assure you, I've never committed a murder. I'm an ex-convent school headmistress for goodness sake!’ 

www.judithcranswick.co.uk