Taut mystery set in Venice

13th August 2019

Venetian Blood by Christine Evelyn Volker, taut mystery set in Venice.

“Venice… consisted  of communal living in a maze of little alleys..”

As her marriage is virtually at an end, Anna Lucia Lottol has come to Venice for a bit of diversion and TLC, and to spend time with her friend Margo. She has been struggling for some time with a great deal of loss and death in her life (particularly the passing of her beloved grandparents) and now her marriage is perhaps just the tip of the iceberg.

As she arrives in Venice at Santa Lucia Station, she is immediately picked up by the police. She matches the description of a woman leaving a murder scene….

Count Sergio Corrin, banker, philanthropist and man about town (as well as money launderer, it seems) was attending a masked ball to raise funds for the twice stolen painting by Giovanni Bellini…and the perpetrator stabbed him to death there and then. Anna has to keep her counsel, as, just a few months ago, she had a brief affair with him. She worries that if she admits to this, she will appear as the woman spurned and perhaps be perceived as having a motive for bringing about his death. Had she known, however, what a reprobate he actually was, she would in all likelihood have given him a wide berth. Hindsight is a great thing.

And quite how above board is Count Corrin’s boutique investment bank, Banco Saturno, investing funds for the rich and famous?

Keeping her cards close to her chest, she needs to unravel the mystery of his death so she can save her own skin. She calls on help from her office back in the States as she is a US Treasury official. However there are forces at work that want to prevent her uncovering anything

The depiction of Venice in this novel is a wonderful example of literary wanderlust, the feeling of the lagoon city – often quite other-worldly – is colourfully and eerily rendered. The text is peppered with Italian which gives the whole narrative a really authentic feel and of course there is a chapter set at Caffè Florian, THE cafe of Venice. The author’s knowledge of Venice is palpable. She also has an engaging writing style that maintains a good pace. So if you love Venice, then transport yourself to the city via top fiction!

FANCY WINNING A COPY?

We are running a giveaway and 10 copies (5 paper and 5 digital) are up for grabs. ENTER HERE by 24 August 2019.

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