The Venetian Sanctuary

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

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Set against the backdrop of the most beautiful city on earth, this is a gripping and atmospheric crime novel perfect for fans of Donna Leon and Andrea Camilleri.

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.

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Praise for Philip Gwynne Jones

'An irresistible concoction of crime and culture' Daily Mail

'Gwynne Jones' entertaining take on his beloved Venice is as delightful as a Spritz by the Rialto - a must for all Italy lovers' David Hewson

'Clever and great fun' The Times

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

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

'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' Reader review, 5 stars

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

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.

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