An Ocean Between

Michael Preston is blessed. He's the handsome CEO of a large banking firm in Los Angeles, lives in a beautiful home on Malibu Beach, and is married to his stunning wife Christie, loved by all. Returning home one day, he discovers his wife has been brutally raped and murdered. Rage and despair force him to find the culprit. Police claim they discovered the perpetrator burned to death in a shack close by. But was he really the murderer?
Following weeks of soul searching, Michael's mother convinces him to move and start a new life in Portofino, Italy where he still owns a large schooner, willed to him by his late father. Michael's cousin Dalton, a good-looking charmer and near-to-well playboy, also lives in Portofino in his mother's villa overlooking the Port. He has carried a jealous crutch for Michael since childhood. His one desire is to have Michael's life and all that goes with it, including Michael's wife.
Destiny brings a young Monica Bracknell to have a chance encounter with Michael's mother, Sue, while sitting on the Malibu beach as she mourns the sudden, tragic death of her husband. They become friends. Upon hearing Monica's story, Sue plots. Successfully sending Monica for a needed getaway to Portofino, Monica finds herself in the grip of Dalton's charms until meeting Michael. Passion and discovery bring a whole tryst light. In a tryst of passion, murder, rape and jealousy, the reader travels from the beaches of Malibu to the exclusive resort of Portofino, Italy in a suspenseful read till the end.

Francesca Knittel Bowyer is the only daughter of two-time Academy Award-winning actress Luise Rainer, who won back-to-back Oscars® for The Great Ziegfeld (1936) and The Good Earth (1937), and her father, well known publisher Robert Knittel, son of Swiss novelist John Knittel. She attended The Spence School in New York City, The Royal Ballet School in Great Britain, The French Lycée in London, Cours Maintenon in France, and Queen's College in Westminster. She learned to speak French, Italian, German and Spanish. Francesca worked her way through the worlds of fashion and literature. Francesca's father introduced her to famous authors including Sidney Sheldon, Ian Fleming, and Alexander Solzhenitsyn. He encouraged Francesca, recognizing her talent as an author, which elevated her confidence and self-esteem to establish herself as a writer. Her first job as assistant beauty editor for Harper's Bazaar in London started her career as a freelance journalist for many years, achieving success in the publishing field. Bowyer's first book, a memoir, "Seen From The Wings, Luise Rainer, My Mother, The Journey", received a multitude of glowing reviews, including praise from author Kitty Kelly, spurring her on to continue writing.