Vengeance in Venice

Venice #2

by Philip Gwynne Jones

>Murder is the deadliest art . . .

An invitation to an exclusive event during the Venetian Biennale gives Honorary Consul Nathan Sutherland the perfect chance to drink prosecco in the sunshine and meet some of the greats of the art world.

And then a world-famous critic is decapitated by one of the installations in the British Pavilion. A terrible accident, it seems, until a postcard is discovered in the victim's pocket: an image of Judith beheading Holofernes.

But this is not just a one-off. Before long, three more postcards have been sent out with deadly results. As the bodies pile up, Nathan finds himself getting closer and closer to the truth, but when he himself receives an image of Death bearing a scythe, it becomes a race against time to save his own life . . .

Genres: Mystery, Italy, Fiction, Crime, Audiobook, Contemporary, British Literature

352 pages, Paperback

First published April 12, 2018

Reviews

[John McDermott · Rating 4 out of 5]

If Midsomer Murder style cosy crime set in Venice sounds like your thing , then you won't go far wrong with Vengeance in Venice.
A very enjoyable book indeed with a likeable central character in Nathan Sutherland who is the UK 🇬🇧 Honary Consul in the city.
The author excels in bringing Venice to life and authentically recreating its special atmosphere.
Slightly gruesome,with some nice humour and engaging characters, Vengeance in Venice is perfect for a light, entertaining read.
Best enjoyed with a Spritz or a glass of Prosecco! 🍾🍹

[J.S. Strange · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read! A well constructed story, with humour, mystery and thrills. And a demanding cat! What novel isn’t complete without a cat?

[Melanie O'Neill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read the first book by this author I knew that this was going to be a cosy crime set in beautiful Venice. I liked the previous book better but still it was an easy non demanding read which at times I like to indulge in.

[Carolien · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Venice Biennale has turned into a murderous event with Nathan Sutherland firmly in the middle of the series of horrible deaths which are definitely not art for the sake of art. I loved the details about the famous art event and Venice as place is again an integral part of the story. I look forward to the next instalment in the series.

[Ken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whilst attending an arts event during the Venetian Biennale festival British Honorary Consul Nathan Sutherland witnesses what appears to be a tragic accident.
World famous art critic Gordon Blake-Hoyt head is served by a glass structure which is part of one of the displays on show.
But when a postcard featuring an image of Judith beheading Holofernes, it surly can’t just be a coincidence...

I wasn’t aware that this was the second Sutherland novel in the series, Goodreads is normally good for listing the reading order.
But within a few chapters I’d instantly got to know Nathan through the first person narrative, by the time that the grizzly death occurred I was already hooked!

It’s such a gripping fun read, the author clearly knows the Italian City remarkably well, as it’s easy to get transported into the location.
Art and culture really plays a part!
Nathan clearly likes a drink, with Gwynne Jones wonderful descriptive writing I found myself tempted to go get a beer too!

A real fun ride, I’m certainly adding the first book to my ‘Want to Read’ list!

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the first in this series, and then accidentally skipped to the 5th, so now I'm going back to fill in the narrative. I enjoy the main character who is an unpaid local consul for the British government in Venice. He's an entertainingly flawed character who has become more like a local in some ways, and is now on personal terms with the local police when he inevitably stumbles over murders. This one is set during the Venice art show Biennalle which is put on every two years with pavilions from nations all over the years featuring their best artists. The Venice setting is well done at least based on the week we spent there a few years ago. I definitely felt like I could visualize the walks across Venice described. The murders are imaginative and rather graphic and the investigation are fun.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love reading these books with google maps open so I can visualise where the author is describing, and it’s even better with streetview! It took a while for me to become invested in the storyline, it was a bit of a slow burn for me, but the second half flew by with great enjoyment. I’ll be looking for the next book in the series to carry on my vicarious Venice travels 🙂

[Mackenzie Baert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Escapist read with quirky characters, art and architecture.

[Bobbi]

(4 Stars) Another book set in Venice to help me with my travel lust.

[Irishmaddoc · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really want to visit Venice now and have a spritz or two!

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall an enjoyable read, although slow through the first third. Pleasant main character who enjoys a good drink and a smoke.

[Hella · Rating 4 out of 5]

weer zó genoten
gezellig, humoristisch, spannend maar niet té, en Venetië...
just what the doctor ordered
door naar deel 3!

[Denise Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rounded up to 3.5

[Pizzveta * Balkan Book Girlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Val Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic series. I came across this author earlier this year, and he's a a superb writer.

I feel like I've been transported to Venice. Characters are excellent, the location is great and I'll definitely be reading the rest of the series as soon as I possibly can.

Just brilliant!

[Dolf Patijn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this second book in the series but I found the plot a bit clumsy in places.
Plenty of eating and drinking in this book and Philip Gwynne Jones knows how to bring Venice to life. Makes me want to go back there.

[Tripfiction · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder Mystery set in VENICE

In the original post on our site, we also talk to the author about his personal favourited eating and drinking places in the city: https://www.tripfiction.com/murder-my...


The Literary Review says “The Venetian setting is vividly described and Gwynne Jones’s good, fluent writing, makes for easy reading“. There’s not much more I can say, as that sentence sums up Vengeance in Venice. But here’s a little more about the book before you hurry of to buy it (which you will want to do) and armchair travel to Venice….

Nathan Sutherland is the honorary consul in the city and it is art Biennale time, when countries gather and set up peacock displays of art in pavilions all around the city. Nathan attends the Great Britain vernissage – reception – where Turner Prize nominee Paul Considine is showing his work, cutting edge glass displays.

And cutting it is. The glass structure on which art critic Gordon Blake-Hoyt (GBH by name and by attitude) is standing, implodes, precisely slicing through his neck and killing him. The finger initially points at the people who set up the exhibition but it soon becomes clear that a murderer most foul is at work, perhaps targeting the art critic establishment?

Nathan has a nose for people – he is after all a very affable and well liked honorary consul – and by chance stumbles on clues that could well indicate there is a murderer on the loose. He starts to intuit that specific clues, mired in art and music, may direct his investigations. How could Juditha Triumphans (an oratorio by Vivaldi) possibly fit in?

As he starts to unravel the mystery, he is supported by the ministrations of his girlfriend Federica and by his little companion Gramsci, the cat who pads around his apartment.

This book is what TripFiction is all about. It is a light and easy to read storyline, with touches of humour and great observations of locale and people. As the plot moves along, the early Summer sun dapples the canals and lights up the buildings, just illuminating this beautiful city. You really feel you are there with the characters! There are just wonderful observations of the city, from Santa Maria Ausiliatrice (where Wales is exhibiting), to interesting observations of the Arsenale, and to the walk from the station to Rialto where, the author observers, there are “some nice cichetterie, some decent bars and quite a few not-so-decent ones” – that will feel familiar to anyone who has been there. ... and if you want to check out this post on our website, the author suggest some top places to eat and drink in the city!

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good follow up to the first story and I liked this one more. Great story set at the Venice Biennale. Sometimes I find these books a tad unrealistic with regards to what Nathan gets embroiled in but hey it was a fun read and a good holiday book. These books are not in the same league as Donna Leon or Andrea Camilleri but enjoyable reads nevertheless. I will read the rest in the series.

[Denise Hale · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this second book, Nathan has settled into Venice. With the Biennale he has plenty of work translating notes on the various artworks into Italian/English. He is also still an honorary British consul dealing with; lost passports, thefts, accidents requiring medical care and the occasional repatriation. Attending the opening of the British exhibits at the festival is one of the few perks of the job. But it leads to him being one of the first to discover a British art critic beheaded by a glass shard in English artist, Paul Constaine, impressive work. What appears to be a very nasty accident becomes more suspicious when Nathan finds a postcard depicting, Judith beheading Holofernes

Once again we are lead through Venetian streets and enjoy some Italian cooking as Nathan deals with an angry relative, a growing relationship and a very demanding cat.

[Karen wadey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book certainly makes you want to visit Venice as it is described in every exquisite detail. Although the plot is a bit thin and could have been resolved in less pages, I thoroughly enjoyed the characters especially Nathan Sutherland.

[Dario · Rating 2 out of 5]

Storia abbastanza basilare. Non l’ho travato molto thriller .. peccato.

[Circlestones Books Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

“And difficult questions to think of. And when I’ve done that, I’ll try and think who to ask them of.” (Quotation page 135)

Content
The Venice Biennale of contemporary art always means work for Nathan Sutherland, the British honorary consul in Venice. Many translations but also invitations. Today he is invited to the vernissage in the British pavilion. For the work of Paul Considine, glass artist, the Pavilion had been changed into one large, single room, filled with gigantic glass constructions, glass staircases, floors, the gallery, glass everywhere. After the opening, Nathan leaves for the French pavilion, but a sudden noise, a crash followed by screaming, send him hurrying back to the British pavilion. The safety barrier has broken and Gorden Blake-Hayt, famous art critic, is dead. This is just the beginning of a series of art postcards with deadly messages and even though every trace leads to the glass artist, Nathan is not convinced.

Theme and genre
This thriller, set in Venice, is book two of the Nathan Sutherland series and the main topics are art and the Venice Biennale.

Characters
This time, Nathan Sutherland risks his position as the British honorary consul, neglecting the order of the British ambassador in Rome to not get involved again into crime scenes and under suspicion, followed by negative publicity. Nathan just cannot stop himself and has to do everything to solve the mystery.

Plot and writing
The events take place in beautiful Venice during the opening period of the famous art Biennale. The plot and the characters are well developed and believable and there are many unforeseeable twists and action to sum up to an exciting, enjoyable read.

Conclusion
A gripping story, together with interesting information about modern art and die famous Biennale of Venezia, combined with vivid descriptions of well known and also hidden places in beautiful Venice and the Italian lifestyle.

[Eyejaybee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nathan Sutherland, the UK’s Honorary Consul in Venice, is a very engaging character. As the title would suggest, his role as Honorary Consul is unpaid, and generally involves holding ‘surgeries’ for just a few hours each week, at which he offers help to British subjects, most of whom are tourists who have encountered minor problems. He makes his living as a translator, although this is often a source of drudgery as, rather than the scintillating novels that he might have dreamt of working on, he normally ends up translating instruction manuals for electrical appliances.

Although there is no salary, his role as Honorary Consul does bring certain compensations, including invitations to many of the opening parties for the various displays at the prestigious Biennale Art Festival. As the novel opens, he is attending one such event to launch an exhibition by reclusive British artist Paul Considine, whose latest installation involves startling sculptures made from glass. As the party draws to a close, one of the more eminent critics, who has already indicated his dislike of Considine’s latest work, suffers a bizarre accident and is killed. Shortly afterwards a further attack occurs, and this time Nathan himself is involved, sustaining minor injuries alongside Considine’s agent, who is more seriously wounded.

Thereafter the plot follows a sinuous path, offering up numerous potential perpetrators. Jones clearly knows (and loves) Venice, and the setting is captured evocatively. I have read several crime novels set in Venice – the works of Donna Leon and Michael Dibdin leap to mind – but none of them have painted such a joyful picture of life in the city. There is a lightness of touch that makes the books a joy to read, without compromising the rigour of the plot.

[Juan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It must be true that everything has been already written about Venice; even titles get repeated over and over again. There are probably half a dozen of books with the same title. And the topic. In No Vulgar Hotel: The Desire and Pursuit of Venice, a satire about all things and people Venetian, it mentions that most Venetian-themed thrillers deal with detectives turned art critics, or artist turned detectives. The original part is that in this case, it’s a translator who is also honorary consul for Her Majesty’s Government (OK, there’s some art in translation) but it does take part in the Biennale, with artists, art agents, and art critics, being either the perps, the victims, or both.
To be honest, this is not great literature; some characters are not well presented (this Dario seems to be carried over or introduced in another book in the series, for instance, and Vanni the policiotto barely gets any line, when, well, he’s the authority) and the rhythm fails from plot points to plot points.
But, unlike other books, he gets Venice right; the rhythms and characters of the city, the tourists and the locals, and the curious characters that populate the artistic events. So good marks for that.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great example of a thriller that does not rely on twists & twists after twists. It doesn't need to. The writing is beautiful, revealing a mix of warmth and irony towards the characters and the artistic events portrayed. Mostly, full of love towards the city. The warm and detailed description of small day to day events, such as enjoying a caffe correto, cooking pasta or monkfish or taking a vaporetto, makes Vengeance in Venice so immersive and enjoyable. You are there, alongside the characters, in a hospitable setting of old friends, friends who know human nature with its frailties and beauties. The portrayal of Gheorghe is superb, giving subtle glimpses of the hardships of "immigrants" as opposed those faced by what are commonly called "expats." Then there is the description of Biennale's contemporary art events and the language of art press releases, which gets really humorous without being cruel. Some of the artsy characters could be the subject of Levine&Rule's essay International Art English. The thriller thread gets slowly constructed in the background of this narrative richness populated by friends, artists and art critics and day to day life in the beautiful city of Venice. A beautiful slow paced thriller that was a pleasure to read

[Julie Spratt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this after seeing it recommended on the cover of another book. I mainly read it because it was set in Venice as this is a city I have visited. I liked the fact that I could see the places that were described in the book and although we were not there for the Biennale I knew about the event and some of the places were the exhibitions were held.

Nathan Sutherland s an honorary British consul and is more used to dealing with missing wallets and passports than murder. He is also a translator and after translating documents for the exhibitions he is given invitations to the Vernissage which is the day before the exhibitions open. This is a good excuse for free drinks even if he is not always interested in some of the art. But at the first place he visits there is a particularly grisly accident which he later realises is murder. Every person who has been killed or threatened has been left a postcard depicting their death. Nathan then tries to follow up on the murders and gets into a lot of trouble while doing so.

I read this in two sittings as I wanted to find out what happened and that is a sign of a good murder novel. Lovely to read about Venice at this difficult time as I feel that it will a long time before some of us are lucky enough to return. Recommended

[Chloé - My Bookish Rendez-Vous · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was an okay-ish crime novel. The main character is likeable, the settings are nice, but that's about it. The mystery had a good premise (I liked the idea of a serial killer sending death annoncing postcards) but the resolution was somehow anti-climatic. It never made me frantically turn pages to know what would happen.
The highlights: Gramsci, the insufferable yet endearing cat, Nathan being a cinnamon roll, the immersion in Venice's Biennale (some of the mentions of the (fantasized) Italian lifestyle were nice).
The downsides: the inappropriate use of commas (it irritated me —has this book been edited?), the forced immersion in Venice's Biennale (no, cramming as many Italian words in italics as you can isn't subtle or pleasant. It felt like the author has only one thing for himself -being Venetian or knowing Venice well- and makes the most of it by soaking all of his books in Venice references.)

All in all, the book was not for me. I got it on a blind date with a book (another experience I was disappointed in) so it was a risk, but I'm still a bit mad.

[Desiree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recently I got 2 books from Netgalley that are set in Italy, Vengeance in Venice by Philip Gwynne Jones and Treachery In Tuscany by Phyllis Gobbell.
I read the book set in Tuscany first and then this book, set in Venice. Having read them in the same week I could not help comparing the two books, which in this case works out well for the book that I review here.

I like it when a book evokes the atmosphere of a city. Murder in Venice does just that, it brought Venice alive for me. I have stayed in Venice several times, also for longer periods and it was a joy to read this book. I could picture the city in my mind as Nathan was travelling by Vaporetto or walking through the city to the Giardini.

I liked the dry English humour and really loved Gramsci the cat.
Good plot too.
So much different from the other book, Treachery in Tuscany. Philip Gwynne Jones obviously knows Venice very well,I wish I could say that of all the books written about Italy by foreign authors.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a welcome follow on from the first book. It was great to be reacquainted with the cast of characters. This story revolved around the Venice Biennale and having visited the event one year it certainly recreated it for me. I could read these books simply for the glimpses of Venice. The author has a light touch seeming instinctively to know what detail to include to give a feel of the city. In one passage he talks about the sensation of the water bus bumping into the side before setting off and I could absolutely feel it too. If you've yet to read the first in the series I think this reads well as a stand alone book. I'm looking forward to number 3.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again Jones gives wonderful descriptions of the Venetian lagoon, of the old city, Guidecca and this time the Lido, Lazzaretto Vecchio and Murano as well and if you’ve ever been to Venice it is these passages that really draw you into the book.

It’s OK as far as books go in this genre, but sadly not as good as ‘The Venetian Game’ (the first in the series), perhaps because this time the plot is less clear and just a little far-fetched. It reads more like a semi-traditional who-dunnit with the emphasis on the relationships between the foreign characters, rather than between the characters and the city itself.

I’ll give the third one a go and hope it’s more like the series’ original.