Annalisse Drury and Alec Zavros seem to have the ideal relationship. Annalisse is Alec’s mother Generosa’s business partner in antiques dealing, Alec is a high-powered sport car mogul. Alec decides to take Annalisse to Bari, Italy to show her his mother’s birthplace and mix in the business of selling his father’s company, Signorile. However, things go horribly awry when a sensationalist newspaper article implicates Alec’s father in an extortion scheme and embezzlement, with ties to the Sicilian mafia. Alec fights to clear his father’s name and sell his international company before this “vacation” comes to a permanent end for them all. 

“Scattered Legacy” got inside my bones and took me on a trip to glorious Italy. The Italian sights and sounds are etched in my heart, and the love for this incredible country echoed throughout the book, even though the trip for Alec and Annalisse was no pleasure. Their lives were in constant danger throughout Italy; they had no idea who to trust outside of each other, Bill Drake (their friend/detective/bodyguard) who travels with them, and two PIs in the US beside the tight inner circle of Generosa and Helga, their long-time housekeeper.  The Italian police in the novel are corrupt and easily bribed, the fear and extensive reach of the Sicilian mob is palpable. It is an exciting, engrossing read, an adrenaline rush with twists, surprises, and the love of domestic cats along the way. Ottimo libro!

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Ewephoric Publishing, and Marlene Bell for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Scattered legacy by Marlene Bell.
Annalisse Series Book 3.
To outsiders, the relationship between Manhattan antiquities assessor Annalisse Drury and sports car magnate Alec Zavos must look carefree and glamorous. In reality, it's a love affair regularly punctuated by treasure hunting, action-packed adventure, and the occasional dead body.When Alec schedules an overseas trip to show Annalisse his mother's birthplace in Bari, Italy, he squeezes in the high-stakes business of divesting his family's international corporation.But things go terribly wrong - and it's personal.Accompanied by friend and detective Bill Drake, Annalisse and Alec find themselves embroiled in a behind-closed-doors conspiracy that threatens the reputation and legacy of Alec's late father - linking him to embezzlement, extortion, and the dirty business of the Sicilian Mafia. When Annalisse discovers the unthinkable, events unfold that will change their futures forever.
A good read with ok characters.  Little slow but readable.  3*.

This is a thoroughly delightful romantic mystery with wonderful characters. The adventures of Annalisse Drury and her love, Alec Zavos, as they venture to Italy to explore the roots of Alec’s family are non-stop. The descriptions of each and every meal will have your stomach growling! This is a series to read! I received an ARC of this book and the opinions expressed are my own.