Thriller set on a remote island in the VENICE LAGOON

18th July 2020

Shooter in the Shadows by David Hewson – thriller set on a remote island in the Venice lagoon.

Tom Honeyman is an author. Each year, in July, he comes to a remote uninhabited island he has bought in the northern Venice lagoon to put the finishing touches to his latest book ahead of the Feste del Redentore (the Feast of the Redeemer) which takes place on the third Saturday of the month. He works flat out for 5 days and then pours himself a large negroni as he watches the firework display across the lagoon.

Tom made his money with just one book. He was working as a reporter on a small town newspaper in New York State when he struck gold. There was a double murder in the town and he wrote the ‘true life’ story of what happened, including naming the murderer. There was instant fame and fortune. Other books followed over the years, but they were all unsuccessful. Nevertheless Tom pretended it would not always be so, and thus headed to his island each July.

There was only one problem with his original book about the double murders. It had been written hastily and sloppily in an effort to get it out there. Short cuts were taken and it was not entirely truthful. The murderer Tom named was not actually the murderer.

‘Someone’ knew this, and was determined for Tom to write a true version of events – whoever it might hurt. This ‘someone’ was hidden on his island waiting for him when he arrived. What followed was a nightmare for Tom. He was fed snippets of information (from a person who very obviously knew details of the case) and was expected to work them into a true version of events. Not that he saw the ‘someone’ – his house on the island was under electronic surveillance and his laptop had been taken over. The snippets of information all came remotely. The ‘someone’ was not alone. He had inveigled Tom’s estranged daughter into accompanying him to the island – and was now holding her hostage to ensure her father’s cooperation in the venture.

Slowly the book comes together, and the truth of the murders is written down. But who is going to benefit from its publication and how?

Shooter in the Shadows is, as you would expect from David Hewson, a very well written, well thought through, and exciting read.

Recommended.

Tony for the TripFiction team

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