𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑰𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒏 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

George Giles wakes up, disorientated, in a hospital bed in London in 2006. His last memory is of walking down a sandy road in an Italian village along with three other soldiers.

In George Giles mind, he is a twenty-seven year old soldier preparing to return home after Germany’s surrender during World War II.

But his body tells a different story; he is the serial killer Peter Hunter, who until recently was detained at Broadmoor for the criminally insane. Unlike Hunter, George has never killed, nor does he know of the 21st Century. Faced with a London much changed from his memories, George seeks answers from the past and tries to uncover how he is connected to Hunter. His search for the truth takes him to Glasgow where the true connection begins to emerge.

In the words of one review “This book is a beguiling tale, which challenges normal assumptions about time, place and identity, as well as being an adventure story of high quality. It challenges the reader to rethink assumptions about reincarnation and spiritualism and leaves haunting unanswered questions”

Another review stated “John Keeman’s debut novel The Italian Connection is a book about identity, liminality and belief in what we understand to be the truth. I had never really considered the extent to which who we are is determined by events and accidents beyond our control, but Keeman explores the endless possibilities of life, death and cycles of identity that've been the essence of eastern religions for centuries!

Aside from the philosophy, the book is also an adventure and crime story of great quality. You'll find yourself shouting for justice on behalf of the endearing George Giles of both Keeman's fiction and history's reality. The people he encounters and the friends he makes on his journey to find himself are intriguing, intelligent and kind as they assist George's search for justice.” - A Hayden