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Palace of the Drowned
From the bestselling author of Tangerine , a "taut and mesmerizing follow up...voluptuously atmospheric and surefooted at every turn” (Paula McLain, author of The Paris Wife and When the Stars Go Dark ).
It’s 1966 and Frankie Croy retreats to her friend’s vacant palazzo in Venice. Years have passed since the initial success of Frankie’s debut novel and she has spent her career trying to live up to the expectations. Now, after a particularly scathing review of her most recent work, alongside a very public breakdown, she needs to recharge and get re-inspired.
Then Gilly appears. A precocious young admirer eager to make friends, Gilly seems determined to insinuate herself into Frankie’s solitary life. But there’s something about the young woman that gives Frankie pause. How much of what Gilly tells her is the truth? As a series of lies and revelations emerge, the lives of these two women will be tragically altered as the catastrophic 1966 flooding of Venice ravages the city.
Suspenseful and transporting, Christine Mangan's Palace of the Drowned brings the mystery of Venice to life while delivering a twisted tale of ambition and human nature.
It’s 1966 and Frankie Croy retreats to her friend’s vacant palazzo in Venice. Years have passed since the initial success of Frankie’s debut novel and she has spent her career trying to live up to the expectations. Now, after a particularly scathing review of her most recent work, alongside a very public breakdown, she needs to recharge and get re-inspired.
Then Gilly appears. A precocious young admirer eager to make friends, Gilly seems determined to insinuate herself into Frankie’s solitary life. But there’s something about the young woman that gives Frankie pause. How much of what Gilly tells her is the truth? As a series of lies and revelations emerge, the lives of these two women will be tragically altered as the catastrophic 1966 flooding of Venice ravages the city.
Suspenseful and transporting, Christine Mangan's Palace of the Drowned brings the mystery of Venice to life while delivering a twisted tale of ambition and human nature.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2021
203 people are currently reading
12959 people want to read
About the author
Christine Mangan
3 books588 followersChristine Mangan has her PhD in English from University College Dublin, where her thesis focused on 18th-century Gothic literature, and an MFA in fiction writing from the University of Southern Maine. Tangerine is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 457 reviews
September 22, 2024
I really enjoyed the way Christine Mangan brought the smells and sights of North Africa alive in her first novel Tangerine. And though I thought the book was somewhat let down by some contrived plotting, I did appreciate the way she developed interesting and believable characters. So what could she do with her second book, set largely in my favourite city of them all, Venice? I couldn’t wait to find out.
France Croy (Frankie) grew up in London. During WWII, a war in which she lost her two brothers, she was an air raid warden, and shortly before the end of the war, both of her parents were killed in a car accident. It was a cruel war indeed for Frankie. It’s now 1966, and she is an independent woman, a writer, who still lives in The Smoke. Her first novel was well received and earned her a good book deal but her subsequent books weren’t so successful and now she has used up the goodwill of her publisher to the extent that all she has left is the promise of ‘a look’ at her next book.
Following a particularly critical review of her most recent novel, it seems that a nasty incident occurred at the Savoy Hotel. Details are initially sketchy, but the result is that after a short stay in a clinic she’s decided to take up an offer from a rich friend to spend some time at a large vacant palazzo in Venice. It’s out of season, and the city feels dank and unwelcoming, but an extended break in another country might just keep her out of the limelight long enough to allow the noise back home to die down. It’s hardly relaxing though as in Frankie’s mind there is always the knowledge that she needs to provide a draft of her next book, the pivotal deliverable if she is to have an extended career as a novelist.
Pretty soon, the city seems to be weaving its magic on Frankie, who has settled into a lonely but peaceful existence and has even begun to think about starting to write again. Then, on one of her frequent forays out amongst the canals and bridges, she meets a young woman named Gilly, who claims to have met Frankie once before. And although she can’t recall the meeting, Frankie rather reluctantly agrees to meet up over a cup of coffee in a few days. So starts a strange and slightly uncomfortable relationship between the reclusive writer and this eager, confident interloper.
Once again, Mangan does a brilliant job of bringing the setting alive and also the relationship between this pair, which starts to slowly develop over the coming weeks. A small cast of support characters is introduced, and the tension is maintained on a slow simmer as minor mysteries are discovered and remain unresolved, and as Frankie’s mental health seems to hover on the brink. But then something happens and everything changes. It’s a shock, and everything is thrown into the air.
How the story plays out from this point is the real strength of the book for me. I kept thinking that I knew where it was going, only to be thrown off track by an unexpected turn of events. At the centre, Frankie’s future as a writer and the stability of her mental health remain open questions, but in a tense and gripping final third of the book unresolved elements are dealt with and a dramatic conclusion is reached. It is, I have to say, all very well done.
This is a step up from the author’s first book: the strengths of Tangerine are still evident here, but the whole thing is more cohesive, more believable. Definitely one not to miss for lovers of dark literary thrillers.
My sincere thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
France Croy (Frankie) grew up in London. During WWII, a war in which she lost her two brothers, she was an air raid warden, and shortly before the end of the war, both of her parents were killed in a car accident. It was a cruel war indeed for Frankie. It’s now 1966, and she is an independent woman, a writer, who still lives in The Smoke. Her first novel was well received and earned her a good book deal but her subsequent books weren’t so successful and now she has used up the goodwill of her publisher to the extent that all she has left is the promise of ‘a look’ at her next book.
Following a particularly critical review of her most recent novel, it seems that a nasty incident occurred at the Savoy Hotel. Details are initially sketchy, but the result is that after a short stay in a clinic she’s decided to take up an offer from a rich friend to spend some time at a large vacant palazzo in Venice. It’s out of season, and the city feels dank and unwelcoming, but an extended break in another country might just keep her out of the limelight long enough to allow the noise back home to die down. It’s hardly relaxing though as in Frankie’s mind there is always the knowledge that she needs to provide a draft of her next book, the pivotal deliverable if she is to have an extended career as a novelist.
Pretty soon, the city seems to be weaving its magic on Frankie, who has settled into a lonely but peaceful existence and has even begun to think about starting to write again. Then, on one of her frequent forays out amongst the canals and bridges, she meets a young woman named Gilly, who claims to have met Frankie once before. And although she can’t recall the meeting, Frankie rather reluctantly agrees to meet up over a cup of coffee in a few days. So starts a strange and slightly uncomfortable relationship between the reclusive writer and this eager, confident interloper.
Once again, Mangan does a brilliant job of bringing the setting alive and also the relationship between this pair, which starts to slowly develop over the coming weeks. A small cast of support characters is introduced, and the tension is maintained on a slow simmer as minor mysteries are discovered and remain unresolved, and as Frankie’s mental health seems to hover on the brink. But then something happens and everything changes. It’s a shock, and everything is thrown into the air.
How the story plays out from this point is the real strength of the book for me. I kept thinking that I knew where it was going, only to be thrown off track by an unexpected turn of events. At the centre, Frankie’s future as a writer and the stability of her mental health remain open questions, but in a tense and gripping final third of the book unresolved elements are dealt with and a dramatic conclusion is reached. It is, I have to say, all very well done.
This is a step up from the author’s first book: the strengths of Tangerine are still evident here, but the whole thing is more cohesive, more believable. Definitely one not to miss for lovers of dark literary thrillers.
My sincere thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 1, 2022
Note: I received a free copy of this book. In exchange here is my honest review:
This is a slow burn thriller. 😉 If you have patience, there’s quite the spin here. It reads pretty slow. 🤓 But isn’t a terrible read overall.
Thank you @goodreads and @flatiron_books #goodreadsgiveaway
This is a slow burn thriller. 😉 If you have patience, there’s quite the spin here. It reads pretty slow. 🤓 But isn’t a terrible read overall.
Thank you @goodreads and @flatiron_books #goodreadsgiveaway
August 5, 2023
My introduction to the fiction of Christine Mangan is Palace of the Drowned. Published in 2021, this is an example of a novel I paused reading to check what other books the author had written so I could add those to my reading docket. I wish there was a bell I could ring when this happens. "Fiction-General" might be a more appropriate shelf for this than "Mystery/ Suspense," but the novel is evocative, mysterious and strong enough that I kept turning the pages even without a lot of tricks and turns. Some writers need plot to keep me engaged while others can do so by the imagery they conjure and strangeness their stories generate. Mangan belongs to the latter.
The story centers on Frances Croy, a writer whose debut novel was published to great acclaim, but whose three subsequent books have received diminishing praise. Frankie, single and childless, has grown apprehensive about her future. She is upset by a harsh critique in a weekly magazine she's unfamiliar with by a writer who identified themselves only as "J.L." Frankie was seething by the time she attended a party and socked a woman in the mouth. She checked herself into a clinic but tiring of the rigamarole there, fled London for Venice, where the family of her best friend Jack own a vacant palazzo where Frankie can work on the last novel remaining on her contract.
On her way to the market to buy vangole from one of the fishermen, Frankie is approached by an enthusiastic young Brit named Gilly Larson. Gilly claims to have met Frankie before and allows her to believe that she is the daughter of one of her editors. She persists on meeting Frankie for a cup of coffee sometime and despite her best efforts, Frankie concedes. Alone in the palazzo with the exception of the family's housekeeper, Frankie hears footsteps on the second floor and assumes it to be her neighbors, though Jack has no knowledge of any tenants. Gilly sounds a few warning bells but for lack of anyone to spend time in Venice with, Frankie befriends her.
During the recital, Gilly appeared indifferent--or oblivious, rather--to the looks her presence was garnering from the men who crowded the bar on the other side. She was tall and thin and young, and that always counted for something in the world, Frankie knew. It was enough, at any rate, to ensure a casual glance, a roving eye. But this was something different, as was, it seemed, Gilly. There was the way that she spoke--loudly, not so much that it annoyed but enough so that it aroused interest--and there were the gestures that went along with her speech, wide and sweeping, without concern for the space of others around her. And behind it all, a confidence, a certainty, in the way she spoke, in the way she moved, that belied her youth. That was it, Frankie realized. She had never before met anyone so self-assured at her age--other than herself--and so she knew firsthand how it made one unique among peers, however unintentional.
Frankie stifled a smirk. It was strange to think of how differently these same attributes were viewed with age. Now, instead of confident, she was labeled stubborn. Instead of independent, she was a spinster. The most frustrating part was that she didn't feel any differently than she had at Gilly's age, only a bit less manic, a bit more calm, and yet the world insisted that she was entirely changed from her younger self.
Palace of the Drowned doesn't embrace its potential as a thriller until the 65% mark but its strength is that without crime or violence or sex, Mangan fully invested me. Venice isn't described as much as it is imbibed. The way she sets not just places or people but a rhythm of life and almost a different way of dreaming in the City of Bridges put its hooks into me. I wasn't sure what direction the novel was going to take. Though set in October 1966, with only minor changes the story could take place in virtually any decade. In a credit to its protagonist, the writing is muscular and propulsive. If it were a Golden Girl, it would be Dorothy.
Gilly. That was what she had called herself. Frankie thought it had a ring of falsity to it. As did her story about their supposed introduction. Gilly, with a hard G. It was too juvenile, too hard to believe that someone had willingly bestowed it as an actual given name. As Frankie took another sip of wine, she allowed that it wasn't the girl herself so much as the girl's recognition that had unsettled her. A reminder that while she might play at disappearing into Venice, her vanishing act could never truly be complete. There would always be someone who knew her--and who knew about what had happened at the Savoy. The two were synonymous now, intrinsically linked. No matter how much she detested the thought.
Frankie gave a small shake of her head, cursing under her breath.
If only she had never read that damned review.
In other novels, I'd be fidgeting if an author digressed into Venice or cafe society for half a book and might abandon it out of boredom, but not Palace of the Drowned. Mangan could've set the novel in a phone booth and I'd have hung in there with her. The writing is so confident that I felt myself in good hands, certain this was leading somewhere. My only criticism is that Frankie is so caustic and has so little control of her emotions that she's freaking out in public, begging why her friend Jack (a heiress, a woman) is so devoted to her. It's a minor ding in a book that is fantastic from cover to cover. I'm looking forward to reading Mangan's debut novel as well as her next.
The story centers on Frances Croy, a writer whose debut novel was published to great acclaim, but whose three subsequent books have received diminishing praise. Frankie, single and childless, has grown apprehensive about her future. She is upset by a harsh critique in a weekly magazine she's unfamiliar with by a writer who identified themselves only as "J.L." Frankie was seething by the time she attended a party and socked a woman in the mouth. She checked herself into a clinic but tiring of the rigamarole there, fled London for Venice, where the family of her best friend Jack own a vacant palazzo where Frankie can work on the last novel remaining on her contract.
On her way to the market to buy vangole from one of the fishermen, Frankie is approached by an enthusiastic young Brit named Gilly Larson. Gilly claims to have met Frankie before and allows her to believe that she is the daughter of one of her editors. She persists on meeting Frankie for a cup of coffee sometime and despite her best efforts, Frankie concedes. Alone in the palazzo with the exception of the family's housekeeper, Frankie hears footsteps on the second floor and assumes it to be her neighbors, though Jack has no knowledge of any tenants. Gilly sounds a few warning bells but for lack of anyone to spend time in Venice with, Frankie befriends her.
During the recital, Gilly appeared indifferent--or oblivious, rather--to the looks her presence was garnering from the men who crowded the bar on the other side. She was tall and thin and young, and that always counted for something in the world, Frankie knew. It was enough, at any rate, to ensure a casual glance, a roving eye. But this was something different, as was, it seemed, Gilly. There was the way that she spoke--loudly, not so much that it annoyed but enough so that it aroused interest--and there were the gestures that went along with her speech, wide and sweeping, without concern for the space of others around her. And behind it all, a confidence, a certainty, in the way she spoke, in the way she moved, that belied her youth. That was it, Frankie realized. She had never before met anyone so self-assured at her age--other than herself--and so she knew firsthand how it made one unique among peers, however unintentional.
Frankie stifled a smirk. It was strange to think of how differently these same attributes were viewed with age. Now, instead of confident, she was labeled stubborn. Instead of independent, she was a spinster. The most frustrating part was that she didn't feel any differently than she had at Gilly's age, only a bit less manic, a bit more calm, and yet the world insisted that she was entirely changed from her younger self.
Palace of the Drowned doesn't embrace its potential as a thriller until the 65% mark but its strength is that without crime or violence or sex, Mangan fully invested me. Venice isn't described as much as it is imbibed. The way she sets not just places or people but a rhythm of life and almost a different way of dreaming in the City of Bridges put its hooks into me. I wasn't sure what direction the novel was going to take. Though set in October 1966, with only minor changes the story could take place in virtually any decade. In a credit to its protagonist, the writing is muscular and propulsive. If it were a Golden Girl, it would be Dorothy.
Gilly. That was what she had called herself. Frankie thought it had a ring of falsity to it. As did her story about their supposed introduction. Gilly, with a hard G. It was too juvenile, too hard to believe that someone had willingly bestowed it as an actual given name. As Frankie took another sip of wine, she allowed that it wasn't the girl herself so much as the girl's recognition that had unsettled her. A reminder that while she might play at disappearing into Venice, her vanishing act could never truly be complete. There would always be someone who knew her--and who knew about what had happened at the Savoy. The two were synonymous now, intrinsically linked. No matter how much she detested the thought.
Frankie gave a small shake of her head, cursing under her breath.
If only she had never read that damned review.
In other novels, I'd be fidgeting if an author digressed into Venice or cafe society for half a book and might abandon it out of boredom, but not Palace of the Drowned. Mangan could've set the novel in a phone booth and I'd have hung in there with her. The writing is so confident that I felt myself in good hands, certain this was leading somewhere. My only criticism is that Frankie is so caustic and has so little control of her emotions that she's freaking out in public, begging why her friend Jack (a heiress, a woman) is so devoted to her. It's a minor ding in a book that is fantastic from cover to cover. I'm looking forward to reading Mangan's debut novel as well as her next.
April 21, 2022
Palace of the Drowned: A Novel was a psychological thriller written by Christine Mangan taking place in the fall of 1966 in the lovely city of Venice. On our first visit to Italy, we fell in love with the beautiful and magical city of Venice, its bridges and canals, winding cobblestone streets abruptly ending, the muted colors, small cafes, shops and trattorias hidden away waiting to be discovered, churches and museums to be explored, or a glass of wine in the lobby of the Hotel Danielli.
It is in Venice where we first meet Frankie Croy, a writer from London who is staying at one of the palazzos owned by the family of her closest friend. Jack told her that her father used to say that his Venetian friends called the palazzo by the name "Ca' de la Nega" meaning "Palace of the Drowned." As the story unfolds, we begin to learn of an incident at the Hotel Savoy involving Frankie and a critic of her latest book although not the particulars. At the urging of her friend, Frankie has come to Venice to begin writing her fourth novel after a slump. One day as Frankie is crossing the Bridge of Sighs, she is approached by a young woman, Gilly Larson, a fan since she was a child of the writing of Frances Croy. There is a mystery surrounding this young woman as Frankie fears that there is a lot more to her presence in Venice. As the tale unfolds, the lives of these two women will become inexplicably intertwined within the historic backdrop of the catastrophic and unprecedented flood in Venetian history occurring in 1966. This was a page-turner from the opening Prologue and throughout the book as different pieces of the mystery begin to fall into place.
Such beautiful and atmospheric writing evoking many feelings of the magical city of Venice, a few examples of Mangan's lovely prose as follows:
It is in Venice where we first meet Frankie Croy, a writer from London who is staying at one of the palazzos owned by the family of her closest friend. Jack told her that her father used to say that his Venetian friends called the palazzo by the name "Ca' de la Nega" meaning "Palace of the Drowned." As the story unfolds, we begin to learn of an incident at the Hotel Savoy involving Frankie and a critic of her latest book although not the particulars. At the urging of her friend, Frankie has come to Venice to begin writing her fourth novel after a slump. One day as Frankie is crossing the Bridge of Sighs, she is approached by a young woman, Gilly Larson, a fan since she was a child of the writing of Frances Croy. There is a mystery surrounding this young woman as Frankie fears that there is a lot more to her presence in Venice. As the tale unfolds, the lives of these two women will become inexplicably intertwined within the historic backdrop of the catastrophic and unprecedented flood in Venetian history occurring in 1966. This was a page-turner from the opening Prologue and throughout the book as different pieces of the mystery begin to fall into place.
Such beautiful and atmospheric writing evoking many feelings of the magical city of Venice, a few examples of Mangan's lovely prose as follows:
"In Venice, Frankie found she could almost feel it again, that sensation she experienced as a young girl in Paris. In certain places, at certain times of day. She found it when she rode the water buses, the vaporetti, looking up at the city, always up, her neck craning, as if the city demanded such reverence, and again when it was dark and gloomy, which is almost always was now, when she became lost in this city constructed of bridges and canals and too many tiny islands to count and too many twisty, hidden streets to know. She found it in those places marked by history, the echo of some long-ago person or event reaching out across time to mark her, in a way that she felt she had not been since her youth."
"The idea that this now dogeless city was not the same as it had once been, its celebrated past all but disappeared--and yet, through the words written about her, this image would always remain, captured, as it were, by the poetic musings of Shakespeare, of Otway, of all the artists that had been enthralled with the city throughout the centuries. Venice, as she once was, would never be truly lost, and though its visitors would continue to search for her, would continue to fail, those who understood where to find her would know she would always remain within the words, preserved against both time and the rising waters."
"It's the time right before sunset, when the city is bathed in a golden light. Venice is supposed to be at its most beautiful in the golden hour, according to painters, to photographers, to just about anyone you might ask."
May 31, 2021
I'm a sucker for books with amazing settings, and I loved picturing 1960's Venice and the palace Frankie was staying in. The atmosphere matched with Mangan's beautiful writing is really what kept me turning pages until the final chapter.
Palace of the Drowned is undoubtedly a slow read. Every page is placing the building blocks for the huge climax to come, and it delivered! You know that Gilly has a secret motive of some form throughout the story, but are never certain exactly what it is.
If I ever consider going to Venice, this will be the first book I contemplate revisiting. Palace of the Drowned's publication day is tomorrow and I'd definitely give it a shot if you enjoy scenic, eerie, and gothic settings. Thank you Flatiron Books.
Palace of the Drowned is undoubtedly a slow read. Every page is placing the building blocks for the huge climax to come, and it delivered! You know that Gilly has a secret motive of some form throughout the story, but are never certain exactly what it is.
If I ever consider going to Venice, this will be the first book I contemplate revisiting. Palace of the Drowned's publication day is tomorrow and I'd definitely give it a shot if you enjoy scenic, eerie, and gothic settings. Thank you Flatiron Books.
September 19, 2021
I will confess that I nearly abandoned Palace of the Drowned about 100 pages in. I wanted a snappier, less waterlogged read. But something - perhaps a combination of stubbornness at not wanting to have wasted the time and the remembered pleasure of the author's debut, Tangerine (although now having reread my review, my recalled enjoyment is greater than what I felt in the moment) - compelled me to push through.
I'm glad I kept on. Mangan offers up another stylized psychological thriller that again owes its inspiration to the prolific pens preceding it: the mannered mid-20 century European backdrops of Patricia Highsmith, the droopy noir of Raymond Chandler, and the angst-ridden feminists of Virginia Woolf. Like Tangerine, this novel features another unsuspecting, emotionally vulnerable woman navigating an unfamiliar, exotic place and falling victim to a scheming beauty. It relies on coincidences and demands considerable suspension of disbelief that in less-skilled hands would result in book being thrown (figuratively, because I have too much respect for books) at the wall.
But damn, Mangan is such a great writer. She conjures up mood, time and place in captivating prose and adds in just the right amount of tension and certain doom to keep the pages turning. Frances"Frankie" Croy, a writer of dwindling success fast becoming a lush after a scandal forced her to flee London for the anonymity of Venice in winter, falls under the spell of Gilly, her professed "biggest fan". They meet by supposed chance on one of Venice's mazelike streets and soon Gilly is inserting herself into Frankie's lonely life, with unsurprisingly disastrous consequences. Just when you think Frankie is pulling herself together, writing again, finding grace in her solitude, she is fleeing yet another city, the hounds of guilt baying at her shoulder.
That's enough of the plot. Curl up to this literary noir with an ice-cold Negroni, bring your umbrella, and leave a light on.
I'm glad I kept on. Mangan offers up another stylized psychological thriller that again owes its inspiration to the prolific pens preceding it: the mannered mid-20 century European backdrops of Patricia Highsmith, the droopy noir of Raymond Chandler, and the angst-ridden feminists of Virginia Woolf. Like Tangerine, this novel features another unsuspecting, emotionally vulnerable woman navigating an unfamiliar, exotic place and falling victim to a scheming beauty. It relies on coincidences and demands considerable suspension of disbelief that in less-skilled hands would result in book being thrown (figuratively, because I have too much respect for books) at the wall.
But damn, Mangan is such a great writer. She conjures up mood, time and place in captivating prose and adds in just the right amount of tension and certain doom to keep the pages turning. Frances"Frankie" Croy, a writer of dwindling success fast becoming a lush after a scandal forced her to flee London for the anonymity of Venice in winter, falls under the spell of Gilly, her professed "biggest fan". They meet by supposed chance on one of Venice's mazelike streets and soon Gilly is inserting herself into Frankie's lonely life, with unsurprisingly disastrous consequences. Just when you think Frankie is pulling herself together, writing again, finding grace in her solitude, she is fleeing yet another city, the hounds of guilt baying at her shoulder.
That's enough of the plot. Curl up to this literary noir with an ice-cold Negroni, bring your umbrella, and leave a light on.
April 25, 2021
Frankie, a writer in her early forties, goes to stay in a Venetian palazzo, known locally as ‘the palace of the drowned’, that belongs to an heiress friend’s family. She’s fleeing a scandal back home in London: having become obsessed with a negative review of her last novel, she attacked a stranger at a party, mistakenly believing the woman was mocking her. In Venice, she ekes out a quiet, solitary existence – until a young woman called Gilly approaches her. Frankie is suspicious of Gilly, but the latter is so persistent that they form a friendship, albeit one that becomes increasingly strained.
The first half is slow to get going, never really communicating much tension nor capturing the atmosphere of Venice. Gilly, meanwhile, is rendered almost too well; she’s so creepy and clingy that I hated to read about her, and was never quite convinced by Frankie’s acceptance of her ‘friendship’. Halfway through, something pivotal happens, and thereafter the plot becomes much more gripping. A feverish sequence portraying Frankie’s descent into paranoia is particularly effective.
I didn’t like this as much as Mangan’s debut Tangerine, but most of the problems I had with it – not enough suspense, the nature of the ending – are just matters of personal taste. It was a nicely absorbing tale for a lazy Saturday afternoon, and like Tangerine it would make a good holiday read.
I received an advance review copy of Palace of the Drowned from the publisher through Edelweiss.
TinyLetter | Linktree
The first half is slow to get going, never really communicating much tension nor capturing the atmosphere of Venice. Gilly, meanwhile, is rendered almost too well; she’s so creepy and clingy that I hated to read about her, and was never quite convinced by Frankie’s acceptance of her ‘friendship’. Halfway through, something pivotal happens, and thereafter the plot becomes much more gripping. A feverish sequence portraying Frankie’s descent into paranoia is particularly effective.
I didn’t like this as much as Mangan’s debut Tangerine, but most of the problems I had with it – not enough suspense, the nature of the ending – are just matters of personal taste. It was a nicely absorbing tale for a lazy Saturday afternoon, and like Tangerine it would make a good holiday read.
I received an advance review copy of Palace of the Drowned from the publisher through Edelweiss.
TinyLetter | Linktree
July 21, 2022
Loved it! Great audio, great slow burn of a character driven story.
March 7, 2021
2.5 stars I read and loved Tangerine. So I was excited to get an opportunity to read and review Palace of the Drowned, to be published June 2021. I have traveled to Venice twice and I thought the description of the city was spot on. So atmospheric! However the characters were hard to warm up to. Frankie was just not that interesting and Jack, why name a female character Jack? It was distracting to me. All in all and ok read. I'm just tired of the stereotypical weak female in distress storyline. Thank you to bookbrowse and Flatiron books for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 18, 2022
This psychological thriller gains its tension from the careful unraveling of a fraught mind. Frankie, an author whose books have never lived up to the success of her debut, is reeling from scandal. Her mental health is in tatters, and she flees to Italy on the advice of a friend to spend the winter in solitude and anonymity. By chance (cue the ‘dun dun dun’), she meets Gilly, a young woman who insists on forging an uneasy friendship with her favourite reluctant author. This is a slow burn, sumptuous read that builds to an absolutely brilliant climax. Atmospheric and steeped in eeriness, the setting of Venice in the 1960s is brought to richly detailed life with its culture and endless canals and bridges. The characters are finely drawn, and I loved this ode to classic thrillers with an emotionally vulnerable woman falling under the spell of a mysterious, potentially nefarious, beauty in an exotic locale. The suspense relies not on action but on the descent into paranoia against the backdrop of a drowning labyrinthian city.
This read pairs perfectly with the classic Aperol Spritz.
This read pairs perfectly with the classic Aperol Spritz.
July 6, 2021
Poor Frankie should have heeded the wisdom of seasoned authors: Never read the reviews of your own books.
Superb writing, nice sense of place (Venice, 1966!), skillful character development, and sorry to say, mostly mediocre plot, with occasional bursts of brilliance. The pacing was consistently, exasperatingly slow for this reader.
May 15, 2021
I received a gifted ARC from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
It's 1966 and Venice is drowning. So too, it feels, is washed-up wunderkind author Frankie Croy, who has arrived to lick her wounds following a very public breakdown. Feeling increasingly trapped in the labyrinthian city, Frankie settles into an uneasy friendship with Gilly, a precocious young woman who claims a former acquaintance - but may not be all she seems. As the waters rise higher and the women find themselves trapped in the imposing ruin of the palazzo, tensions mount and lies come to light. But will the flood wash away the past, or will it become a watery grave?
The first 150 pages were a slog: heavy-handed in the introspective monologues and light on events to further the plot. While I recognize this is a stylistic choice, it is not one that often compels me to reach for the book, let alone finish it. It wasn't until the exact midway point of the book that something exciting (finally!) happened, and the swell of that action carried me through the end of the book. There were many references throughout the book to the geography of Venice (specific streets and buildings) and Italian culture (frequently-sprinkled words in Italian, customs that the reader is assumed to be familiar with) which made reading slow as I had to look everything up. A map of Venice should have been included, as I have visited the city and still wasn't able to keep track of the characters' movements. I found the character relationships to be convoluted, but appreciated the depth of character shown in Frankie, Jack, and Gilly - as well as the clever use of symbolism with Gilly's clothing to portray her slippy personality. The ending was sensible, if predictable. This book tries to be an Italian guide to culture, a murder mystery, and an historical fiction novel all rolled into one - but unfortunately manages to satisfy none of them.
It's 1966 and Venice is drowning. So too, it feels, is washed-up wunderkind author Frankie Croy, who has arrived to lick her wounds following a very public breakdown. Feeling increasingly trapped in the labyrinthian city, Frankie settles into an uneasy friendship with Gilly, a precocious young woman who claims a former acquaintance - but may not be all she seems. As the waters rise higher and the women find themselves trapped in the imposing ruin of the palazzo, tensions mount and lies come to light. But will the flood wash away the past, or will it become a watery grave?
The first 150 pages were a slog: heavy-handed in the introspective monologues and light on events to further the plot. While I recognize this is a stylistic choice, it is not one that often compels me to reach for the book, let alone finish it. It wasn't until the exact midway point of the book that something exciting (finally!) happened, and the swell of that action carried me through the end of the book. There were many references throughout the book to the geography of Venice (specific streets and buildings) and Italian culture (frequently-sprinkled words in Italian, customs that the reader is assumed to be familiar with) which made reading slow as I had to look everything up. A map of Venice should have been included, as I have visited the city and still wasn't able to keep track of the characters' movements. I found the character relationships to be convoluted, but appreciated the depth of character shown in Frankie, Jack, and Gilly - as well as the clever use of symbolism with Gilly's clothing to portray her slippy personality. The ending was sensible, if predictable. This book tries to be an Italian guide to culture, a murder mystery, and an historical fiction novel all rolled into one - but unfortunately manages to satisfy none of them.
June 3, 2021
Palace of the Drowned is a suspenseful, transporting literary thriller about a British novelist who heads to Venice after a public breakdown. It's 1966 and Frankie Croy is desperate to escape. Years have passed since the initial success of her debut novel, and Frankie has spent her career trying to live up to the expectations of her editor and fans, only to fall short with each new publication. Now, after a particularly scathing review of her most recent work, alongside a very public breakdown, Frankie retreats to her friend's vacant palazzo in Venice in the hopes of recapturing some of the inspiration that once motivated her.
Then Gilly appears. A precocious young admirer eager to befriend her favourite author, Gilly seems determined to insinuate herself into Frankie's solitary life. But there's something about the young woman that continues to give Frankie pause, that makes her wonder just how much of what Gilly tells her is actually the truth. Set against the catastrophic 1966 flooding of Venice, the encounters between these two women will ultimately lead to a series of lies and revelations that will tragically disrupt both of their lives.
This is a compulsive, captivating and immersive literary thriller steeped in 60's nostalgia and explores the crazy world of celebrity and those chasing said status. Christine Mangan has a knack for painting characters as though they're appearing in a movie before your very eyes; they're vivid and full of life and leap off the pages of the book. The narrative brings the mystery of Venice to life through rich, evocative descriptions while delivering a beautifully rendered and twisted tale of art, ambition and human nature, and it asks the question: how far is one willing to go to achieve success. Highly recommended.
Then Gilly appears. A precocious young admirer eager to befriend her favourite author, Gilly seems determined to insinuate herself into Frankie's solitary life. But there's something about the young woman that continues to give Frankie pause, that makes her wonder just how much of what Gilly tells her is actually the truth. Set against the catastrophic 1966 flooding of Venice, the encounters between these two women will ultimately lead to a series of lies and revelations that will tragically disrupt both of their lives.
This is a compulsive, captivating and immersive literary thriller steeped in 60's nostalgia and explores the crazy world of celebrity and those chasing said status. Christine Mangan has a knack for painting characters as though they're appearing in a movie before your very eyes; they're vivid and full of life and leap off the pages of the book. The narrative brings the mystery of Venice to life through rich, evocative descriptions while delivering a beautifully rendered and twisted tale of art, ambition and human nature, and it asks the question: how far is one willing to go to achieve success. Highly recommended.
January 22, 2022
Venice continues to haunt me sixty years since I visited as an undergraduate and like Frankie in this novel, became lost and wandered till dawn. Mann’s Death in Venice remains the touchstone (“follow that gondola”), but I still vividly recall Hemingway’s Across the River and into the Trees, Byron’s Childe Harold, the masquerade ball in Simon Raven’s Brother Caine, Count Balint Abady’s fling with Addy in Bánffy’s They Were Counted (if you’re going to have an affair in Venice, you need a palazzo and your own personal gondolier), and most recently Anthony Powell’s Temporary Kings. So, I was delighted to return to Venice in Christine Mangan’s Palace of the Drowned, which indeed includes a run-down palazzo and a most unseaworthy gondola. Like Mangan’s earlier Tangerine, this book features an unequal pair of frenemies, Frankie a declining author in her mid-40s and Gilly (which she mistakenly pronounces with a hard gee), an aspiring novelist 20 years younger, who claims to be Frankie’s number one fan. Despite her supposed age, Gilly acts very much the ingenue, though she knows Venice and Italian much better than Frankie. The year is 1966 and featured a great flood. (I wonder if the 2019 flood gave Mangan the idea for the setting.) Frankie is in the midst of a nervous breakdown (as it was called then) and has exiled herself from England after getting drunk and assaulting a woman whom she thought gave her a bad review, at a party at the Savoy. Then her BF Jack (who is a woman though we’re never told how she acquired this masculine sobriquet as readers keep having to remind themselves every time it occurs) turns up at the Palazzo along with her husband Leonard, who is “the only one capable of making a negroni exactly the way she liked them.” Like the negronis and the local words for Venetian seafoods, this seems very much a book intended for aspiring international sophisticates till Mangan supplies the Danieli with a “bellhop” and we realize the friends thanked in the afterword for helping the author make the “British characters be as British as possible” missed. One would expect “car smash” for “driving accident” too. But idioms were not the problem with making Frankie a believable character; too much in her backstory is barely limned in and she quite lacks the character one would expect of an Englishwoman of her age and class. She is supposed to have been a fire watcher during the Blitz, and still has her whistle, which serves as a prop in the novel. She never married, but instead attended “university, putting her at a distinctive financial disadvantage when compared with her peers.” Does that mean all her girlfriends married rich men? And where did she go to university and what did she read, something not a lot of women did in immediately postwar Britain? Gilly is a dreadful pest, but I found her amusing, but more like mid-teens than the twenty something she’s supposed to be. So, whilst I loved the setting, I thought trying to create upper-middle-class mature English characters was too much of a stretch for Mangan and had real doubts about the legal details both with the Italian police and the English coroner’s inquest. The Palace of the Drowned feels very much a pastiche of a black and white 1950s film noir. It is good to see a contemporary novelist attempting sophisticated and worldly characters and settings from the last century, but both are a bit beyond the author’s imaginative reach.
May 2, 2021
I received this book as a giveaway in exchange for an honest opinion. I finished reading it which says a lot. If I had not given a commitment to write a review I would have stopped after the first chapter. It was slow and simply dragged on. I won't spend a lot of time on the issue of a published author having typos and grammar errors. The editor should have caught those. Using Italian words for things without giving the readers a clue as to what they were bothered me. I am not going to take the time to find an Italian-English dictionary and look them up. I will say that in one chapter she must have realized her error and made references but then fell into old habits and stopped. For me, once I start skimming over words in a book then it's all downhill. I begin to skim past overly wordy paragraphs. The story line wasn't bad. In the end, all I took away from the entire book was Venice would be a dreadful place to visit. I'm sure the people of Venice would not be happy with how it was represented. There goes tourism dollars. Would I recommend it? Not really. I wish the author well but won't be reading any more of her work.
July 16, 2021
An excellent follow up to Tangerine, her previous novel. The author has an uncanny ability to use exotic settings to create modern day gothic literature. This time we are in Venice in the mid sixties. Frankie, a 42 year old author has been struggling as of late. After a first novel that was very well received, she has not been able to achieve that same level in her following novels. After a devastating review of her latest effort, she has a mental breakdown. On the advise of her best friend jack (a woman), she takes some time off at a palazzo in Venice. There she encounters Gilly a beautiful young woman who claims to know her. In time Frankie learns of her true identity and how she has played a part in her life. For most of the novel she reveals herself to be a besotted fan.
Gilly eventually asks Frankie to read a novel that she has written, and this leads to some very interesting narratives pathways. We as readers do learn the reality of the situation, with some surprises that actually really aren't surprises at all (at least to this reader). The relationship between Frankie and Gilly leads to a thrilling climax that occurs during a massive storm that hits Venice. The novel reaches extreme Gothic proportions at this point.
This is a very well plotted book, and it all comes together in the end. I found the end to be rather haunting and so well written.
Gilly eventually asks Frankie to read a novel that she has written, and this leads to some very interesting narratives pathways. We as readers do learn the reality of the situation, with some surprises that actually really aren't surprises at all (at least to this reader). The relationship between Frankie and Gilly leads to a thrilling climax that occurs during a massive storm that hits Venice. The novel reaches extreme Gothic proportions at this point.
This is a very well plotted book, and it all comes together in the end. I found the end to be rather haunting and so well written.
February 14, 2021
Review TK
April 1, 2021
Hey, I won a copy of this book from Goodreads.
I finished this book a couple days ago and have been kind of sitting on reviewing it because I don't know what to say about it. It's a quick read, because you want to know what's going to happen next, but, for me, that was because the back blurb said it was a mystery and I kept waiting for the mystery part to happen so I could start chewing on that plot thread. For the most part, what I think was the mystery component felt more like wicked social anxiety and paranoia, so instead of tense it more felt like a standard Thursday, so it didn't grab me.
I think that if I hadn't read the back blurb and had a preconceived notion of where things were going to go based on my idea of what those things mean, I would have liked it more.
I finished this book a couple days ago and have been kind of sitting on reviewing it because I don't know what to say about it. It's a quick read, because you want to know what's going to happen next, but, for me, that was because the back blurb said it was a mystery and I kept waiting for the mystery part to happen so I could start chewing on that plot thread. For the most part, what I think was the mystery component felt more like wicked social anxiety and paranoia, so instead of tense it more felt like a standard Thursday, so it didn't grab me.
I think that if I hadn't read the back blurb and had a preconceived notion of where things were going to go based on my idea of what those things mean, I would have liked it more.
July 19, 2021
If you’ve been to Venice, you know that in addition to being beautiful and historically fascinating, it’s also, well, kind of a creepy place.
So I was delighted by the creepy premise of this creepy book set in—you guessed it—good old, creepy Venice.
I didn’t love Tangerine so I was a bit skeptical about returning to Mangan’s work, but I’m so glad I did because this was an exceptionally good piece of fiction.
Venice, with all its creepiness, is a fantastic place to set a novel, yet I rarely find that it’s used to its potential. But Mangan achieved that and more in Palace of the Drowned, which is worth reading purely for the gorgeously atmospheric depiction of the Sinking City, and also boasts an intriguing, chillingly fascinating plot with terrifically rendered characters.
I absolutely loved Frankie and the way she was depicted, and everything—from what transpired between her and Gilly to the strangle relationship she forms with the palazzo and the city itself—was gorgeous.
Though the story itself is more than enough, this is also one of those books that is worth reading just for the pure pleasure of the reader experience. I found this to be particularly true having been to Venice, but I imagine it will resonate for those with no real world experience of it as well.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
So I was delighted by the creepy premise of this creepy book set in—you guessed it—good old, creepy Venice.
I didn’t love Tangerine so I was a bit skeptical about returning to Mangan’s work, but I’m so glad I did because this was an exceptionally good piece of fiction.
Venice, with all its creepiness, is a fantastic place to set a novel, yet I rarely find that it’s used to its potential. But Mangan achieved that and more in Palace of the Drowned, which is worth reading purely for the gorgeously atmospheric depiction of the Sinking City, and also boasts an intriguing, chillingly fascinating plot with terrifically rendered characters.
I absolutely loved Frankie and the way she was depicted, and everything—from what transpired between her and Gilly to the strangle relationship she forms with the palazzo and the city itself—was gorgeous.
Though the story itself is more than enough, this is also one of those books that is worth reading just for the pure pleasure of the reader experience. I found this to be particularly true having been to Venice, but I imagine it will resonate for those with no real world experience of it as well.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
March 19, 2021
I would love to thank Flat Iron Books for the physical ARC of Palace of the Drowned.
Christine Mangan , author, was a #1 Indie Pick for her book "Tangerine". I will also nominate her for IndieNext, for Palace of the Drowned.
This book is about Frankie Croy, an author who had initial success in 1966, with her debut novel. Years later, she has spent a lot of years trying to please her editor and fans alike with a second successful book. But she's falling short, leading to a very public, very embarrassing breakdown.. She retreats to her friend 's vacant palazzo in Venice to get re-inspired and to recharge her battery.
Then Gilly appears. Gilly is a young admirer of her favorite author Frankie. Gilly is determined to ensconce herself into Frankie's quiet life, a much needed solitary life. But Frankie is hesitant, something about Gilly is off. This dark tale gets unbelievably tense as these two womens' life leads to a series of lies that will lead to tragedy, possibly for both of them.
Palace of the Drowned is of the literary thriller genre and a truly twisted tale, think of something like The Talented Mr. Ripley! The questions of this book will deal with art, ability, mental illness, mental fragility and intense relationships, so it is also great for bookclubs.
On sale June 2021. Get your copy.
Christine Mangan , author, was a #1 Indie Pick for her book "Tangerine". I will also nominate her for IndieNext, for Palace of the Drowned.
This book is about Frankie Croy, an author who had initial success in 1966, with her debut novel. Years later, she has spent a lot of years trying to please her editor and fans alike with a second successful book. But she's falling short, leading to a very public, very embarrassing breakdown.. She retreats to her friend 's vacant palazzo in Venice to get re-inspired and to recharge her battery.
Then Gilly appears. Gilly is a young admirer of her favorite author Frankie. Gilly is determined to ensconce herself into Frankie's quiet life, a much needed solitary life. But Frankie is hesitant, something about Gilly is off. This dark tale gets unbelievably tense as these two womens' life leads to a series of lies that will lead to tragedy, possibly for both of them.
Palace of the Drowned is of the literary thriller genre and a truly twisted tale, think of something like The Talented Mr. Ripley! The questions of this book will deal with art, ability, mental illness, mental fragility and intense relationships, so it is also great for bookclubs.
On sale June 2021. Get your copy.
June 21, 2025
I enjoyed this much more than the author’s debut which was involving but not particularly new or believable. This one’s the adventure of Frankie who’s isolating in an empty, crumbling palazzo in Venice after overreacting to a bad review of her latest book. Frankie’s high-strung, a bit paranoid, and quite sympathetic. I loved the stinking, echoing remoteness and solitude of the palazzo and shivered along with Frankie at its mysterious sounds and shadows. And then there was garrulous, grating Gilly who, with her big eyes and clingy behaviour, reminded me of that Overly Attached Girlfriend meme.
There weren’t any subplots to hinder the flow of the story, but a number of times during my reading I had to stop and consider a few passages that added a slightly different subtext, a different layer of meaning to Frankie’s story. I loved the Henry James moments, and the Highsmith moments, and at least one other that I couldn’t identify. I do have a minor quibble about a major decision Jackie makes that didn't ring quite true for me, but I guess if things had not happened that way, we wouldn’t have that ending. This is a book that would bear rereading to pick up all the little hints and nudges I missed the first time. 4 1/2 stars.
There weren’t any subplots to hinder the flow of the story, but a number of times during my reading I had to stop and consider a few passages that added a slightly different subtext, a different layer of meaning to Frankie’s story. I loved the Henry James moments, and the Highsmith moments, and at least one other that I couldn’t identify. I do have a minor quibble about a major decision Jackie makes that didn't ring quite true for me, but I guess if things had not happened that way, we wouldn’t have that ending. This is a book that would bear rereading to pick up all the little hints and nudges I missed the first time. 4 1/2 stars.
February 25, 2021
Atmospheric and eerie thanks to the pitch perfect depiction of Venice off season. The barely likable main character, Frankie and her relationships with Jack, Leonard and, above all Gilly seem contrived to me. Her indecision regarding these friends changed with each new chapter. The pacing seemed to drag in the middle though I did finish to see how the story resolved...(not a surprise ending). My main issue however is I felt I had read this storyline before: young author befriends older author whose latest efforts failed to live up to expectations, "mayhem " ensues, young author's manuscript becomes latest offering of older author...
A disappointing read.
A disappointing read.
May 7, 2021
2.5 stars
For me ,this book dragged.
A lot.
I got to the end,and didn't really feel it justified the time I'd spent reading it.
I dislike giving bad reviews as there is nearly always something to like about a book,and in this case,the setting of out of season Venice was very atmospheric,as was the house Frankie stayed in.
I didnt warm to,or loathe any of the characters,so the whole book just felt a bit flat to me.
For me ,this book dragged.
A lot.
I got to the end,and didn't really feel it justified the time I'd spent reading it.
I dislike giving bad reviews as there is nearly always something to like about a book,and in this case,the setting of out of season Venice was very atmospheric,as was the house Frankie stayed in.
I didnt warm to,or loathe any of the characters,so the whole book just felt a bit flat to me.
May 3, 2021
DNF - Not for me
March 10, 2022
Palace of the Drowned is a haunting suspense novel. The main character is Frankie, a troubled novelist who just received a scathing, anonymous review of her latest book. This review has taken over her life and turned her into an angry, hostile woman. During a resulting retreat to Venice, Gilly enters her life. Frankie prides herself on being a loner, but Gilly annoys her by insinuating herself into Frankie’s life. Frankie can’t decide whether she loves her or hates her. Furthermore, it seems to Frankie that Gilly isn’t being totally truthful about her past. One other character has a major role, Frankie’s only friend Jack. These three women play out a very dramatic tale, largely within the setting of the terrible 1966 flooding of Venice. Mangan’s atmospheric story will stay with me for a long time.
June 13, 2021
3.5-4
A very twisted story of a writer and the young fan she meets in Venice. An intense plot about ambition and those on the brink of madness. Mostly set in Venice during a catastrophic flood with an ominous feeling of doom. The ending was dark but well done.
A very twisted story of a writer and the young fan she meets in Venice. An intense plot about ambition and those on the brink of madness. Mostly set in Venice during a catastrophic flood with an ominous feeling of doom. The ending was dark but well done.
March 30, 2023
I very much enjoyed Christine Mangan’s debut novel, Tangerine, and was looking forward to reading her second, Palace of the Drowned. As in her first book, Palace of the Drowned features a female character abroad in a modern historical setting, and an element of taut mystery.
Forty-two-year-old novelist Frances Croy, known as Frankie, is ‘working to leave the previous year behind’, and has escaped to Venice. Here, living in a crumbling but charming palazzo belonging to friends, who turn up some way into the narrative, Frankie ‘finds comfort in the emptiness of Venice in winter, in the absence of others.’ Set during the historic flood of 1966, the worst which was ever experienced in the city, she ‘struggles to make sense of what is and is not the truth, ultimately culminating in a tragedy that leaves her questioning her own role and responsibility – as well as her sanity.’
Palace of the Drowned opens in Rome in the November of 1966, where Frankie has found herself after the events in Venice: ‘She wondered what the guard might see if he were to return her gaze – an innocent tourist momentarily overcome by the beauty of Rome, or something closer to the truth.’ After this short chapter, the narrative shifts back to October in Venice.
The sense of place which Mangan builds is striking: ‘It was hypnotic, the lapping of the green water up and over the cobbles, the smell of brine surrounding her, so that instead of taking a step back, she had moved forward, as if to welcome it. The spell was broken only when a local had appeared in one of the windows, calling out something to her in Venetian.’ I really enjoy the attention which the author pays to small details; for example: ‘Frankie felt suddenly prim, older than her years, with her short blonde wisps of hair pinned tightly back, kirby grips scraping against her scalp, her face bare except for some hastily applied eyeliner.’
Soon after she arrives, without her friend who was supposed to be travelling with her in tow, Frankie meets Gilly, who introduces herself as the daughter of a ‘publishing acquaintance’.
As in Tangerine, Mangan builds tension with a great deal of skill. Each sentence is taut and carefully crafted, particularly as the narrative builds to its climax: ‘It happened quickly then. The feeling of something around her throat, the grip tightening so that she could not breathe… She needed an exit – a chance to catch her breath, to let her skin cool, for already she could feel it, the sharp pinpricks of heat as they crept across her skin, first on the inside of her elbows and towards her wrists, and then on her back, her chest, crawling up, reaching for her throat.’
I believe that Mangan is quite an underrated writer. I hadn’t heard anything about this novel until I spotted it on my library’s website, and I remember next to no coverage of Tangerine upon its publication, either. Palace of the Drowned really drew me in, and I was keen to keep turning the pages and uncover the mysteries of this cleverly crafted novel. The characters Mangan has created are excellently developed, and the scenes their actions play out against are strongly imagined. A real strength of Palace of the Drowned is in its immaculate pacing, and it kept me guessing throughout.
Forty-two-year-old novelist Frances Croy, known as Frankie, is ‘working to leave the previous year behind’, and has escaped to Venice. Here, living in a crumbling but charming palazzo belonging to friends, who turn up some way into the narrative, Frankie ‘finds comfort in the emptiness of Venice in winter, in the absence of others.’ Set during the historic flood of 1966, the worst which was ever experienced in the city, she ‘struggles to make sense of what is and is not the truth, ultimately culminating in a tragedy that leaves her questioning her own role and responsibility – as well as her sanity.’
Palace of the Drowned opens in Rome in the November of 1966, where Frankie has found herself after the events in Venice: ‘She wondered what the guard might see if he were to return her gaze – an innocent tourist momentarily overcome by the beauty of Rome, or something closer to the truth.’ After this short chapter, the narrative shifts back to October in Venice.
The sense of place which Mangan builds is striking: ‘It was hypnotic, the lapping of the green water up and over the cobbles, the smell of brine surrounding her, so that instead of taking a step back, she had moved forward, as if to welcome it. The spell was broken only when a local had appeared in one of the windows, calling out something to her in Venetian.’ I really enjoy the attention which the author pays to small details; for example: ‘Frankie felt suddenly prim, older than her years, with her short blonde wisps of hair pinned tightly back, kirby grips scraping against her scalp, her face bare except for some hastily applied eyeliner.’
Soon after she arrives, without her friend who was supposed to be travelling with her in tow, Frankie meets Gilly, who introduces herself as the daughter of a ‘publishing acquaintance’.
As in Tangerine, Mangan builds tension with a great deal of skill. Each sentence is taut and carefully crafted, particularly as the narrative builds to its climax: ‘It happened quickly then. The feeling of something around her throat, the grip tightening so that she could not breathe… She needed an exit – a chance to catch her breath, to let her skin cool, for already she could feel it, the sharp pinpricks of heat as they crept across her skin, first on the inside of her elbows and towards her wrists, and then on her back, her chest, crawling up, reaching for her throat.’
I believe that Mangan is quite an underrated writer. I hadn’t heard anything about this novel until I spotted it on my library’s website, and I remember next to no coverage of Tangerine upon its publication, either. Palace of the Drowned really drew me in, and I was keen to keep turning the pages and uncover the mysteries of this cleverly crafted novel. The characters Mangan has created are excellently developed, and the scenes their actions play out against are strongly imagined. A real strength of Palace of the Drowned is in its immaculate pacing, and it kept me guessing throughout.
July 27, 2021
I feel like The Plot is the big summer thriller but...this is the one! Paranoia, atmosphere, women with unclear motives and questionable friendships. I was kept guessing until the end.
I read Tangerine a few years ago and it wasn't quite what I wanted it to be. I think this book improves on that one a lot. Venice in 1966 is cold and wet, there is a decaying palazzo and a challenged English writer visiting on her own.
Frankie is such a good unreliable narrator and seems to spiral into paranoia.
This is one part The Talented Mr. Ripley and one part The Plot-- old and new! Recommend!
I read Tangerine a few years ago and it wasn't quite what I wanted it to be. I think this book improves on that one a lot. Venice in 1966 is cold and wet, there is a decaying palazzo and a challenged English writer visiting on her own.
Frankie is such a good unreliable narrator and seems to spiral into paranoia.
This is one part The Talented Mr. Ripley and one part The Plot-- old and new! Recommend!
July 10, 2021
I thought Mangan’s previous psychological suspense novel, Tangerine (as in someone from Tangiers), was brilliant, so was looking forward to this. And it got off to a fabulous start. Some of the same elements were in place, with two women drawn into each other’s orbit and with something very off about it all. This one is set in Venice, where a struggling English writer, reeling from bad reviews for her most recent novel and a subsequent very public breakdown, has retreated to a friend’s vacant palazzo to lick her wounds and try to make progress on a new novel. (It’s set in the mid-60s, chiefly I think because some of the plot just couldn’t work in the present-day with its ubiquitous social media.) Decaying and maze-like Venice sets a beautifully creepy ambience, and the tension grows steadily, with unsettling hints of Hitchcock and Highsmith. Is Frankie (the novelist) in her right mind? Why is she seeing and hearing things no one else is? And just what does Gilly, the highly persistent young woman who seems to be a serial liar, want, exactly? Then, somewhere in the middle, the whole thing lost steam. Some of the plot developments just weren’t credible, I thought; though the author had tried to build a convincing framework based on Frankie’s mental fragility and social isolation, I still found myself thinking, several times, “Oh, come on! As if!” It was off to such a promising start that I couldn’t help but be disappointed that it lost its interest for me.
May 15, 2021
One caveat about these reflections: I’m not a fan of writer’s writing about how hard it is to write, a major theme in “Palace of the Drowned.”
Established writer Frankie Croy, a woman in her forties, debuted with a brilliant novel and everything she’s written since has been mediocre. Gilly, a young writer of 26, was inspired by Frankie’s first novel. Gilly is enigmatic—is she an overzealous fan? A stalker? Or trying to usurp her former idol and take her place? The novel reads like a retelling of the classic "film All About Eve," which is based on Mary Orr’s short story “The Wisdom of Eve.” The time period is even closer to the film than to today (1950 and 1966, respectively).
I did appreciate the theme of ageism. Frankie is considered old hat (at 42!) while Gilly represents the future, writing in a modern, experimental style for the era. Yet neither of these two main characters is likable or someone we care about, making it difficult to root for them or care what happens to them. After a few chapters, the whining became tedious and I hoped one of them would kill the other and get it over with.
One intriguing element was Frankie’s mental decline, resulting from a combination of PTSD from World War II, the loss of her parents, and her flailing career. I hoped for a deeper examination of how these events and the difficulties of being an unmarried career women in the sixties informed her actions. Instead, Frankie simply becomes an unreliable narrator. I then hoped for an unexpected twist. Sadly, the ending falls flat. (Spoiler sentence here: wouldn’t it have been interesting if the manuscript in Gilly’s hotel turned out to be Frankie’s “missing” novel that the publisher subsequently adored?)
The best part of the novel is Christine Mangan's rich, sensual language and evocative, vivid descriptions of Venice. Would that her skillful, sumptuous style was coupled with a more compelling story and characters.
I received a free advanced copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review.
Established writer Frankie Croy, a woman in her forties, debuted with a brilliant novel and everything she’s written since has been mediocre. Gilly, a young writer of 26, was inspired by Frankie’s first novel. Gilly is enigmatic—is she an overzealous fan? A stalker? Or trying to usurp her former idol and take her place? The novel reads like a retelling of the classic "film All About Eve," which is based on Mary Orr’s short story “The Wisdom of Eve.” The time period is even closer to the film than to today (1950 and 1966, respectively).
I did appreciate the theme of ageism. Frankie is considered old hat (at 42!) while Gilly represents the future, writing in a modern, experimental style for the era. Yet neither of these two main characters is likable or someone we care about, making it difficult to root for them or care what happens to them. After a few chapters, the whining became tedious and I hoped one of them would kill the other and get it over with.
One intriguing element was Frankie’s mental decline, resulting from a combination of PTSD from World War II, the loss of her parents, and her flailing career. I hoped for a deeper examination of how these events and the difficulties of being an unmarried career women in the sixties informed her actions. Instead, Frankie simply becomes an unreliable narrator. I then hoped for an unexpected twist. Sadly, the ending falls flat. (Spoiler sentence here: wouldn’t it have been interesting if the manuscript in Gilly’s hotel turned out to be Frankie’s “missing” novel that the publisher subsequently adored?)
The best part of the novel is Christine Mangan's rich, sensual language and evocative, vivid descriptions of Venice. Would that her skillful, sumptuous style was coupled with a more compelling story and characters.
I received a free advanced copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review.
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