Burton Anderson – författare

Oh, God, what if they''re following me? He turned his head slowly toward the right and moved his eyes to look at the driver of the car on his right. It was a black woman. She did not look his way and looked innocent enough. He breathed slightly and looked to his left. The driver of the car was a white-haired, elderly man. I think it''s okay, he thought. A tractor-trailer suddenly appeared in his rearview mirror. What the hell''s he doing, he asked himself. Are they allowed on the Beltway or not? He was confused and couldn''t think. Just keep driving. Change lanes to see if he''s following, he decided. But seeing the exit to Interstate 66 going toward Manassas, he took the exit. The tractor-trailer stayed on the Beltway headed for Maryland.

Just keep driving, Jamie thought. Maybe just lay low for a couple of days

He drove for an hour, then crossed the Blue Ridge Mountains and started down into the valley toward Interstate 81, which ran all the way through Virginia and into Tennessee. He noticed a black car in his rear-view mirror. It was the kind of car a gangster would use.

When divorce deprives American winemaker Byron Blyseth of his estate in Tuscany, he flees to a nearby island and opens a wine bar called Boccadoro, the nickname given to him because of his "golden palate." He falls in love with Livia, a gorgeous widow and gifted cook who wins the restaurant star status.

To Livia, Boccadoro is a dream come true. But Byron is a reluctant host who prefers sailing, diving, and delving into the legends and myths of an island known as a haven for pirates and other misfits since Etruscan times.

Intrigued by the nighttime cruises of a luxury yacht owned by a sinister lawyer, Byron recruits a trio of local oddballs as fellow sleuths in a daredevil scheme to crack a smuggling ring. But Byron and Livia become targets of mysterious threats and attacks that weave a web of fear around them and turn their island paradise into a nightmare.

Sizzling with the delectable tastes, fun-filled sounds, and vivid sights of the Tuscan islands and brimming with thrills, Boccadoro: The Honorary Pirate is the perfect summer read.