In her psychological thriller The Gulf Between, set mainly in 1960s Naples, Dunedin writer Maxine Alterio puts young mother Julia and her two children right in harm's way. The family moves to Naples from the UK when her Italian husband is called back to his family. Once there his personality changes and Julia fears for the safety of her son and daughter. Maxine travelled to Naples in 2017 to research the city, with its Mafia infused history. This is Maxine's third novel and published by Penguin.