Bad Influence

Jinx Sullivan should be enjoying a peaceful retirement in the Cotswolds -but peace has never really been her style. As a child prisoner of war in Japanese-occupied Singapore, Jinx witnessed unspeakable horrors, then faced prejudice and poverty as a refugee in post-war Britain, before life took an unexpected turn under the questionable mentorship of Penny Williamson-social worker and WW2 spy. Jinx and Penny teamed up for a series of dangerous adventures, which saw them dodging the CIA in 50s Florence and plotting heists in swinging London. Their partnership went up in smoke in the 60s, but Penny's bad influence lingered on.

Now 89, Jinx craves one last escapade. She's determined to return to Florence in search of hidden treasure. The problem? She can only get there on a coach trip, with the village gossips and her angry teenage helper Thea in tow. What's more, Jinx must navigate not just Italy, but a tangle of loose ends she'd rather ignore. She must deal with old grievances and long-hidden secrets (and bodies). But perhaps there's a final chance at redemption too (if the carabinieri don't get to her first).

Bad Influence is a story of friendship, betrayal, and the power of facing the past-no matter how much it wants to stay buried.

Bad Influence is another entertaining, intriguing and sometimes poignant adventure peopled by unforgettable characters whose lives we see over the course of many decades. The moral of this novel is, never make the mistake of underestimating a pensioner! Jill Mansell

C.J. Wray is a pseudonym of bestselling author Chris Manby. Writing under several names, she is the author of more than 40 books. She's written features (and obituaries) for several national papers and had a long-running column in The Independent Online. More recently, she has worked as a ghostwriter, helping a variety of people from WW2 veterans to soap stars to tell their true stories.

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