Novels set in Venice
#27
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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?
#31
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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
#35
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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 "Thief in Venice" (by Jane Langton, not Laughton), which was pretty good, but not as good as these other mystery writers.
#38
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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.