Psychological thriller set in Berlin
GIVEAWAY – 10 copies of Venetian Blood by Christine Evelyn Volker! (5 paper / 5 audible)
11th August 2019
What a wonderful giveaway we have for you this week!!!
We have 10 copies (5 paper / 5 audible) of Venetian Blood (Murder in a Sensuous City) by Christine Evelyn Volker. Love a bit of a murder mystery set in the Lagoon City? Then this is for you!
Struggling to forget a crumbling marriage, Anna Lucia Lottol comes to Venice to visit an old friend, but instead of finding solace, she is dragged into a police station and accused of murdering a money-laundering count with whom she had a brief affair. In the days that follow, Anna, a US Treasury officer with brains and athleticism, fights to clear her name in a seductive city of watery illusions. But as she tries to pry clues from a cast of uncooperative characters, who implausibly deny what she sees and hears, she begins to question whether they are hiding something or she is losing touch with reality. Racing to unlock secrets, she unleashes a powerful foe bent on destroying her. Will she save herself and vanquish her enemies, including her darkest fears? Venetian Blood is the story of one woman’s brave quest for the truth – before it’s too late.
Venetian Blood won the 2017 Sarton Women’s Book Award in Contemporary Fiction.
How to Enter:
Let’s talk VENICE! Share your top tips for Venice or tell us what you would love to see in the city! Gondolas, St Mark’s Square, the Doge’s Palace, Murano…? And have you been following the debate on the cruise ships that are allowed to travel through the Lagoon… they are causing so much damage to the infrastructure. Thoughts? Author David Hewson (who always has a strong setting for his novels) shares his #toptip for the city and suggests a visit to Frary’s, which has a wonderful backstory and is particularly great if you want something other than pizza/pasta. And according to him the Nani Moncegi is THE place for your bellinis and negrois!
Chat Venice with us – IN THE COMMENTS BELOW – by midnight, UK time on Saturday, 24th August and the first 5 names out of the hat will be sent paper copies, the second 5 will be sent audible. It’s open INTERNATIONALLY.
This really is a great giveaway!
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If you ever get a chance, stay at the rialto hotel. You will be steps away from the rialto bridge and also 10 steps away from the vaparetto stop. This saves you dragging your luggage through venices streets to your hotel. Feb during carnivale and dinner in -2 was fantastic and best time to go. An opera is a must.
One Venetian ritual of mine, practised for years with (then sans) 30+ university students, begins on the pre-dawn power walking to the Fondamente Nove, where the December sky & pinkish Dolomites in the distance set the mood for the trip to the islands’ medieval and early Christian churches on Murano and Torcello. It’s safe to say that none of the students really saw it coming, never mind how annoyed they were to have interrupted any hangovers on a cold possibly windy winter morning. Espresso was administered as required. We were alone on Torcello. (My first trip there featured a Locanda Cipriani lunch at their last day of service in October -1989?-, after which we feasted at a nonna’s home, black squid & polenta. We were also alone that day.) I love the smell of the air in autumn and winter, and though not of Venice born, have been suddenly confronted with massive involuntary Proustian recollections when I get a whiff of that mixure of water, stone, flora, marsh, lagoon.
Venice is a lovely place, but do break away from the super tourist spots and wander around a bit. The number of tourists can be overwhelming sometimes!
If you are visiting Venice and planning to have a meal there, I’d definitely recommend the pasta cooked in the squid ink – the dish is divine!
Visit the other islands in the Lagoon and take a boatride to the Lido if you find the crowds overwhelming. This gives you some time to escape and then leaves you refreshed to return to Venice
I think if I went to Venice I would want to explore the back streets and small cafés, I’ve heard that the main attractions are seriously overcrowded but that most tourists don’t venture away from the main streets so it’s relatively easy to avoid the crowds. I applaud the decision to stop the cruise ships from stopping there.
The architecture for certain!!
I haven’t visited Venice yet but would love to travel around the city by boat!
Re the cruise ships, I do think they cause a lot of damage environmentally & the cruise ship passengers often don’t spend much in Venice as all their meals & drinks are free on board.
The same thing happens in Dubrovnik, hoardes of cruise ship passengers descend on the city so that it is teeming with people, then around 5pm the city empties out again!
Having said that, I would like to try a cruise one day!
My tip is go in the winter when there are less tourists and more romantic misty mornings and evenings. Take warm clothes though to keep out the chill. It can get pretty cold there. The book looks good. Donna Leon also writes great detective stories set in Venice.
St Mark’s Square and the Doge’s Palace were superb,well worth the visit.
I do honestly think the cruise ships should not go down the main canal to Venice. They must be damaging the structures of the buildings.
Venice is the most amazing place I have ever visited. I think everyone should visit at least once in their lifetime. It’s an experience from the minute you get of the plane, you are straight on to a boat speeding you to the heart of the city and from then on it is just a fantastic experience.
Watching the Italian team playing in the World Cup on television–or rather, watching people watching the game–at a cafe in a square one night in Venice had to be the highlight of my time there.
My top tip: If you want to see St Mark’s cathedral, don’t go on a guided tour or pay for the expensive “skip the line” tours where you will shuffle around in a big queue in the dark, go to a service instead. We went to the 8 am Sunday morning service and the lights were on the whoke time so we could see the fabulous gold mosaics in all their glory.
Would enjoy this brilliant story
Love Venice especially in Autumn when it’s less crowded and the canals don’t smell.
Love to see St Marks Square
I would love to visit Venice and see all the beautiful places. I’ve always wanted to ride in a gondola too.
I missed out on Venice many decades ago while doing the Interrail thing..there was torrential rain changing stations and went on to Florence instead! Always a regret how silly this then 20 yr old was but Firenze was fabulous! I now greedily read books set in Venice
Visited Venice once and loved walking off the beaten track to find some wonderful views. However, a drink in St Mark’s square is expensive but wonderful for a rest to people watch.
Venice is top priority on my wish list
Would love to experience real ‘Italian’ food. Sounds a beautiful place, never been but on my bucket list!
Venice is a gem, but you really have to leave the touristy spots. Throw away the map, and head in a direction. You really can’t get lost as towers (especially the ‘leaning tower’) guide your way, and there are discoveries to be made. Why wade through crowds when you can have La Serenissima as it is meant to be- old, atmospheric, magical.
Venice is one of the most beautiful places I’ve seen although I didnt go on a gondola they were a must see as well as the river taxis and the beautiful architecture
Never been to Venice. Would love to see everything!
just visited Venice a lovely place ,gondolas by the score.the cruise ships dock a far way away from the centre. would love to read the book it sounds exciting
My daughter visited Venice last year and her photos are wonderful, I must make time for a visit soon!
I visited when I was just out of high school and went backpacking through Europe and Asia. Venice was lovely and the food was excellent. I was there in the late fall and I’m not sure if it’s a seasonal thing or what but it smelled really bad. My friend and I washed our clothes there in the hostel sink and on the train on the way out we played “what’s that smell?” and it was our clothes! We had to rewash them at the next stop.
The gondolas of course.
Visited Venice in the 1960’s – i.e. a very long time ago. I remember visiting the Murano glass factory, Also remember having a very expensive cup of coffee in St Mark’s Square listening to the band on our last night. Also visited the hospital because my friend had her foot run over by a Coco-cola cart! Would love to go back one day.
Yes please, I would love a copy. I visited Venice in 2011 and found it such an enchanting place. I fell in love with Venetian masks and still collect them now. A good tip is not to go on the first gondola that you see because they are all priced differently and some are very overpriced.
I have been to Venice twice. Once as a day trip from Croatia and once as part of a rail journey through Italy. It is obviously better to eat in cafes away from the main tourist spots as it can be so expensive. I do not think the huge tourist lines should be allowed to dock in Venice as the lagoons are so special. We travelled in the water taxis which are inexpensive and fun.
how lovely, i’d love to read this, it sounds exciting. Thank you.
Forgot to add paper copy please…as I don’t do audible! Thank you!
respect the historical setting
I have never been to Venice – it always looks so wonderful. And I hate those cruise ships! What’s the point of sitting there enjoying the view when one of those sail into view!!
Get great comfortable shoes, as there will be a lot of walking.
My tips are to visit in low season and to wear comfortable shoes as there is so much to see.
We had our honeymoon in Venice, in a library (Ca’Sagredo) – and for our first anniversary (paper) I phoned the hotel who helped me commission a local artist to make a painting of the room as a present
I love the smell of Venice in the morning – like a cool fragrant beach mixed with the twang of fresh fruit and veg being sailed into the city. Such a sensory place to stay
My last exchange student is from just outside Venice. When I visit, I’ll have my own personal tour guide!
Take out a loan as apparently it’s extortionate!
I have never been there, yet another place on my bucket list.
I’d love a paper copy of this book, it sounds great x