Novels

The Englishman of Monti Sibillini - Plot Summary

Warning: Spoilers

 

The novel is set mainly in and around the small town of Amandola in Le Marche, Italy. The story revolves around Max Cilenti, an Italian American actor filming a food related travel program as his movie work begins to dry up; Daniel, a reclusive Englishman who now lives in a remote farmhouse outside of Amandola; and Ann-Marie Tiler, who travels to the area after watching Max's tv show.

The novel starts with a prologue which describes the area, and the first glimpse of 'The Englishman' as he goes about his quiet lifestyle. The first act covers Max and his small production team filming various scenes for his upcoming travelogue, interacting with locals, eating the wonderful local produce and enjoying the scenery. Max becomes a little despondent after the filming of one segment, and infers that he is worried that the format is tired and uninspired, something he is worried reflects himself and his career. As Max agrees to continue the schedules shoots, he becomes fixated on meeting 'The Englishman' when a couple of local Amandolesi refer to him in passing. Max convinces local guide Gianni to contact 'The Englishman', Daniel, to request a meeting, which Daniel eventually agrees to. The initial meeting goes well, with Daniel overcoming any feelings of discomfort, and further invites Max to his house for dinner later that day. Again, the interaction between Max and Daniel is cordial, they learn about each others lives, and Daniel confesses that he now lives a reclusive life in the mountains because of suspicions about the deaths of his wife and his mother in quick succession back in England, although Max decides not to push for more detail, choosing instead to focus on the interesting new angle which could reinvigorate his show. Impressed with Daniel's cooking and general lifestyle, Max asks Daniel if he would like to appear in Max's program. Daniel declines, but eventually agrees that while his story can be told, Max must not reveal his name, or any footage which personally identifies Daniel, to which Max agrees.

In the second act, Ann-Marie Tiler arrives in Le Marche and is being driven to Amandola, explaining to the driver that she was inspired by Max's tv show and wanted to visit the area. Her true intentions are to try to meet Daniel, for no other reason than having been taken by the seemingly carefree and simple lifestyle it described, something Ann-Marie longs for after a turbulent period in her personal life. Ann-Marie hangs around the various bars and cafes featured on Max's show, in the hope that one of the workers there will help her come into contact with the elusive 'Englishman', but finds that they are not as forthcoming as she hoped. Ann-Marie spends her days visiting places of interest in the region, as though a regular tourist, until a cafe worker she recognises from the tv show deduces her true motives, and agrees to contact Daniel to see if he is amenable to meeting Ann-Marie. Daniel agrees although is non-committal as to when, leaving Ann-Marie unsure as to whether it will happen at all, so continues on with her planned sight-seeing. Daniel eventually turns up to meet Ann-Marie and the two get on well, so much so that Daniel almost immediately offers to show Ann-Marie his house in the mountains. Ann-Marie shows some reservations about going somewhere so remote with him, but a female cafe worker who overhears the conversation indicates to Ann-Marie that she is safe. 

Act three covers Ann-Marie and Daniel spending time together and Daniel discussing much about what his life there is like, with Ann-Marie becoming more and more inspired and intrigued, although seems to struggle internally to decide whether it is genuine or just some sort of silly romanticism of a tv dream. On a hike up to a remote beauty spot, Daniel discloses his plans to start a business or at least live sustainably by planting various crops, mainly olive trees along the side of the mountain, and Ann-Marie finds herself overexcitedly offering to help, despite remaining cautious and wary of being so alone and cut off with a man she does not know, especially after Daniel also discloses to her that his wife died suddenly. Ann-Marie's suggestion that they work together causes Daniel to retract somewhat, respectfully suggesting that he prefers to not risk the life he has built for himself by inviting someone else in, although he is also now grappling with internal emotions, having realised that he is getting feelings for Ann-Marie, feeling things he has perhaps not experienced since his wife passed away. The two enjoy a picnic of local foods at the remote spot, but as Ann-Marie goes to find a private area in the woods to relieve herself, she is startled when she see's a collection of bones, and believes they are human remains. Daniel hears her screams and soon appears, but is quickly dismissive and passes them off as probably a sheep carcass, despite there being none in the immediate area.

A few days later, back in England, Eva Bailey, Ann-Marie's best friend who has been in contact with Ann-Marie throughout her trip, goes to the police station to report Ann-Marie missing, as she did not arrive home on her planned flight. The case is taken by DI Sam Gerrard, assisted by Sgt Ros Colton. They listen to Eva's story and, although concerned and taking it seriously, explain that cases such as this usually result in the missing person turning up, and having just wanted some fun and time away to pursue their holiday romance. Eva is unconvinced by this, and reveals that Ann-Marie has been struggling with her mental health following the break-up with an abusive ex-boyfriend. Gerrard and Colton begin the complicated process of an international missing persons case, which is not helped when they find Max's production team in America uncooperative in helping them establish who Daniel is, and where he lives. Using information from Ann-Marie's messages to Eva during her stay in Amandola, Gerrard arranges for a local Detective, Musella, to visit Daniel at his home. Musella questions Daniel about his time with Ann-Marie, but finds nothing suspicious either at the property or in Daniel's answers and mannerisms. Daniel simply explains that he and Ann-Marie had a nice time together, nothing notable happened, that she had left his place the night before her flight home was due, and that she had taken his bicycle to ride back down the mountain to her accommodation in Amandola. Daniel confesses to Musella that he was relieved she had left. Satisfied with his initial story, Musella leaves Daniel's house to report back to Gerrard and conduct further investigations, but as he is travelling the same road to town, he notices a disturbed section of shrubbery at the side of the road on a bend, and stops his car to investigate. Musella peers over the edge of the steep drop, and sees the mangled remains of a bicycle, fitting the description Daniel had given him of the one Ann-Marie had taken.

Back in England, Gerrard and Colton break the news to Eva and Ann-Marie's mother, Margaret, and later confirm that the body of a woman fitting Ann-Marie's description was found dead near the bicycle. After Ann-Marie's funeral, Eva and Colton discuss what likely happened, with Colton explaining there is no suggestion that Daniel had anything to do with Ann-Marie's death, that it was likely an accident due to her unfamiliarity with the mountain roads, it was dark, she ad drank some wine, and possibly distracted by happy thoughts of the time she had spent with Daniel, the latter of which seems to give Eva some much needed comfort.

The novel ends with another glimpse of Daniel going about his daily routine on the edge of the mountain, watched by a group of locals, one of whom comments to the others that the rumour is that Daniel murdered his wife, although this does not seem to concern the locals.

The epilogue describes Daniel finding a remote spot on the mountain, constructing a 'Swedish Torch' fire, and weeping as he burns a set of women's clothes in the fire. 

 

Altercations with the Syndicate of Initiative - Plot Summary

Warning: Spoilers

 

The novel follows the intertwined lives of several characters as they navigate the dangerous and complex world of the Syndicate of Initiative, a criminal organization with far-reaching influence.

The story begins with Helen, who is bleeding to death from a stab wound in her home, the unidentified assailant waits with her, comforting her as she passes from her injuries. Helen’s brother, Raymond Burgess, a businessman with ties to the Syndicate, is devastated by her death, realising that it was carried out as retaliation for his attempts to break ties with the Syndicate and turn police informant. Seeking revenge, Burgess coerces Matthew Thatcher, a man with no previous involvement in this world, into working for him by revealing that he has arranged the kidnapping of Matthew’s wife, Jennifer. Matthew initially scoffs at the idea of helping Burgess, saying that he will simply go to the police as any normal person would do, but Burgess shows Matthew a video of Jennifer being held captive, with Jennifer herself addressing Matthew and urging him to help Burgess.

Around the same time, Lewis Parker, an exiled Syndicate enforcer returns to the country and meets up with a high-ranking Syndicate member, Ben, who explains that ‘the Burgess Situation’ is getting out of control, that Burgess’s sister Helen has been murdered by a Syndicate member called Henry, at which Lewis displays surprise, and that Lewis has been brought back to find out what intel Burgess has passed to the police, but also potentially kill him, though he should take his time going to Burgess’s house and await further instruction. Also, two of the founding members of the Syndicate, Serge and Marc-Andre Courtier arrive in the country from France, but make no attempt to hide their arrival, knowing that their passports are ‘tagged’ and the police will be alerted to their presence. Regardless of the potential heat, the French brothers attend the torture and murder of a policeman, Derek Redman, who had been working undercover in the Syndicate.

Shortly after Redman’s murder, the Detective leading the investigation into Syndicate activities, Greg Andrews, visits Serge and Marc-Andre at one of their legitimate businesses. They meet cordially and respectfully, with Andrews admitting that he obviously didn’t have anything concrete on them at that moment, but that he would be watching, and Serge accepting that to be true. The men remain polite until Andrews gets a message informing him of Redman’s death, and immediately cites the timing of the brothers visit to be too coincidental to not be linked, but the Courtier’s remain confident Andrews does not have any evidence to prove this.

Burgess decides to pair Matthew with Sophie, a young woman who has recently become involved with Jamie Hurst, a foot soldier within the Syndicate but who has taken Burgess’s side in his feud with the group. The pair are dispatched, at Burgess’s direction but under Jamie’s supervision, to go to the police under the premise of having information regarding the murder of Redman, with Burgess reasoning that as Matthew and Sophie are relatively unknown to the police, they will be treated with less suspicion by the police, although Jamie rather suspiciously says two things in quick succession which Matthew fails to pick up on, one being that he has previously met Jennifer, and also that is Brookes asks Matthew how he has information about Syndicate business, that he should simply confirm his name. The meeting between the policeman who goes to meet Matthew and Sophie, Sgt Craig Brookes, goes badly, with Matthew becoming overwhelmed by the situation and leaving, and Jamie inexplicably going rogue, taking out some frustrations at Brookes involvement in Syndicate affairs by tying Brookes at gunpoint to a chair, luring Brookes teenage daughter to the meeting using Brookes’ own phone, and brutally raping her in front of him.

As Lewis makes his long trip to Burgess’s house he makes various stops at places from his past before he was exiled. He emotionally recalls falling in love with a girl named Anna, but was forced to abandon her without explanation when a botched Syndicate job meant he had to leave the country immediately and without trace, with the Syndicate handlers having vowed that they’d look after Anna in his absence.   

At a casino restaurant, a number of Syndicate members gather to discuss the ongoing events, one of whom, an American named Garvin, drunkenly tells the story of how the Syndicate of Initiative started in Paris some years before. Garvin laments how it seems that the Syndicate causes people to do things they wouldn’t consider themselves capable of doing, causing one of the other party, Henry, to believe it is a sideways dig at him, and fires back with an inference that perhaps Lewis has returned to kill Garvin, as it was Garvin who had been assigned to take care of Anna. Garvin takes offense, stating that he did take care of her, but Henry scoffs and wonders out loud if Lewis would agree with him, leaving a tense atmosphere around the table.

News of the incident between Jamie, Brookes and his daughter reaches Andrews, who is distraught at this latest shocking turn of events, reasoning that fighting between Syndicate members, and even with the police is one thing, but when innocent people such as Brookes daughter are involved, enough is enough. Andrews visits Burgess, who immediately and freely explains that while he did dispatch the team to meet with Brookes, it was never his intention or instruction for Jamie to do what he did. Andrews believes Burgess, especially as Burgess gives Andrews information on where he can find Sophie and Jamie, as well as Matthew, although Burgess notes that Matthew was not involved in the Brookes incident, having left beforehand, and not having resurfaced since.

Serge and Marc-Andre meet with Garvin and Henry near a remote farmhouse used as a front for their business, the tension between the two men from the casino still palpable. Serge gives a full update on recent events, including Jamie’s attack of Brookes and his daughter, which causes unease. Serge advises that, as a result, Lewis now has the go ahead to assassinate Burgess, including the blessing from Andrews himself who, Serge infers, is so horrified at the whole situation that he will neither prevent nor investigate Burgess’s impending death.

Elsewhere, using the information gathered from Burgess, Andrews visits Sophie at her flat. She tries to play it cool at first, but Andrews is in no mood for games and speaks openly and bluntly about what he knows. He explains that he is disgusted that she was present during the rape of Brookes daughter and, as a woman, did nothing to help or prevent it, but also knows that as she has no previous criminal record, she is unlikely to get into any serious trouble, but only if she agrees to help him locate Jamie, who has since gone to ground. Sophie, quickly realising she is out of her depth, agrees, and takes Andrews steer on a plan. Sophie meets up with Jamie who does not suspect she has been compromised, and on the premise of potentially assassinating Serge and Marc-Andre, they follow the French brothers to the same warehouse where Redman was killed, with Jamie admitting he was involved in that murder. Sophie follows Serge and Marc-Andre into the warehouse, followed shortly thereafter by Jamie, but as Jamie tries to find Sophie, the lights go out and the warehouse shutters come crashing down, plunging the room into darkness. Jamie is disoriented, and when bright lights are switched on and his vision clears, he sees Craig Brookes standing in front of him, pointing a gun. Jamie, realising this is deserved and expected for his actions, releases his own weapon without a struggle and smiles as he awaits his fate at Brookes’ hand. Outside, Sophie gets into a car with Serge and Marc-Andre, with Serge confirming that Jamie will soon be dead, and that Sophie will just go back to her old, vanilla life.

Andrews next visit is to Matthew at his home. Much like with Sophie, Andrews does not beat about the bush with Matthew, and expresses his anger at Matthew’s reporting of Jen’s disappearance to the police, but not Jamie’s actions of which he was fully aware. Matthew protests, citing his wife’s kidnapping as being the cause of his erratic actions, but Andrews is again dismissive, now sick of people’s inability to take accountability for themselves. Andrews again suggests that as Matthew has not done enough wrong to warrant arrest, he can help himself by going back to Burgess to get a full explanation of what’s really been going on, inferring that Burgess will be more helpful this time around.  

By the time Matthew gets to Burgess’s house, Lewis has also made his way there to carry out the execution of Burgess. Matthew demands that Burgess tell him where Jen is, and what’s going one, stating that Andrews told him Burgess would be more amenable to answering his question, but Burgess annoys Matthew by again being flippant and procrastinating. Before Burgess can give Matthew an explanation, Lewis bursts in and holds both Burgess and Matthew at gunpoint. Lewis demands that Burgess tell him what information he has passed to the police, but is surprised that Burgess seems unconcerned despite the gun pointed at him, with Burgess almost daring Lewis to shoot. As confusion causes Lewis to hesitate, a woman appears at the door, whom Matthew recognises as Jen, and Lewis recognises as Anna. The woman impassively fatally shoots Lewis, then calmly makes a phone call to an unknown person to confirm that Lewis is dead. Once the dust has settled, Jen and Burgess explain to Matthew that she is a high-ranking member of the Syndicate. It had been Jen’s idea to have Matthew believe she had been kidnapped in order to help the situation, but she expresses disappointment in Matthew’s indecisive behaviour and lack of fight.

Henry drives to a bench on a seafront promenade where he finds Burgess sitting alone. Despite the fact that Burgess should have been executed by Lewis, Henry does not take the opportunity to finish the job and instead sits next to him. The two men talk affably, but both lament the recent events, with Burgess expressing the most concern over the death of Helen and his awareness that it was Henry who killed her. Henry explains that he had no choice, that once the order had been given, it was inevitable and that he wanted to make sure it was done as sympathetically as possible, as Henry is also the sibling of Helen, and Burgess.

The epilogue re-covers the scene where Jen/Anna kills Lewis, but from Lewis’s internal perspective, showing his shock and confusion at seeing Anna again, and finding comfort in her face being the last thing he sees before he dies.