Murder in Venice

I enjoyed reading this book. It had a good story to it. I liked the variety of characters in it. It is my first book read by this author. I hope to read more books by this author.

Murder in Venice is a good mystery with interesting characters. The book was entertaining and I would read more by this author.

I chose this book to review primarily because of its setting, and also because I love historical murder mysteries. So this book looked to be right up my alley…and it was.

The author’s descriptions of Venice made me feel as if I were there, feeling the cold wet of a Venetian winter, but also enjoying the occasional clear beautiful sunny day and the magnificent churches and palaces of Venice. I also enjoyed the descriptions of the somewhat decaying Venetian society of the time (after new trade routes eliminated Venice’s position - and wealth - as the trade capital of the world), which seem quite consistent with a couple of non-fiction histories of Venice that I have read. I am a big fan of having a good setting for a mystery, and Murder in Venice delivered.

I also appreciate a good plot, and again Murder in Venice came through, with a solid storyline, with enough red herrings to keep things interesting, but also a satisfying conclusion. It kept me engaged, and I read the entire book in two or three sittings.

I only had two minor issues with the book. First, there is a small smidge of “supernatural” in the plot (I struggle how to put this) which wasn’t too intrusive. However, I really dislike supernatural elements, unless the story is intended to be a fantasy or sci-fi tale, and I thought the plot could have worked just fine without it. So it was almost worse IMO to have an unnecessary supernatural intrusion pop up. Of course, YMMV, and most folks probably won’t be bothered at all. The second issue I had was with some of the dialog, which seemed a bit stilted at times – of course, since all we have are written records of this time, no recordings, there isn’t really much way to know how people really talked then, but somehow every now and then, I just noticed that things seemed a bit awkward. Again, YMMV, and it wasn’t even close to enough to ruin my overall enjoyment of the title.

All-in-all, I very much enjoyed this book, and will definitely look for more titles from this author.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this title from the publisher and Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. Also, please note that for me, four stars is a really good ranking. I reserve five stars for a very few absolute favorite perfect books; probably no more than one in twenty or thirty books that I read gets a five-star ranking.

This ARC was courtesy of Netgalley - all thoughts and opinions are mine and unbiased

I love the setting - Venice is one of my favourite cities and it was one of the reasons I wanted to read it

Well written, evocative descriptions bring Venice vividly to life.

The story and characters were great - lots of twists and turns - I couldn't put this down

I really enjoyed this and look forward to reading more from this author

I great read - highly recommend

After reading this book, I definitely want to go to Venice. This book describes all the feels of a good mystery. I was intrigued by the description and it didn't disappoint.

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an ok book but nothing special.
I have read many books of this genre and this didn’t have anything to make it stand out
The characters were difficult to connect with and the writing style was confusing at times

This isn’t my first choice of reading material but being set in Venice I thought I would give it a go. I have to say I really enjoyed it. The descriptive writing and interesting characters made this a good murder mystery. I shall be looking for more books by this author.

Unfortunately this is not a book that I would recommend. I found it hard to maintain concentration, however it may be suitable for readers with other tastes.

2.5
This was very much a middle of the road murder mystery I'm afraid. I'm not sure if it was the translation but I found the dialogue between the characters quite wooden and unnatural, even the friendly interactions between long time friends seemed too formal. The characters themselves seemed quite undeveloped and there is one scene where 2 side characters are just talking about 2 of the main characters and their history. It was very tell rather than show in parts. Also there is instalove of the most instant sort. One minute the character is a mourning widower the next he's head over heals with someone he has exchanged a few sentence with and heard some nice things about (again tell not show).
The historical detail and descriptions of Venice were interesting and the mystery itself was enough to keep me reading. There was some rep that I didn't agree with which soured things a bit for me but I suppose it fit with the thinking of the time.

1752 Venice and early one morning the body of Marino Barbaro, a poor noble, is found by worker Maso. High Magistrate (avogadore) Marco Pisani, is given the case to investigate. He has help from his friend Zen Daniele, lawyer, and his gondolier Nani. Their help will be needed when another body is discovered, killed in the same way. But what is the motive behind these killings and will there be more.
An enjoyable and interesting mystery story.

Murder in Venice is a first-rate mystery with the added bonus of a beautiful and intriguing setting. In 1752 Venice is beginning to see its decline as the center of international shipping. As the city and its residents adapt to this economic and social shift, Marco Pisani finds himself embroiled in a murder mystery. As an avogadore (a high magistrate) and member of a wealthy Venetian family, he is in a position to investigate, along with the help of his gondolier, Nani, and his good friend, Daniele. In due time, he meets an enchanting business woman, Chiara Renier and uncovers a sordid and complicated set of crimes.

The characters are interesting and varied, the plot is well-done and has some unexpected twists, and the setting is breathtaking. I so enjoyed the step back in time to a Venice filled with beauty and energy. The author’s descriptions of this magnificent city and her inhabitants enriches the story and makes it come to life. More than once I found myself looking up locations on the map so I could better understand the movements of the characters and appreciate the city itself.

Murder in Venice is the first book in a series and has been translated from Italian. It is a well-written and descriptive mystery, with good characters, and an excellent plot. The translation is very seamless and it is not at all obvious that the story was first written in a different language.

This book is definitely 4.5 stars for me. I am hopeful that the other books in this series will also be translated into English. Otherwise, I might just have to take a crash course in Italian in order to enjoy the rest of the Venice Mysteries.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

This murder mystery is set in the reign of Doge Francesco Loredan of Venice. We follow magistrate Marco Pisani as he investigates a series of brutal murders - what is the link between the victims, and will he solve the mystery before the death toll rises.

I enjoyed this cosy mystery set in Venice in the 1750s - its great to read mysteries set in more exotic places far from the picturesque English countryside or mean streets of America.

What I could take or leave was the "abilities" of Chiara Renier, the main female character and the relationship between Chiara and Marco - it felt a bit out of character for Marco. As this is the first in a series of four books, I felt this could have been explored over the course of the series. However, others may feel differently - and it doesn't really detract from the enjoyment of the book.

Murder in Venice was an enjoyable afternoon's escapism and I am looking forward to reading the rest in the series!

Murder in Venice is a historical fiction novel set in picturesque Venice in the 1750s. It revolves around a murder investigation carried out by Marco Pisani, who is an avagadore (high magistrate of Venice).

When an apprentice stumbles upon a dead body on the streets on his way to work early one morning, Marco is called in to prepare the trial and prosecution charges. The dead man, Barbaro is an impoverished noble.
What at first seems to be an open and shut case of a robbery that has gone badly turns into something else when two more bodies are found. With the invaluable aid of his lawyer friend Zen, his resourceful gondolier, Nani and the beautiful Chiara, Marco sets out to uncover the truth.

As Marco works to solve the mystery, we are able to see his exceptional thoroughness and his remarkable dedication to his job. What he discovers challenges the very core of his beliefs and eventually he finds himself torn between his duties as an avagadore and his sense of morality.

This book is the first in a series. It was originally written in Italian. The author gives us a glimpse into the lives of the Venetian people during the 1750s. Venice is no longer the center of commerce that it used to be. As a result, many nobles who relied on trade with the Orient for their livelihood find themselves without the trade interests that sustained them.

The author develops the story against this background. She demonstrates to us how the fortunes of the people have declined. Venice is a city that was once a ‘world leader in civilization and wealth’ but whose citizens now live in abject poverty.

I liked the vivid description of Venice at the time. I was transported into the lives of the people and got a good understanding of issues like the place of women in society and the power of the noble families.

The story is well-paced and interesting and kept me engaged until the end. It was easy to read and follow, and I loved the ending. I rate it 4 out of 5 and recommend it to anyone who loves mysteries and historical fiction.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I tried to read this book. I really dod. But even though it offered an intriguing look at the lives of Venetians in a time other than the Renaissance, it got bogged down in details early on and never quite broke away into a mystery I cared to solve. There was a great deal of "tell" and explanation instead of "show" and action. If you like that, and are curious about the inner workings of the zotalian government in the 1700s, perhaps you will enjoy this book. I just didn't find the characters believable or the story intriguing. Perhaps I will pick it up and try again another time.

This was a very good murder mystery. The author’s descriptions of Venice made me feel as though I were there and could experience everything. The characters were likeable and realistic, the plot very good.
Many thanks to Amazon Publishing UK and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Murder in Venice is a well written murder mystery set in 18th century Venice.
Avogadore Maro Pisano solves a series of murders together with a couple of interesting sidekicks amongst whom his good friend Zen and his Gondolier Nani.

The plot of this murder mystery is well developed but that wasn't why I found the book so interesting. The very knowledgeable way the author writes about 18th century Venice and made the Palladio villa's along the Brenta come to life before your eyes is what makes this book really interesting. I've stayed in Venice for a couple of weeks and it was like seeing the city again, but than two hundred years before.

An excellent read. definitely 4 stars
I want to thank Amazon Publishing UK and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Murder in Venice was an enjoyable escape to a more exotic area of the world. The first in a new series, I look forward to reading the next instalment.

I love Donna Leon’s Venice novels so this appealed to me. I loved it. Compelling and unputdownable. If you love international mysteries give this one a try.

I received an e-copy of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

In Venice 1752, a man is found murdered in an alley. The man who found the corpse is held accountable and High Magistrate Marco Pisani decides that he must investigate to save an innocent man. When two more bodies are discovered, Pisani knows things have to be brought to an end and quickly. Unfortunately, Pisani soon realizes that the victims might not have been as innocent as everyone claims they were, and his whole world of justice must be re-examined.

I really wanted to like this book, because I normally love historical fiction, but I just couldn't. There was the whole romance between Pisani and Chiara that I just felt wasn't necessary. I understand trying to make the characters more relatable but it felt like adding a piece to the story that was filler, if nothing else. Plus her abilities really didn't help the story along. So I wish there was more investigating then there was romance.

I also wasn't impressed with the lack of action. I have read hundreds of mystery novels and I know that there are explanations and paperwork galore. But this crime was more story telling than it was fact searching. It was witness after witness of stories but no actual discovering of evidence. I also felt Pisani started out saying he wanted to investigate, but then sent others in his stead. Maybe if the reader had followed those characters instead of Pisani's ridiculous romantic life, the novel might have been saved.

Overall I rate the novel 2 out of 5 stars.

I have loved mysteries set in Italy for years, however, this one just didn't seem to resonate with me. I couldn't connect with the characters. It have been related to the time period difference (1750s) but just didn't like it.