The Angels of Venice: a haunting new thriller set in the heart of Italy's most secretive city

In the novel "The Venetian Game," a British art historian is found dead in a flooded antique bookshop in Venice, leading Nathan Sutherland to investigate the Markham Foundation, a charity with powerful friends and enemies. The story is a thrilling blend of art, architecture, and intrigue set in the beautiful city of Venice.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 416 pages
Publication date: 07 February 2023
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group

It is no surprise to find that Philip Gwynne Jones lives in Venice, for art and architecture interweave into a story that builds to an almost surreal climax. The Daily Mail reports that Gwynne Jones' talent for evoking place and atmosphere is clear as ever. The Literary Review praises his "masterful evocation of place and period."

On the night of 12 November 2019, the worst flooding in 50 years hits the city of Venice. 85% of La Serenissima is underwater. Gale force winds roar across the lagoon and along the narrow streets. And the body of Dr Jennifer Whiteread, a young British art historian specialising in the depiction of angels in Venetian painting, is found floating in a flooded antique bookshop on the Street of the Assassins.

As the local police struggle to restore order to a city on its knees, Nathan Sutherland, under pressure from the British Ambassador and distraught relatives, sets out into the dark and rain-swept streets in an attempt to discover the truth behind Whiteread's death. The trail leads to the Markham Foundation, a recent and welcome addition to the list of charities working to preserve the ancient city. Charming, handsome, and very, very rich, Giles Markham is a well-known and popular figure in the highest Venetian social circles, and has the ear of both the Mayor and the Patriarch.

But a man with powerful friends may also have powerful enemies. And Nathan is about to learn that, in Venice at least, angels come in many forms: merciful, fallen, and vengeful.

The Venetian Game is a suspenseful thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very last page. Philip Gwynne Jones has once again proven himself to be a master of the genre, with a story that is both compelling and intricate. The characters are well-developed, and the setting is vividly realised. This is a book that will appeal to fans of mystery and suspense, as well as those who love the beauty and charm of Venice.

Weight: 286g
Dimension: 127 x 197 x 30 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781472134318