The Venetian Sanctuary, Philip Gwynne Jones
The Venetian Sanctuary, Philip Gwynne Jones
List: $31.99 | Sale: $22.40
Club: $15.99

The Venetian Sanctuary
A gripping, atmospheric thriller set in the beautiful and secretive islands of Venice

Author: Philip Gwynne Jones

Series: Nathan Sutherland Series #14

Narrator: Tim Bruce

Unabridged: 8 hr 49 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 07/04/2024

Synopsis

'I devoured all Philip's novels and felt transported to Venice with a new intimacy' Val McDermid

'An unputdownable thriller' Gregory Dowling

'The plot is a masterwork of intrigue' Daily Mail

'Gwynne Jones's talent for evoking place and atmosphere is clear as ever' Literary Review

What lies beneath?

Venice, June 2020. The city has returned to the Venetians during a merciful pause in the Covid pandemic, and few overseas visitors are to be seen. Yet Dominic Vicari, a British private investigator haunted by loss, has travelled across Europe to the tiny island of San Francesco del Deserto. The ancient monastery there, it is said, was founded by St Francis himself in the 13th century. Its population now consists of five Franciscan brothers and three pilgrims on retreat. Or, rather, two pilgrims and a dead man.
Nathan Sutherland is called in when Vicari's broken body is found at the base of the campanile, his death seemingly nothing more than a terrible accident. But Nathan isn't so sure and sets out on an investigation that will reunite him with an old friend and an old adversary, and the discovery of a terrible secret hidden at the heart of the lagoon.

Praise for Philip Gwynne Jones

'Superb - always gripping, beautifully constructed and vivid' Stephen Glover

'Clever and great fun' The Times

'Sinister and shimmering, The Venetian Game is as haunting and darkly elegant as Venice itself' L.S. Hilton, bestselling author of Maestra

'The Venetian setting is vividly described... good, fluid writing makes for easy reading' Literary Review

'Un-put-downable . . . If you love Venice, you'll love this because you'll be transported there in an instant. If you've not been to Venice, read this book and then go. If you like intrigue, and a clever plot, you'll love this book' Amazon reviewer, 5*****

'The lively, colourful narrative scuds along as briskly as a water taxi...you'll enjoy the ride' Italia Magazine

About Philip Gwynne Jones

Philip Gwynne Jones was born in South Wales in 1966, and lived and worked throughout Europe before settling in Scotland in the 1990s. He first came to Italy in 1994, when he spent some time working for the European Space Agency in Frascati, a job that proved to be less exciting than he had imagined.He spent twenty years in the IT industry before realising he was congenitally unsuited to it. Furthermore, an attempt to find a secure, well-paid job with a proper pension had resulted in him finding himself in the IT department of a large Scottish bank during the global financial crisis.Something, clearly, had to change. And so it was that - following a conversation with a man in a pub - Philip and Caroline left their jobs, sold their flat and moved to Venice in search of a better, simpler future. They were wrong about the 'simpler' bit . . .Philip now works as a teacher, writer and translator, and lives in Venice with Caroline. He enjoys cooking, art, classical music and opera; and can occasionally be seen and heard singing bass with Cantori Veneziani and the Ensemble Vocale di Venezia.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Paul on September 18, 2024

A lower 4 stars than others in the series. I felt the premise for the novel was decent; COVID combined with eco-NIMBYism - but that the execution was lacking, as a result of an unnecessarily complicated and convoluted narrative.......more

Goodreads review by Val on January 07, 2025

A big thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK | Constable for the opportunity to review and read The Venetian Sanctuary by Philip Gwynne Jones Apologies it took so long, but I wanted to catch up on the series and read them in order before I read the latest in the series. The whole series are excellent......more

Goodreads review by Stephen Richard on May 12, 2024

The Venetian Sanctuary is the eighth book in the Nathan Sutherland series. As the series progresses and The Honorary Consul's quirky ways and approach to solving crimes becomes more familiar- prone to finding himself in awkward situations and meeting rather dubious characters- and the more enjoyable......more

Goodreads review by Jenny on July 09, 2024

Brilliant, as always. The best thing about this author is that he gets Venice 'right'. As someone who knows the city well, although not as well as him, I get fed up of seeing films and reading books that are so markedly incorrect. It is therefore a joy to read such a book as this, and to even learn......more

Goodreads review by Michelle on July 16, 2024

I love these books. They got me through cancer treatment last year. They are quite light reads, with a very naughty cat, the normal civilian/unpaid ambassador , and friendly police detective solving mysteries with a cast of friends and enemies to back them.up. Most importantly it is set in Venice, w......more

Add to Cart
Add to Wish List