My latest novel, Concerto, which will be published in August of this year, is set on Lake Como, in the Lombardy region of Italy. There, in a grand Palladian mansion, lives Umberto Monteverdi, a once-great composer who has lost his way since a car accident robbed him of his sight. At the behest of Umberto’s mother, a world-renowned opera singer, music therapist Catriona Drouot comes to Villa Monteverdi to work with Umberto. And from there unfolds a story of intrigue, challenge, danger… and passion.

Why choose Lake Como as the setting for this love story? Well, I knew Concerto must be set in Italy, the birthplace of opera. I set my earlier novel The Echoes of Love in Venice, but I didn’t want the hustle and bustle of a big city in the backdrop for Concerto. This is a novel about such beauty, and the scenery of Lake Como is simply bellisima (beautiful).

Here is Lake Como’s position in Italy. As you can see, it is in the far north, near to the Swiss border.

Umberto’s home is in Torno, on the west side of the lake, which is like an upside-down Y.

Italy has no fewer than 1,500 lakes, but the big three are in the north: Garda, Maggiore and Como. Lake Como is the third largest lake, with some 160 kilometres of shoreline, and it’s one of the deepest lakes in Europe. It is fringed by steep hills and overlooked by the snow-capped Alps. The scenery is nothing short of spectacular: think the bluest of waters, verdant green slopes, colourful villages and flowers of every hue imaginable. Here is a view of the lake towards the mountains:

And here is a glimpse of Torno, with the villas that are typical of the area:

For centuries, the beauty of this lake has drawn artists and writers and musicians, among them the likes of Liszt, Stendhal and Wagner. Percy Shelly, the English Romantic poet, described Lake Como as ‘the most beautiful lake I have ever seen’. American author Mark Twain called the lake a ‘heaven of quiet rest’.

The lake does not only draw poetic souls, however, but also those who can afford an iconic place in this heaven. Political leaders, business moguls, film stars, aristocrats… the très chic and the wealthy – they too have stayed here or bought villas on the lake. Hello magazine called Lake Como ‘the celebrities’ Italian paradise’: Madonna, George Clooney and Donatella Versace are among those who own a home on the lake, whose shores are dotted with impressive mansions and paradisiacal gardens that stretch down to the water.

Here, then, seemed the perfect spot for a famous and hugely successful composer to work on reconnecting with his music – and, of course, for a couple to fall in love.

Poor Umberto, unable to take in the stunning vistas of the lake, and lost in a dark world of bitterness and regret. But with Catriona at his side, will he find a way to step out of the darkness, into the light?