About the Book:
A Lady Emily Mystery (#7)
"Years ago, Emily's childhood nemesis, Emma Callum, scandalized polite society when she eloped to Venice with an Italian count. But now her father-in-law lies murdered, and her husband has vanished. There's no one Emma can turn to for help but Emily, who leaves at once with her husband, the dashing Colin Hargreaves, for Venice. There, her investigations take her from opulent palazzi to slums, libraries, and bordellos. Emily soon realizes that to solve the present day crime, she must first unravel a centuries old puzzle. But the past does not give up its secrets easily, especially when these revelations might threaten the interests of some very powerful people."
(from Goodreads)
My Thoughts:
Absolutely enchanting!
Death in the Floating City is one of the best in the Lady Emily mystery series and has the same beautiful and elegant writing that first captured my attention in And Only to Deceive.
The Victorian-era Venetian setting is rich and beautifully depicted, and the mystery is truly intriguing involving poetry, art, illuminated manuscripts, and ancient Venetian noble families. When Lady Emily and Colin are summoned to Venice to begin a murder investigation, their detective work unveils a tragic tale of 15th-century lovers. The star-crossed couple were cruelly denied their happiness as their respective families were involved in an ancient blood feud and refused to allow them to marry. Their ill-fated love story broke my heart and reading of their lifelong pain and longing was very touching. Tasha Alexander wrote their story with such depth and sensitivity that I was brought to tears. How this love story is connected to the murder is a puzzle, and Lady Emily and Colin must piece together ancient clues and clues left at the present-day crime scene to determine the culprit and the motive for murder.
But have no fear, it's not all a tale of woe, and this latest installment has me already anticipating the next book and all of its wonderful possibilities. I hope she's busy writing it!
An absolute must-read for fans of Lady Emily and Colin!
4.5/5 stars
Title: Death in the Floating City
Author: Tasha Alexander
St. Martin's Press
2012
308 pages
genre: historical mystery
