3.8 Stars 

One Liner: Time-traveled to Venice in the late 1950s

Flora and Jack finally arrived in Venice for their belated honeymoon. Jack is determined that nothing will come in the way of their time together. However, they find out that the hotel’s receptionist, Franco (whom they saw arguing with someone), was found dead, floating face down in the Grand Canal. Flora is itching to know more, but not Jack! 

Then comes another mystery of missing things and people – a large painting and a housekeeper. Are the cases connected? What’s happening in Venice? With Flora determined to find the truth, Jack knows he has to do his bit to solve the crimes. He can only hope their sleuthing doesn’t put their lives at risk… again! 

The story comes in Flora and Jack’s third-person POVs. 

 My Thoughts:

This is the eleventh book in the series and should work as a standalone, though it’ll help to read a couple of previous ones to get an idea about the sleuthing couple. 

I wish the official blurbs weren’t so detailed or elaborate. We don’t need to know that much before starting a mystery. I say, read the first paragraph and leave the other two. 

This was an interesting book. Firstly, the lead pair is on their honeymoon, a delayed one, too! Naturally, Jack doesn’t want to go around sleuthing and flirting with danger. I admit to empathizing with him more, though he doesn’t hesitate when the time comes. 

I normally like Flora's attitude. Her desire for justice is noteworthy, and she’s got the brain for it. Even her hunches tend to be correct most of the time. However, she managed to annoy me a few times here. No point putting herself in danger and then worrying about it, right? She does it more than once, and I wondered why her character is becoming so desperate to solve a case. It was the same in the last book too, if I remember right. Some sort of identity crisis, maybe? She needs a full-time job now that her shop has an assistant. 

The mysteries are quite good! There are quite a few twists and turns as new information is revealed, and it’s hard to determine who speaks the truth. 

Of course, we get a tour of Venice, but from 1959, so it’s more beautiful, less crowded, and has an old-world charm. Though the city has signs of war and destruction, it is relatively less polluted. 

And yes, there’s loads of food too. As Jack says, why go to Italy if you don’t enjoy food? Though I’m sad they skipped dessert a few times after the meals. How could you do that? Dessert is compulsory! 

The book ends with a potential lead for the next one. There’s a mysterious new entry in Abbeymead, and people are gossiping about him. How is he? Maybe we’ll know in book #12! 

To summarize, The Venice Murders is an entertaining read set in a beautiful city. While it does feel a bit formulaic, it is still a decent addition to the series. 

Thank you, Sarah, NetGalley, and Bookouture, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. 

#NetGalley