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The Venetian Masquerade

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About this listen

'An irresistible concoction of crime and culture' Daily Mail

A game of blackmail and betrayal is played among the backstreets and canals of Venice . . .

Carnevale is in full swing, the streets and waterways of Venice are crowded with masked revellers and Nathan Sutherland's birthday is about to be ruined.

A night at the opera at La Fenice is always a memorable experience - and this time it will be so for all the wrong reasons as the curtain call is interrupted by a fatal stabbing. But why is the dead man carrying one of Nathan's business cards in his wallet?

The mystery of the murdered stranger takes Nathan on the trail of a lost opera by Monteverdi. But what begins as a harmless treasure hunt leads to ruthless criminals asking the highest of prices for the lost score... and then a second body is found in the sanctuary of Venice's English church.

The quest for the lost manuscript will bring Nathan back to the stage of La Fenice, where a final confrontation has deadly consequences...

©2019 Philip Gwynne Jones (P)2019 Hachette Audio UK Amateur Sleuths Cosy Crime Thrillers Fiction International Mystery & Crime Mystery Thriller Thriller & Suspense Crime Italy Opera Detective

Critic reviews

Praise for Philip Gwynne Jones: "An unputdownable thriller." (Gregory Dowling)

"Superb - always gripping, beautifully constructed and vivid." (Stephen Glover)

"Clever and great fun." (The Times)
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Just finished listening to this excellent story from the talented Mr Gwynne Jones and I was sorry to leave a foggy and mysterious Venice when it ended. I was walking down that dead end street with Nathan and I could see that masked man behind every pillar. Atmospheric, good characters, kept me interested to the end, not once did I hit the forward button.

Escape to a foggy Venice

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For once I enjoyed the narrator and Venice locations were as always enjoyable. I now want to get his other books.

Light-hearted crime romp through Venice

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A good story was spoilt by repeated mispronounciation of Italian words. Incorrect emphasis on not just venetian placenames eg "Procuratie" and products eg "Cynar", but even common italian words such as "soliti". Surely the audio cld have been run past the author or an editor prior to broadcasting to enable corrections ti be made. Very amateurish.

Mispronounciation of Italian words

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I have really enjoyed these books and have listened to them all so far, January 2023. The central characters Nathan and Federica and lovely supporting ones become familiar and welcome as the series progresses. There are plenty of murders but each book has a lighter feel than in the equally great Donna Leon Brunetti series. You will gather that I love Venice and stories set there. Plenty of description of that magical city in both series of books. Also the narration is very good.

Really enjoyed

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the plot felt a little drawn out, however the descriptions of Venice and food plus the wonderful Italian narration made the book for me. I would recommend on those points alone.

fabulous narrator

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