Under The Blazing Sun- Blog Tour

 

Author: Jenny Lund Madsen

Publisher: Orenda Books 

Publishing Date: 21st May 2026 

Many thanks to the publishing team and Random Things Tours for my physical copy of the book and a spot on the tour

Blurb 

Hannah is miserable. Her love life is in ruins, her contract demands a sequel to her bestselling crime debut―and she’s out of ideas. After a mortifying TV interview, her agent ships her off to a sun-drenched Sicilian villa with a simple order: finish the book. No distractions. No excuses.

But inspiration doesn’t strike―murder does.

When a night out ends in murder, Hannah finds herself at the centre of a murder investigation… again. The police want her out of the way, and the only person who seems to believe her is a young but charming Italian police officer. That is, until she doesn’t.

Soon Hannah is chasing suspects, fleeing crime scenes, and doing whatever it takes to avoid becoming the next victim. She came to write a crime novel. Now she’s trapped inside one.

My Thoughts 

Under the Blazing Sun is the second novel in the award-winning series featuring literary author Hannah, whose search for the perfect plot twist has a habit of turning into a real-life mystery.

Hannah's career is hanging by a thread. Her relationship has fallen apart, her creativity has dried up, and the deadline for the sequel to her bestselling crime novel is fast approaching. Desperate for results, her agent sends her to Sicily, hoping a change of scenery will reignite her imagination.

But Sicily has other plans.

When Hannah becomes entangled in a real-life murder investigation, fiction and reality begin to blur. Suddenly, she's no longer writing about crime—she's living it. As bodies pile up and danger closes in, Hannah finds herself racing through winding streets, uncovering secrets, evading suspicion, and following a trail of clues that someone is willing to kill to protect.

With the police on her heels and a killer watching her every move, Hannah must solve the mystery before she becomes the next chapter in a deadly story.

Cleverly plotted and packed with twists, this slow-burning thriller took a little time to find its footing, but once it did, I was completely engrossed. The suspense steadily builds throughout the story, reaching a gripping climax that had me on the edge of my seat, desperately turning the pages to discover what would happen to Hannah.

The Sicilian setting adds another layer of tension to the novel. As a stranger in an unfamiliar place, Hannah's sense of isolation is amplified, and every person she meets and every situation she encounters feels tinged with uncertainty. 

Jenny captures both the beauty and the darker history of Sicily, weaving in references to the island's Mafia past while also highlighting the warmth and generosity of its people. Yet, just like Hannah, I was never quite sure who could be trusted. Was their kindness genuine, or was it part of a more sinister game? That lingering doubt creates an atmosphere of unease that persists throughout the novel.

This was an absolutely fantastic read. Packed with suspense, intrigue, and unexpected twists, it kept me hooked from beginning to end.

If you enjoy dark, atmospheric thrillers with a strong sense of place, compelling characters, and a mystery that keeps you guessing, then this is definitely a book for you.