A torn diary. A coded message. A truth buried beneath centuries of silence. The Amalfi Secret an International Crime Thriller by Dean and Catherine Reineking Book Tour with Guest Post and Author Q&A

For readers who enjoy immersive mysteries set in evocative locations, The Amalfi Secret by Dean and Catherine Reineking offers an unforgettable mix of family intrigue, history, and high-stakes suspense.

When Gabe Roslo arrives in Amalfi, Italy, expecting a warm reunion with his grandparents, tragedy shatters his plans—his grandfather is dead, leaving behind a mysterious diary filled with cryptic codes and half-told stories. What begins as a personal quest for answers soon escalates into a dangerous pursuit across Italy and beyond. Partnering with Anna, a sharp and resourceful Roman local, Gabe unravels clues that lead deep into a web of deception linking the past to the present. With each revelation, they find themselves entangled in a conspiracy that reaches powerful international players and hidden corridors of influence. As secrets surface and loyalties are tested, Gabe must confront not only the mystery surrounding his grandfather’s death but also the moral price of truth itself.

Dean and Catherine Reineking are a husband-and-wife writing team whose partnership reflects a lifetime of creativity and curiosity. Dean spent over 30 years as an investment and financial consultant before turning his focus to storytelling, while Catherine, a retired creative writing teacher and counselor, brings psychological depth and emotional nuance to their work. United by their love of travel, history, and character-driven suspense, the Reinekings have explored stories and cultures around the world. They now write full-time from Memphis, Tennessee, when not managing their small family resort near Glacier National Park. Visit their website to learn more about their books and adventures.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/46QlGGb

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/238969332-the-amalfi-secret

Excerpt:

1

Post-September 11, 2001

The lone fisherman realized the time was approaching. It was nearly eleven o’clock. Pulling his woolen cap down against the chill of the autumn night, he chuckled as he mused about the interesting character who’d approached him at the docks that afternoon. 

Who am I to ask questions? he thought. After all, he’d been pulling in only small catches lately. Seemed like an awfully simple, if mildly inconvenient, task for the amount of cash the stranger had offered.

As he maneuvered his small, wooden rig along the coastline, the lights of the Amalfi Hotel emerged from the blackness. He guided his boat into position and scanned his surroundings. No one else was fishing the waters below the hotel. He was alone.

When he cut the engine, he could see a party in progress on one of the balconies. It appeared to be in full swing with loud, raucous voices. He unfolded his fishing net and hoped they’d be too drunk to notice him.

He checked his watch again and surveyed the rest of the hotel. Many of the windows were already dark. A lone person was standing on the balcony one floor above the party. He was leaning on the banister and watching the boisterous activity below.

The fisherman continued to unfold his net as he awaited the exact moment. Suddenly, he heard a woman shout above the din.

“Look! Look out there!”

“Where?” the others questioned as they crowded the balcony rail.

“Right there!” said a redhead who pointed in his direction. “Can you see him? Check it out; he looks like something straight out of Old Man and the Sea. Wave and see if you can get his attention.”

The fisherman tried to ignore them.

Three floors above the party, another man stood hidden in the shadows. He’d been there for the better part of an hour.

“Come to bed, John,” his wife whispered sleepily. “We might as well try to get some rest despite the noise.” Francesca Roslo was already in bed and felt very tired.

The man stepped in from the balcony. “They’re just having a little fun, the excitement of a big trip and all. Just imagine if we were that young again. We certainly wouldn’t be thinking about sleep right now.” His soothing words masked his apprehension. He knew the time was close. He stepped back out on the balcony and ducked into the shadows to watch the activity below.

More partygoers had gathered along the rail to catch a glimpse of the fisherman untangling his nets. One of them, a skinny teenager, climbed up on the stone ledge and nearly lost his balance. The fisherman heard a collective gasp as an older gentleman pulled him back from the edge.

The fisherman acted as if he hadn’t noticed and checked his watch again. It was time. He laid down his nets and picked up a flashlight. He pointed it up toward the hotel windows and flashed it not once, not twice, but three distinct times.

A cheer went up from the balcony. “He sees us!” the redhead shouted, followed by congratulatory backslaps all around.

The man in the shadows had also seen the three flashes. Concerned, John Roslo stepped back inside his hotel room. He walked to the bed and sat beside his wife, gently stroking her face.

“Fran, I know you’re tired, but I’m not ready for bed. It’s a beautiful night. I’m going to take a stroll down to the water.”

“Please don’t be out too late, dear,” she pleaded. “It’s been a long day, and we both need some sleep.”

“You go ahead and sleep. I’ll join you when I get back from my walk.”

He bent down, whispered a few words in her ear, and kissed her on the cheek. Comforted, she rolled over and exhaled a deep sigh.

Roslo straightened himself and crossed the room to the bureau where he kept his attaché case. He quietly unlocked it and pulled out an old journal. He slipped the journal into the breast pocket of his jacket and relocked the case. He paused a moment and heard Francesca’s breathing slow to a rhythmic pattern. She was already asleep. Everything was ready.

He tiptoed to the door, turned off the light, and stepped into the dimly lit corridor. A figure emerged from the shadows as he turned to lock the door. Before Roslo could react, the sting of a needle pierced the side of his neck. In an instant, the stranger vanished up the staircase.

Panicked, John Roslo grasped the door handle, re-entered his room, and stumbled into the bathroom. He closed the door behind him. As tremendous pressure squeezed his chest, a distinct numbness traveled through his body. He splashed water on his face, then doubled over as he felt his throat constrict.

Roslo grabbed his journal but was already losing his fine motor skills. The journal crashed to the floor. He realized what was happening and struggled to fight the leaden feeling that crept into his right arm.

I haven’t much time, he thought as he gasped for breath. With great effort, he raised his hand to the mirror. As he groped for the hot water knob, the paralysis reached his heart. The last thing he saw was his own contorted face in the mirror.

In the bedroom, Francesca slept peacefully, lulled by the sounds of the sea. Hours later, she rolled over in the early morning chill and reached for the familiar warmth of the man she had loved for sixty years. But he wasn’t there.

Two floors below, Gabe Roslo had finally entered deep sleep after tossing and turning for most of the night. The party on the balcony below had wound down, and the only sound was the pulse of the sea. A nearly full moon cast a glow on the wall and added to the serenity.

Gabe had arrived the previous evening at the invitation of his grandparents, John and Francesca Roslo. He hadn’t seen them in over a year and looked forward to this reunion in Italy. As a Canadian climbing guide, Gabe also anticipated the challenging peaks Italy would provide. During the long twenty-two-hour journey from western Canada, warm memories of his youth had filtered through his mind. He loved his grandparents, especially his grandfather, who had been like a father to him. 

Suddenly, the phone rang, tearing him from his sleep. Gabe squinted as he picked up his watch from the bedside table—5:45. It must be a mistake, he thought. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and reached for the phone. 

“Gabe, it’s me, Gram. Please come quickly. Something’s wrong with your grandfather. I think he’s…” Unable to finish her words, she broke into sobs.

“I’ll be right there.”

Gabe jumped from the bed. He grabbed an old T-shirt, stumbled into a pair of sweatpants, and ran for the stairs. In seconds, he was in their room, 

Guest Post:

Exploring the Real Places That Inspired My Novel 

We had a blast exploring the Amalfi coast. First off, renting a car in Naples and squeezing between two converging buses started us off on an adrenaline-fueled adventure. We proceeded to get lost off the A1 in the small town of Angri that happened to be experiencing a garbage strike. We did eventually see the A1, but from atop a goat path that crossed over it. Once back on the highway, we entered the scenic, yet perilous coastal road that snakes along to Amalfi. We spent two trips, and several days soaking up the local flavor and sights. We like to tell stories to one another. Catherine always has an imaginative explanation for anything we see and that kicked into overdrive with all the amazing people and scenes in and around Amalfi. We stayed in a small hotel on a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean Sea for a week and wrote significant portions of the plotline for our story. We took our car in search of the castle ruins above Amalfi and stumbled onto a village literally at the end of the road where we found a restaurant on the cliff 2000 feet above the sea. During our meal, as the sun set, an old man came out on his terrace and played “O sole mio,” which is a Neapolitan phrase for “My sunshine,” on an accordion. It doesn’t get better than that. These experiences gave us all of the elements for great scene setups and set the backdrop for this fast-paced thriller.

 Amalfi’s amazing history added to the storyline. The Amalfi coast has a rich and storied past, from Roman ruins on Capri, to the Basilica of St. Andrew in Amalfi, to the shipyards in the portside town of Salerno. A trip up the hill in Amalfi gave us the idea for our final scene in that town as we discovered an old paper mill built above the Canneto River that runs below ground thru Amalfi. The crypt in St. Andrew’s, which holds his remains, along with the basilica church above holds treasures in history as well as nooks and elevations that allowed for action packed scenes. Combined with our experiences in Rome over several trips, the story unfolded as we wrote. We believe many authors have this experience, and it makes storytelling exciting as even the authors are discovering the thrill of a good mystery in progress.

One reader suggested a themed tour where we take readers and retrace the footsteps of Gabe and Anna in The Amalfi Secret…sounds like fun as we are always up for the adventure. Dean won’t be driving though!

Q&A

Writing Process & Creativity

How did you research your book?

Our story is set against the historical events of the early 21st century (think 9/11 forward), and it’s blended with ancient prophecies, spiritual mysteries, and present-day politics. Naturally, we dug into history, the foundational elements of the prophetic and spiritual mysteries, as well as the politics and organizations that could be pulling the strings. 

What’s the hardest scene or character you wrote—and why?

The story reaches a crescendo in a scene set in a hidden, underwater grotto. All the key players are there, and it reveals some startling realities both about the story and the world as we know it. Striking the right tone and balance in this scene took tremendous effort, editing and revising. And when they found themselves trapped inside, we had a lot of working parts to contend with in order to solve their predicament.   

Where do you get your ideas?

Many of our ideas come from our travels and love of history. We have spent a lot of time in Italy, primarily in Rome and along the Amalfi Coast. Enjoying the vistas and nooks and crannies of those places inspired story line and scene setups. We also loosely based some of our characters upon fascinating people we have encountered in our travels.

What sets your book apart from others in your genre?

Our story is a great page turner, which is not unique to the genre. But within that fictional story is another story. It’s the story or our time, and the readers are bound to see the world in a different light. It’s both provocative and informative. And at the end of the day, it’s a really great story.

What helps you overcome writer’s block?

Dean: I talk to my wife, Catherine. She’s incredibly imaginative and every time the story needed further development, she brilliantly comes up with the trajectory for its next stage of development.

What’s your favorite compliment you’ve received as a writer? 

Regarding The Amalfi Secret, one professional review described it “as cinematic as it is cerebral.” We thought that captured the story and our writing perfectly, and we were very honored.

Your Writing Life

Do you write every day? What’s your schedule?

Dean and Catherine truly collaborate every step of the way. Catherine is the imaginative one. She’s great at generating story ideas and plotlines. Dean is the logical one. He’s great at organizing the story board and keeping the facts straight as the story unfolds. Dean does much of the actual writing. Catherine then reads it and embellishes it with her flair, always an improvement. They like to discuss the story in the morning. That tends to be Catherine's “best time of day” and then Dean writes for three to five hours. This is often followed up with bicycle riding, which affords more time to think about the story and where it’s headed next.

Where do you write—home, coffee shop, train?.

Anywhere. We love the coffee shops. But also home and our apartment on the Mississippi River.

Behind the Book

Why did you choose this setting/topic?

We chose the setting because we loved the Amalfi Coast. We chose the topic because we had something to say about modern times and where people seek truth and the story gave it a voice.

If your book became a movie, who would star in it?

Perhaps Glen Powell or Austin Butler to play Gabe Roslo, our lead character protagonist. We envision someone like Matt Damon when he did the Bourne series.

Perhaps Adria Arjona to play Anna Castriotti. We envision someone like Penelope Cruz, but younger, to play Gabe’s smart and beautiful Italian counter part

Fun & Lighthearted Qs

What’s your go-to comfort food?

Dean: chocolate, especially Snickers

Catherine: Tex Mex, anytime, any day, anyplace

What are you binge-watching right now?

Dean: Frasier, never gets old, always hilarious

Catherine: Just finished Beecham House first season…bummed to hear there wasn’t going to be a second. Any British period pieces get a watch from me.

If you could time-travel, where would you go?

Dean: I’d go to post-war Britain and sit down with Winston Churchill while he wrote his chronicle of WWII. We’d drink whiskey, smoke cigars, and I’d hang on every fascinating story he recalled from his experiences.

Catherine: I’d go back to the 1800’s and live in a small village in Italy.  This presumes I’d speak Italian, which I don’t. We stayed in a small villa with our family on the Amalfi coast a few years ago, walked to town for bread and fresh fruits and vegetables. We swam in the sea, hung our clothes out to dry, and I thought at the time that I would have loved to live there back in the day.

What three books would you bring to a desert island?

Catherine:

Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

Love Does by Bob Goff

The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis

Dean:

A Soldier of The Great War by Mark Helprin (for drama)

Sein Language by Jerry Seinfeld (for humor)

D-Day by Stephen E Ambrose (for history)

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