"A Cry to Heaven" by Anne Rice is set in Venice and tells the tale of the Italian Castrati. Very interesting.

The movie "Don't Look Now" that someone suggested above is based on a short story with the same title by Daphne Du Maurier. The short story is very good.

Edward Sklepowich's series of books featuring Urbino McIntire and the Contess! Divine!

The Venetian Mask by Rosalind Laker.

The film "The Comfort of Strangers," recommended earlier, is based on the novel of the same name by Ian McEwan.

Hey, Eye Spy, relax! Sorry, I didn't know you were so sensitive (nor that you monitor my responses).

What was the name of the movie (probably same vintage as Don't Look Now) that I *think* was set in Venice in which the wife and young daughter of a successful US businessman are kidnapped, never to be heard of again. He returns to Venice (or Florence?) many years later, where he met his wife, and thinks he sees her restoring frescoes in some of the chapels. It's a set up, really his daughter,now grown up, etc. Anyone else remember this?

That was Genevive Bijod and Cliff Robertson. He falls in love with his own daughter. It was called Obsession, I believe. But That was Florence as I recall.

Someone told me about a series of mysteries that are set in Venice. I think they are written by a woman. Does anyone know what they are, or who the author is? He said they are popular in Europe, but I think they are written in English.

Thanks, Mimi, for the name of the movie and also getting the locale straight for me!

Cathy, I think the mysteries you're thinking of may be Donna Leon's series about Commissario Guido Brunetti, which donna (coincidence?) mentioned earlier on this thread. They're wonderful books: well written, highly evocative of Venice, and with characters you really come to care about over the course of the series. Donna Leon is an American who lives in Italy. For some reason, her U.S. publisher only published the first four or five books (which are now out of print in the U.S.), so the later ones have only been published in the U.K. (the original English-language versions, anyway). I always look to see if there's a new Donna Leon when I'm in London, or in an English-language bookstore in Europe.<BR><BR>The titles of the books are (I think I have the order right):<BR><BR>Death at La Fenice<BR>Death in a Strange Country<BR>The Anonymous Venetian<BR>A Venetian Reckoning<BR>Acqua Alta<BR>The Death of Faith<BR>A Noble Radiance<BR>Fatal Remedies<BR>Friends in High Places<BR>A Sea of Troubles<BR>Wilful Behaviour

Thank you, Bree, I will check it out.

<BR>How is it nobody has mentioned ``The Silent Gondolier'' by William Goldman? A laugh-out-loud funny tale explaining why the gondoliers never sing any more (you have to hire a singer). <BR><BR>

1000 Days in Venice by Marlene de Blasi True story - fun read

A wonderful novel: Stone Virgin, by Barry Unsworth. <BR><BR>It is a story of an art restorer (doing work on the Stone Virgin) in present-day Venice interwoven with stories of that figure's past histories. It's beautifully written, and I highly recommend it.<BR><BR>I also am a big fan of Michael Dibdin's and Donna Leon's mysteries. And I did read &quot;Thief in Venice&quot; (by Jane Langton, not Laughton), which was pretty good, but not as good as these other mystery writers.

I think everyone knows The Merchant of Venice is a play, including ES. I don't see what the big deal was ES mentioned it later; seems like a valid addition to the post he made. Others were the ones who were being so nitpicky in the first place.

Thanks all for your replies. Having trouble finding Vaporetto 13. Barnes &amp; Noble, BN.com and Amazon.com are all out of stock. Any suggestions?

Dan --<BR><BR>I just checked, and powells.com, alibris.com, and addall.com all have used copies of Vaporetto 13 available. I've bought books from both Powell's and alibris, and had good experiences with both. I've never bought from addall (only heard about it recently), so I can't say one way or the other about them.

Recently finished reading &quot;A Thousand Days in Venice&quot; by Marlene de Blasi --- great book and a true story.<BR>

Wow - a terrific bunch of responses - Can't wait to pick up the pile of novels now waiting for me at the library.<BR>Thanks, Fodorites - this is one of the topics that makes this forum so great.