Author: whatcathyreadnext

Book Review: Venetian Blood by Christine Evelyn Volker

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Venetian BloodAbout the Book

Struggling to forget a crumbling marriage, forty-year-old Anna Lucia Lottol comes to Venice to visit an old friend- but instead of finding solace, she is dragged into the police station and accused of murdering a money-laundering count with whom she had a brief affair. A US Treasury officer with brains and athleticism, Anna fights to clear her name in a seductive city full of watery illusions. As she works to pry information from a cast of recalcitrant characters sometimes denying what she sees and hears, she succeeds in unleashing a powerful foe bent on destroying her. Will she save herself and vanquish her enemies, including her darkest fears? A captivating tapestry of murder, betrayal, and family, Venetian Blood is a story of one woman’s brave quest for the truth – before it’s too late.

Format: eBook (345 pp.)           Publisher: She Writes Press
Published: 8th August 2017      Genre: Crime, Mystery

Purchase Links*
Amazon.co.uk ǀ Amazon.com
*links provided for convenience, not as part of any affiliate programme

Find Venetian Blood: Murder in a Sensuous City on Goodreads

My Review

A few months ago I spent two wonderful days in Venice so when I saw this book I was immediately attracted by its setting. Having wandered along some of its streets and beside its canals (staying off the main tourist drag and much quieter once all the cruise ships have departed for the evening), I can certainly understand why the author hit upon Venice as a suitable location for murder!

The atmosphere of this wonderful city is convincingly evoked in Venetian Blood. From its network of narrow streets, punctuated every now and again by small bridges over quiet canals with the occasional gondola passing by, to the hustle and bustle of the main piazzas, to the Grand Canal with its constant stream of vaporettos and ferries, to the faded grandeur of its palazzos and the very different atmosphere of the outlying islands.

In Venetian Blood, the author creates a picture of an insular, closely connected community where just about everyone seems to know everyone else’s goings on, including relationships of a financial and (often illicit) romantic nature – the book’s subtitle Murder in a Sensuous City is well-earned. However this does mean there is only a small cast of characters for the reader to get to know – and suspect!

Initially suspected of the murder of the Count, Anna sets out to clear her name but, as she gets closer to the truth, she finds herself in danger. Furthermore, traumatic memories from her past start to surface, threatening her hold on reality. Soon Anna finds herself in the centre of a complex web of intrigue, wondering who she can really trust.  Everyone from the receptionist of her pensione to her best friend seems a possible threat.

As the book progresses, it becomes clear that the murder of the Count may be rooted in past secrets, family tragedies and a desire for revenge as well as more modern day concerns.  Like the doges of old, Venetians such as Alessandro, descended from the noble families of earlier times, seek to exert power and influence just as eagerly as they seek to restore and preserve ancient Venice. This provides an interesting contrast of past and present, sacred and profane.

The plot of Venetian Blood is as labyrinthine as the back streets of Venice and at points I found myself wishing for a whiteboard like the one used by our heroine, Anna, to map out the financial connections that form part of the story. I will admit to getting slightly lost with the latter – unlike the author, I don’t have a background in international banking! I suspected just about everyone at some point and willingly admit I did not unravel the solution before it was revealed.  The perfect murder mystery then!

If you know Venice and enjoy a deliciously intricate murder mystery, then this is the book for you. I loved spotting places I’d visited and I was thrilled when at one point something happened very near the hotel where I stayed. If you’ve never visited Venice, Venetian Blood would be the perfect introduction to the city – or, even better, the perfect excuse to plan a visit.

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In three words: Atmospheric, suspenseful, mystery

Try something similar…City of Masks by S D Sykes (same location, different century, similar body count – click here to read my review)

ChristineEvelynVolkerAbout the Author

Christine Evelyn Volker became intrigued by foreign cultures at an early age, which motivated her to study Spanish, German, and Italian. After earning an MLS and an MBA, she was drawn to international banking and worked as a senior vice president at a global financial institution. Her career brought her to Italy, where she immersed herself in the language and made frequent visits to Venice. Venetian Blood marks a return to her roots in the humanities. A native New Yorker, she resides with her husband in Northern California. Exploring both tame and wild places around the world, she is currently at work on her second international mystery, this one set in the rainforest of Peru.

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Book Review: A Pearl for my Mistress by Annabel Fielding

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I’m delighted to be taking part in the blog tour for A Pearl for my Mistress by Annabel Fielding and to share my review of this compelling historical novel set in the turbulent years of the 1930s.

APearlForMyMistressAbout the Book

England, 1934. Hester Blake, an ambitious girl from an industrial Northern town, finds a job as a lady’s maid in a small aristocratic household. Despite their impressive title and glorious past, the Fitzmartins are crumbling under the pressures of the new century. And in the cold isolation of these new surroundings, Hester ends up hopelessly besotted with her young mistress, Lady Lucy. Accompanying Lucy on her London Season, Hester is plunged into a heady and decadent world. But hushed whispers of another war swirl beneath the capital… and soon, Hester finds herself the keeper of some of society’s most dangerous secrets…

Format: eBook (384 pp.)                 Publisher: HQ Digital
Published: 9th August 2017            Genre: Historical Fiction

Purchase Links*
Amazon.co.uk ǀ Amazon.com
*links provided for convenience, not as part of any affiliate programme

Find A Pearl for my Mistress on Goodreads

 

My Review

A Pearl for my Mistress is the story of the intense relationship between two women from very different social backgrounds – Lady Lucy Fitzmartin and Hester Blake, her lady’s maid. However, the book also immerses the reader in the turbulent political situation of the 1930s, with the rise of pro-Fascist organisations like that led by Sir Oswald Mosley and other pro-German movements.

Lady Lucy’s life is one of relative privilege but constrained by the social norms of the day and the limitations on her freedom imposed by her parents. She desperately wants to break free of these confines, exert her independence and make a name for herself. Misguided sympathy for the aims of Mosley’s movement and her talent for writing, provide her with the possibility of achieving her ambitions. Lucy has also become adept at listening from the shadows, picking up nuggets of conversation and information. As the story unfolds, the reader sees that her desperation for freedom makes her ripe for manipulation by others who have few qualms about how to achieve their aims. Having started down a path, Lucy finds herself having to face hard and unwelcome moral choices. Indeed, one of the many interesting themes the book explores is what people will do and who and what they will betray in order to protect themselves.

Although Hester does not share her mistress’s political views, her loyalty and love for Lady Lucy find her conflicted, especially when events threaten to come close to home. Having been central to the book initially as her relationship with Lady Lucy develops, Hester does recede into the background in the latter part of the book.

A theme of the book I found really interesting was its exploration of the power of words to inspire, persuade and, yes, even manipulate.

‘Words had colours, even textures, and she could faintly sense it, rolling them around in her thoughts. Some words were soft and languid, like silk. Some clinked, like iron. Some were fresh and crisp, like green apples. It was a trick of which words to use to invoke, for example, elegance and dream, or fire and iron.’

In fact, stories and writing play an important part in the development of the relationship between Lucy and Hester. Having had to keep her writing secret, Lucy finally has someone she can share it with. Lucy’s stories are her gift to Hester and Hester’s appreciation of them is her gift to Lucy.

‘The tale caught her in its grip, like a pot of honey could catch a careless fly. The longer she read, the more she was beguiled by the sweetness of the passages, the lushness of the sentences, the tribulations of the plot. It was as if the mere lines in front of her eyes, black ink on white paper, were transfiguring into something else.’

Later, Lucy’s writing ability becomes a possible route to independence for her but also a valuable asset for those seeking to advance the aims of the National Socialist government in Germany. So, she learns, is her position in society and her ear for gossip and information. The cold, hard truth of the art (science?) of manipulating people in positions of influence is revealed.

“‘What can we give him that he craves? A sense of belonging? A sense of rebellion? A sense of doing justice? A dream of glory? A dream of peace? Protection of his commercial interests on the Continent? It’s important to unearth these needs, these reasons. Then you can do anything.”

The author creates a really believable picture of the period which is clearly based on considerable research. There are walk-on parts for many of the key personalities of the period: politicians, the nobility, society hostesses and diplomats. I found the political machinations behind the scenes and some of the views expressed by those in the pro-Fascist movements positively chilling and, at times, worryingly reminiscent of contemporary debates around discrimination, migration and ‘fake news’.

I really enjoyed A Pearl for my Mistress and thought it a compelling and accomplished debut by a clearly talented author.  I received a review copy courtesy of the author and publishers, HQ Digital, in return for an honest and unbiased review.

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In three words: Compelling, intimate, well-researched

Try something similar…Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

AnnabelFieldingAbout the Author

Annabel Fielding describes herself as ‘a novelist, a history geek and an international woman of mystery’. She has long since pledged her allegiance to travel, tea and books. A Pearl for my Mistress is her debut novel.

Connect with Annabel

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