The Venetian Sanctuary

I don’t feel like I have many series reads on the go at the moment, I used to have zillions and I’m pretty certain there are still many authors writing series so it seems it’s me that’s gone off the idea. This one is a series where I’m waiting for the author to write a new book with the same characters so I can get my hands on it as soon as I can though.

I’ll check before I post this but the only authors of contemporary series I can remember that I’ve read that have handled the Covid pandemic within the timeline of the books are Elly Griffiths (I got annoyed with Ruth and Nelson breaking the rules) and Sara Paretsky (VI was a stickler for the rules). (I did check before posting and didn’t find any others.) This is another to add to those. The author mentions at the end that he was advised not to write a Covid novel, but I agree with him that the strange times are something worth preserving. I feel it would be weird to base a series in contemporary times, and Nathan has already been dragged through Brexit after all, but then have the pandemic mysteriously not affect Venice.

The previous book was, I seem to remember, set in early 2020 as the world began to twig that something was up - and this is set later in the year as people are getting together again in Italy. Most of the book is set in an isolated monastery on an island in the Venetian lagoon which I was pleased to find out is a real location and looks to be the one photographed on the book cover. Lots of good stuff, as well as the setting there were some great characters. The thing I get a little tired with is the device of letting the dead body speak their own chapters from beyond the grave - it might have been used in all this series, it’s certainly been used in the last few so it wasn’t a surprise, but I’m definitely weary of it. But overall this was a good story as well as a time capsule and I’m still in for the next book if not perhaps quite as enthused about it as I have been, but mostly I think that’s me and not really a reflection on the book.