Carnival for the Dead

by David Hewson

It's February, and Carnival time in Venice. Bright blue skies and freezing temperatures welcome Teresa Lupo, forensic pathologist to the Rome Questura, to the city. She is greeted off the vaporetto by an anonymous masked man dressed as The Plague Doctor. Teresa has taken time out from her job to find her beloved bohemian aunt Sofia who has mysteriously disappeared. There seem to be no clues as to her whereabouts, but a visit to Sofia's very strange apartment in the Dorsoduro confirms Teresa's suspicions that all is not well. The puzzle deepens when a letter reveals a piece of fiction in which both Sofia and Teresa appear. Even more strange, are the links to Venetian culture which gradually begin to surface. Are the messages being sent by Sofia herself? Her abductor? Or a third party seeking to help her unravel the mystery? The revelation when it comes is as surprising and shocking as Sofia's fate. And Teresa herself comes to depend upon the unravelling of a mystery wrapped deep inside the art and culture of Venice itself. Praise for The Fallen Angel 'Intricately plotted and gorgeously written, THE FALLEN ANGEL weaves a spell that will entrap you until the final page. David Hewson's Rome is dark and tantalizing, seductive and dangerous, a place where present-day crimes ring with the echoes of history' Tess Gerritsen, author of The Killing Place

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Italy, Thriller, Fiction, Audiobook, Suspense

367 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2011

About the author

DAVID HEWSON was born in Yorkshire in 1953. His books range from the Nic Costa series set in Italy to adaptations of The Killing in Copenhagen and the Pieter Vos series in Amsterdam.
He's adapted Shakespeare for Audible and in 2018 won the Audie for best original work for Romeo and Juliet: A Novel, narrated by Richard Armitage.
2019 sees the release of a new, full-cast Audible drama set in New York, Last Seen Wearing, and a standalone novel set in the Faroe Islands, Devil's Fjord.

Series:
Nic Costa

Pieter Vos

The Killing

Reviews

[Alan Cotterell · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 Interesting story.

Full review to follow shortly.

[Bettie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bettie's Books

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hewson exquisitely crafts the characters in Carnival of the Dead with the up-most care making them smartly complimentary to the the city of Venice. Besides the mystery and intrigue, what I found most enduring about the novel was the way in which Hewson captures and conveys the city itself. Venice is undeniably unique and the people, strangely separate from the rest of the country, an island if you will, alone and breathing independently, but begrudgingly dependent at the same time. I can't say with any certainty whether readers who haven't spent time in Venice will be as moved as those who have. However, I devoured every word and description because the honesty and depiction was astonishingly accurate. My favorite stylistic liberty was the resenting undertones by the locals for anything and anyone despite the obviously necessity for their existence to thrive. Any visitor to the city must forgive this harshness and in fact, soon come to accept the eccentricities. Any place else, this would never be tolerated, but in Venice...well, it becomes part of the art, landscape and charm of the place. Where else can it be romantic to beg for service, apologize for disturbing the help to make a purchase and wonder how a city supposedly packed with tourists can virtually become a sinister shadow when the sun goes down? The streets are empty, the stores and restaurants closed, and if you're hoping for a club, well, only the locals know where to go after dark. Venice is a mask and you will likely find yourself chasing shadows around corners, down alleys and landing at dead ends if you try to out smart the city. A map and logic will do you know good, much like in the story. You must simply concede and hope that with some luck, you will discover what you set out to find. Nothing demonstrates this point better than Hewson's insertion of stories as clues by a mysterious friend. At first, it might seem distracting or disjointed, but they serve a purpose in this cat and mouse tale.

[Belinda Vlasbaard · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 sterren - Nederlandse paperback

David Hewson heeft al meer dan twintig thrillers op zijn naam staan en is vooral bekend geworden met zijn serie rond de Romeinse rechercheur Nic Costa. Die ik ook geweldig vindt. Tussen deze serie door, heeft de Engelsman enkele standalones geschreven.

Zo ook dans van de doden, waarin politiepathologe Teresa Lupo, een bijfiguur uit de Nic Costa-serie, de hoofdrol speelt.

Teresa maakt een uitstapje naar het winterse Venetië waar het carnavalsfeest in volle gang is. Het bezoek van Teresa aan de ‘stad van het water’ is niet zonder reden; haar geliefde tante Sofia is spoorloos verdwenen.

Sofia is een excentrieke wereldburger met een ietwat onconventionele manier van leven. Ze verhuist wel vaker onverwachts van de ene stad naar de andere, of zelfs van het ene land naar het andere, maar ditmaal lijkt haar verdwijning niet zomaar een verhuizing te zijn.

Het enige wat Teresa van haar heeft is een uitnodiging om met spoed naar Venetië te komen, en daarbij de sleutels van haar appartement. Daar is het een puinhoop, wat het gevoel versterkt dat er iets niet klopt.

Wanneer Teresa de politie inlicht, krijgt ze weinig sympathie. Haar tante is een volwassen vrouw die er wel vaker tussenuit glipt en bovendien: het is carnaval, dus de politie heeft andere dingen aan het hoofd.

Tussen de rotzooi in het huis vindt Teresa een brief met een verhaal waarin zowel Teresa als Sofia worden genoemd. Tevens bevat het document enkele mysterieuze verwijzingen naar de historische cultuur en bezienswaardigheden van Venetië.

Er volgen meer van dit soort brieven en het verhaal wordt steeds complexer. Heerlijke twist en turns, ik hou ervan om met een notitieboekje erbij te blijven puzzelen naar het hoe en wat.

Teresa vertrouwt het niet en besluit zelf op onderzoek uit te gaan. Daarbij krijgt ze hulp van Sofia'’s buren, uiteindelijk toch de Venetiaanse politie en een oude collega.

Langzaam wordt het raadsel ontrafelt, waarbij de oplossing te vinden is in het verleden van Teresa, Sofia én Venetië...

Heerlijk deze unieke eigen stijl van schrijven. Je moet gewoon met de boot mee bewegen. Het is beslist niet een simpele who-done-it maar het plot zit verweven met enorm veel kunst en cultuur. Zoals het land is ook het boek. Rijk aan historie en drama.

Met beeldende taal is dit een spannend geconstrueerd verhaal dat zich afspeelt in een prachtige stad vol historie, geheimen en culturele trekpleisters. Venetië tijdens carnaval is een ideale setting voor dit verhaal vindt.

De vele toeristische attracties, de Basilica di San Marco en de beroemde Rialtobrug staan in contrast met de donkere, verlaten en vaak doodlopende steegjes. En juist deze nauwe, bochtige straatjes van de stad vormen, samen met het gekostumeerde carnaval, de onderlagen van de plot.

De personen zijn goed gevormd en worden neergezet als echte individuen. Het lijkt wel of er een ontwerp bord op zijn schrijfkamer heeft gehangen met personages en een tijdslijn waar alles aan is opgehangen. Niemand wordt gekarakteriseerd in termen van zwart en wit, waardoor in wezen gaan "leven".

Echter is het verhaal soms net zo'’n wirwar als de straten van Venetië. Je weet geen moment welke kant het opgaat. Dat zorgt voor spanning. Al met al moet je wel goed uitkijken dat je niet verdwaalt in de straten van Venetië en het labyrint dat zich vormt.

Maar voor een krachtige thriller met bijzondere sfeertekeningen, cultuurhistorische achtergronden en levendige personages ben je bij David Hewson aan het juiste adres! Geen 5 sterren omdat de meester van dit genre voor mij Steve Berry blijft.

  

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not part of the Hewson Nic Costa series but with Teresa Lupo a sidequel instead of an installment of the before mentioned series.

Teresa Lupo goes searching for her missing sister in the city of Venice and while doing so she retraces the steps of her sister in the city of Venice while receiving parts of story in installments in envelopes addressed to her person. The character of the Comte the Saint Germain does play a fairly important role in this story in a carnavalesque Venice.

The book is not a thriller as such but also has a fairy-tale like feeling. Hewson proves once again that his Italian stories are very good entertainment and that the Italian mood is well written about by him.

An interesting and entertaining book.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Hewson's Nic Costa series always comes through with an enticing mystery set in atmospheric Italy. In Carnival for the Dead, Nic and his police colleagues are present only in the thoughts of Teresa Lupo, the feisty pathologist who assists on their cases. Teresa's on her own in this outing, in Venice at the behest of her mother, who is worried about Sofia, her sister and Teresa's favorite aunt. Sofia has always led a bohemian sort of life, but now seems to have vanished.

Hewson has set this mystery in the midst of Venice's famed Carnival, and the ambiance couldn't be more unsettling. She is staying at her aunt's disheveled flat, and no sooner has she arrived than a thick manuscript is delivered by a neighbor. She spends the evening reading what appears to be a work of fiction about Sofia, in which Teresa is also a character. When she awakens in the morning, the pages are blank.

This is a tour de force sort of novel of stories within stories. It requires careful reading, because after a while it becomes more and more challenging to separate fact from fiction. Most of the people that Teresa meets on the street are in full costume, and the ominous disguise of the Plague Doctor seems the most common. Hewson does a masterful job invoking the spirit of Carnival Venice, where no one can be taken at face value as they wend their way through the dark maze of calle and canals. The ending is sensational, intricately layered with surprises.

Hewson's best novel yet, in a string of very good novels indeed.

[Clarissa Simmens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never having read the Nic Costa mysteries, I entered the world of Carnival for the Dead, a stand-alone book by David Hewson, with no expectations or prior experience of the characters. Although I later discovered that Teresa Lupo is a minor character in the series, she is a strong female's role model come to literary life.

Many reviews have been written so I will comment about what interested me. Several literary devices are present, unlike what appears in most mystery novels. Notably, the cruise ships that pass by Teresa's apartment seem to serve as a Greek Chorus. This silent gliding, the cause of loud, shaking windows, occurs so frequently throughout the story that it is almost an expression of Teresa Lupo's fears that she will discover her aunt is dead, yet she never descends into negativity--that function is left to the cruise ships—while she positively searches for her missing relative.

At times I felt as if I had moved between a parallel universe since the novel contains mysterious stories anonymously left for Teresa and the crossover into what actually happens. One cannot help wondering if the subtle hints in the story signify the genre of science fiction, horror (can some of the characters be vampires?), or just a good old mystery. There is definitely a mixture of elements but in an intellectual manner, and that is what makes the book unique, to me.

I am reading Hewson's other stand-alone novel, Epiphany, and intend to work my way through his Costa series this coming year. So glad to have discovered his works!

[Sharon M Bressen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carnival for the Dead
By: David Hewson

A copy of this book was received from the Amazon Vine Program.

The novel opens with Teresa Lupo arriving in Venice in the midst of Carnival with her mother who she constantly arguing with over everything. They are there not for the festivities but to investigate the disappearance of her bohemian aunt, Sofia, her mother’s sister, who has mysteriously disappeared. Sofa sent Teresa a letter to say she had to disappear for awhile but did not explain “why”. In her job as a police pathologist, Teresa has assisted in solving crimes in her hometown of Rome. She courageously feels she can find her aunt and be of assistance.

Soon after she arrives at Sofia’s apartment, she starts to receive peculiar communications, in the form of narratives. Some are short but…others are 27 pages in length that feature both Sofia and herself, as well as strangers she comes across in her sojourns through Venice.

This novel is arranged in a layout that is complex, confusing, but clever. It keeps you guessing. As Venice is my favorite city, the description of this magical city adds so much to the story.

The writer takes us on a journey of shadowy, complicated, and convoluted mystery with lots of twists and turns. You have no idea who is behind the events that takes keep us following one clue after another. I love trying to figure out “who done it”.

I did not feel that I should have read the other books in the Nic Costa series to appreciate this novel. This book stands alone by itself.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. I haven't read David Hewson's other books. His Venice is stunning and as important to the story as the characters. Our protagonist, Theresa Lupo, takes a leave of absence from her job as a forensic pathologist in Rome to search for her missing aunt. She dives headlong into her aunt's final days, searching for clues as to her whereabouts. Not long into her investigation, she starts receiving mysterious letters. These letters are fictionalized accounts involving all the people surrounding Theresa's aunt, and her life in Venice. Even Theresa makes an appearance--a pretty significant one at that. Initially, the change between the main story and Theresa's reading of the letters--which play out in the same narrative as the rest of the book--is a little jarring and confusing. The author does his job in alerting you that it will happen, but it was too subtle. Once you understand it, you'll be comfortable with it the rest of the way.

Carnival For the Dead's strongest suit is its ability to keep you guessing. It's not formulaic and it's certainly not predictable. My only complaint is the inclusion of a character who might or might not be real. It was too much of a device, but one that, thankfully, isn't crucial to the main plot. Well, not entirely.

I would recommend this book to thriller fans looking for something different. It has plenty of atmosphere, crisp writing, and interesting characters. I've definitely put David Hewson on my list of 'To read' authors.

[Cindy Martin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't connect with anything in this book--neither the plot, nor the main characters. The conclusion is flawed (to me at least) because it is precipitated on the actions of a minor character whom we glimpse for only the briefest moment during the novel. Nothing sets him apart from the many other characters (caricatures) we encounter in passing. As a result, this character's motivations are unbelievable and contrite.

[Jennifer Antulov · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me ages to get through this novel and I considered stopping on a few occasions.
The writing felt stilted to me and there were several points in the novel that I felt were disjointed. If this was a deliberate ploy by the writer to distract or disturb the reader, I am unsure.

[Marleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from Pan Macmillan through Book Geeks and rated it 4.5 stars.

“Sometimes a mask is there to fool others. Sometimes to fool oneself.”

Forensic pathologist Teresa Lupo has travelled from Rome to Venice to look into the disappearance of her beloved and rather bohemian aunt Sofia. It is February, and in cold and wintery Venice the Carnival is in full swing. When Teresa and her mother, shortly after arriving in town, are met by a mysterious man dressed in the costume of the Plague Doctor, complete with the horrible, long nosed mask, Teresa starts suspecting that her missing aunt may be in trouble. A visit to Sofia’s apartment only deepens Teresa’s suspicions and when her mother returns to Rome, the pathologist stays behind and takes up lodgings in her aunts rooms, determined to discover where her aunt is and why she disappeared. A letter, hand delivered to the apartment and addressed to Teresa turns out to contain a story featuring both her and her aunt as well as an English professor Teresa has never heard of before. When she wants to have another look at the strange story the next day, Teresa discovers that the words have disappeared from the pages and the mystery deepens further. With the police unable and unwilling to look into the disappearance of a grown and independent woman while the Carnival is going on, it is up to Teresa to try and figure out what is going on. Further stories are delivered to Teresa and while on the surface they appear to have little or nothing to do with her missing aunt, the pathologist is convinced that they must hold clues to her aunt’s fate. But who is writing these stories? Is it Sofia herself, is it one of her friends or is it someone else altogether, someone Teresa doesn’t know but who seems to know her and her actions very well? And how do a little white dog and Carpaccio’s paintings tie into the mystery? The scientific minded Teresa will have to learn to use and trust her imagination and intuition if she is going to discover what happened to her aunt. And while she’s at it she has to stay safe and alive.

This is a wonderful mystery and a powerful thriller. It is also, possibly, something more than that. The story starts of slowly and without any real urgency. Yes, Sofia has disappeared, but she has done so before and has always turned up later, unharmed and unaware of any worry she may have caused. Surely this could be more of the same? Except that it slowly becomes clear to Teresa and the reader that this disappearance is different. There is indeed something or someone out in Venice who is determined to find and harm Sofia as well as others who might get in their way. The danger creeps up both on the characters in the book and on the reader until, near the end of the book, it all explodes in violence.

Venice during Carnival is the perfect setting for this book. The place is described as both fascinating and scary. The bright parties on the streets are contrasted by the dark and deserted alleys that more often than not turn out to be dead-ended. The cold of winter creeps not just into the character’s bones, it also affects the reader as the story becomes ever chillier.

David Hewson writes wonderful books. His characters are well formed and are true individuals. Nobody in this book is described in terms of black and white. Everybody is nuanced which makes them interesting as characters and the story more fascinating. His descriptions of Venice are wonderful. I could see the city during Carnival almost as clearly as if I had been there just as I could feel the danger lurking in dark corners and appreciate the beauty of the brighter places.

The ending of this book doesn’t provide clear cut answers to every question the story poses. It is up to the reader to decide whether or not there are some supernatural powers at play here. Is the impossible actually happening, or is Teresa right to dismiss it all as one man’s madness? And while a somewhat open ending could be frustrating when reading a mystery, in this book it worked perfectly. I really like the “what-if” David Hewson left me with and I know I will enjoy pondering it for the next few days.

“The wisdom of dogs is to remind us of our own arrogance and stupidity in believing tomorrow may somehow prove more precious than today.”

[Lizzie Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Carnival for the Dead’ by David Hewson
Published by MacMillan, 6th January 2012. ISBN: 978-0-230-75593-2

Receiving a somewhat cryptic note form her Aunt Sofia, and being unable to reach her by telephone for several days, Teresa Lupo travels, from Rome where she is a Forensic pathologist, to Venice. Teresa is surprised that on hearing about the strange note her mother Chiara should instantly decide to accompany her. It is February, and Venice is in the grip of carnival fever and experiencing freezing temperatures. Arriving at Sofia apartment in the Dorsodura they find no clues to her disappearance, nothing but mess - so where is Sofia? What has happened to her? The situation brings forth from Chiara a startling revelation about Sofia’s past that re-focuses Teresa’s view of her beloved Aunt – although, a painter of mediocrity, a writer still writing the book she started some twenty years ago, she was always vibrant and on the move, living in exotic places. Is this the real Sofia? An anonymous letter delivered to Teresa by Camilla, the girl living in the apartment below Sofia’s, appears to be a work of fiction but it is puzzling in that both Teresa and Sofia feature in the story, together with an Englishman called Aitchison. The bunch of flowers accompanying the letter she assumes are from her partner Peroni, currently on a police assignment in Sicily and out of contact.

Teresa’s arrival in Venice has not gone unnoticed and she is contacted by Alberto Tosi, a retired pathologist she had come to know on an earlier visit to Venice* with an invitation to be his guest at the carnival that day. The first day of the carnival is ‘The Flight of the Angel’ and on route to the police to report her aunt missing Teresa and Tosi become caught up in the masses of people attending the carnival, and are witness to a death.

The Venice police are pleasant but Teresa feels sure that with the carnival and the spectacular death taking up much police time, little will be done to find her aunt. To whom can she turn for help in what is becoming more puzzling by the hour, as she receives more anonymous stories – are they from Sofia?, or the person who is holding her? Or is Sofia dead?

The story is told third person by Teresa Lupo, but also by the anonymous story teller, who weaves a tale that may or may not be the truth. This is not just a mystery of today but takes the reader back into the history of Venice. I was utterly captivated by the cryptic clues in the anonymous stories that weave their own mythical tale. The clues are all there but the interpretation needs an insight into the history of Venice. This is a book with a surface mystery that you want to solve, but more interestingly will invoke a need to know more of the history that surrounds this mystery. I can only liken it to the interest I developed when I read ‘Daughter of Time’ by Josephine Tey and ‘The King’s General’ by Daphne Du Maurier. Both had me delving deep into the history books.

If you have visited Venice this book will evoke the memories of your visit, the bright lights, the restaurant’s and gaiety, and then, turning into a square, or sometimes a small courtyard, and hitting deep silence - tall buildings where no lights show, the signs of poverty and neglect, and the feeling that you are maybe being watched. If you have never visited Venice, listening to the narration of this book by Juanita McMahon you will know you must go, and soon. Juanita brings the story alive with her incredible range of voices and added much to my enjoyment of the story.

David Hewson has been described as one of the finest crime writers, and after listening to this book I wholeheartedly agree.
-----
Lizzie Hayes
* See The Lizard’s Bite

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather strange. Not your typical police procedural.

[Sue G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carnival for the Dead is a variation on a theme, featuring forensic pathologist Teresa Lupo as the central character rather than the more familiar Nic Costa. The book sees a return to Venice (the setting for the earlier title in the series “The Lizard’s Bite”) as Lupo travels there with her mother following the mysterious disappearance of her favourite Aunt, Sofia. When Sofia’s apartment yields no apparent clues as to her whereabouts Lupo becomes concerned that something sinister has happened. She decides to stay in the apartment while she undertakes to search for her, quickly sending her mother home.

Her search is aided by a serious of cryptic stories which are mysteriously delivered to Sofia’s home. Although they have a “supernatural” feel to them they also bear an increasingly uncanny resemblance to her ongoing search for Sofia. But who is sending them? Is it Sofia, or someone who wants to help, and why can’t they just come forward and speak directly to Lupo?

With the rest of the usual team unavailable to help her, Lupo accepts the help of Alberto Tosi the (now retired) city pathologist, believing that he will have some influence with the local police. Unfortunately Carnival means the police are too busy to help with Lupo’s ”mystery”, so she and Tosi attempt to carry on the investigation without them, even when there is a murder which Lupo believes is somehow connected to Sofia’s disappearance.

Venice is as much a character in this tale as Lupo herself. Set in February (the time of the Carnival) this isn’t the city most tourists will see – it’s cold, in fact there’s snow and ice, it’s dark and the masks and costumes of those taking part in the Carnival itself add to the sinister atmosphere.

I know that there is a suggestion that this may be the last in the “Costa” series, but I sincerely hope that isn’t the case. There are plenty of authors who have pursued a series for far too long, but Hewson has shown that applying a different perspective on the stories is an excellent way to ensure the reader’s continued interest.

A story with well-observed characters, a gripping mystery and all in the atmospheric setting of Venice – what more could you ask for!

[Alan Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again David Hewson transports his readers to the magical city of Venice, Italy. It is Teresa Lupo, Chief Forensic Pathologist for the Questura in Rome who takes the lead on this occasion whilst colleagues Falcone, Peroni and Costa are on secret assignment.
Lupo has travelled to Venice to look for her Aunt Sofia who has mysteriously disappeared, leaving little explanation as to why, or her current whereabouts. It is the time of the Carnival, as Teresa tries to find her Aunt, and a series of events unfold that lead the reader on a tableau of adventure across the great city of islands, and where those dressed in Carnival costume may not be all they appear to be.

This is the tenth novel in the “Costa” series, and the third time that David Hewson has taken us to Venice (The Lizard’s Bite & The Cemetery of Secrets, being the other two, and it is nice to see some homage to both of those novels within the pages of this latest one).

It is rare that a book makes me change my plans or keeps me reading up late into the night these days, but Carnival for the Dead has done both of those things over the last three days. Keeping me turning the pages and setting the standard for crime novels, this story unfolds a tale of mystery, history and culture set in one of the worlds great cities.

The history is well researched and the author manages to weave the history and culture into the pages, bringing the story to life. It brings a depth and colour to the pages that it is easy to picture oneself in the great city, with the same sights, sounds and smells as the characters on the pages.

David Hewson is a master storyteller, and this book is no exception, it is one of his best and finest to date and this series has been getting better and better.

If you are looking for a great story, and want to transport yourself to another place, then I strongly recommend this book.

[Martine Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hewson does a quite wonderful job of conveying the character and detail of Venice in winter - the tawdry Carnival-goers dancing near the Rialto, Venetian food and drink and the icy cold blasting down from the Alps. There was also some pleasure in revisiting famous paintings at the Accademia and Scuoli di San Giorgio, particularly Carpaccio's friezes.
Though the tale started well for me, with an intriguing mystery about a lost aunt, a white dog straight from Carpaccio's painting,and delivery to our pathologist heroine, Teresa, of some intriguing short stories, I'm afraid this one didn't really work for me. It was too far-fetched to believe, but I did enjoy the scenery on the way.

[Mark Richard · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is certainly a mystery...
A book within a book which contains the same characters as ...... Get This....... The actual book. And they appear to be doing the very same as the actual characters..... Nothing. HMMMMM
The nice setting and sometimes good writing cannot hide the fact that this book is outstandingly boring....

[Sylence · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a bit slower than most of his works but i liked it. I love the setting of Venice and all the descriptions of the city.

[Donie Nelson · Rating 1 out of 5]

this book is utterly boring, failed to hold my interest, stopped after 50+ pages

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a story, weaving seemingly unrelated threads into a tale that stretches imagination and belief! Although related to the Nic Costa series, this stands alone as a story set in Venice, with pathologist Theresa Lupo as the lead character, surrounded by friends she makes in Venice, and supported remotely by her co-workers in Rome, Carnival for the Dead focuses on Theresa's missing aunt and the search to find her, or what happened to her, deliciously enlivened by appearances by the Count de Saint Germain (or is he?) and a retired Venetian pathologist Theresa had worked with once previously. The flavour of carnival is all-encompassing, both the joy of it and the dark side that appears, set in the fabulous (but frozen) city of Venice in February, where it snowed! Who knew that it snows in Venice?

[Anne Boardman · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book and author so badly. I enjoy series that take place in cities I have traveled to. This was recommended for those who like Donna Leon. I have read over 30 of her novels and that Heston sets his books in several of my favorite cities, I was SO there! However, the story went round and round with lots of details that led nowhere. I can’t call them red herrings at since they were dismissed quickly.. The mystery was revealed in a ho-hum way. Any sense of peril or danger was watered down and ended fast. In the end this book was pretty boring even to the point that once the mystery was over, the book continued to go on way too long. I don’t think I will be reading any of Hewson’s other books.

[Janneke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Een ingewikkeld boek, maar wel erg spannend. Teresa Lupo, de patholoog uit de boeken over Nic Costa, is tijdens het carnaval in Venetië om haar verdwenen tante op te sporen. Verklede en gemaskerde mensen, waaronder de pestdokter, maken de zoektocht extra ingewikkeld. En de Graaf van St. Germain? Bestaat hij echt of is hij een, door een fout in zijn genen, een onsterfelijke figuur uit het verleden?

[Dantanian · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the end, a lot better than the first 150 pages or so would have you expecting. Probably more enjoyable if one had read others in the series - the rather dull lead character may have becoming more interesting or sympathetic if so. A nicely convoluted, odd, plot. But not an author I'll be bothering with again.

[Mike Vines]

Venice during Carnival. Get lost with Teresa Lugo as she searches for her missing Aunt Sylvia, at great peril. Great characters and settings, intricate plotting. Check out Mr. Hewson's other mysteries, Nic Costa (Rome) and Peter Vos (Amsterdam). All excellent. Remember to shop your local, independent bookstores. They need your support.

[Véronique · Rating 1 out of 5]

Na 240 pagina’s geef ik het op. Dit verhaal raakt kant nog wal voor mij. Ik probeerde eerder al een boek van Hewson te lezen en dat gaf ik ook op. Jammer, de settings van zijn boeken spreken mij nochtans enorm aan. Ik denk dat ik nog een boek van hem liggen heb. Benieuwd of dat ook weer zo zal zijn.

[Gail Goodrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book for the atmospheric descriptions of Venice and the significance of the Carpaccio paintings. It has a certain Gothic atmosphere as well. Ill look for other books by this author.

[Marleen V · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ik heb het boek in de helft weggelegd. Het verhaal werd steeds belachelijker en vervelender. De personages boeiden mij niet. Enkel de beschrijving ven Venetië en de sfeer tijdens carnaval waren leuk.

[Hazel R · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a reread after more than ten years. I kept it to reread before returning to Venice. I can’t remember what I thought of it before; it’s a bit overblown and melodramatic. However, the characters are interesting (I didn’t realise it was part of a series), and I loved the Venetian detail.

[Ruth Gosnay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my bedtime reading. So read a chapter a night, think I needed to read it with a clearer head!