Terrible editing marred a good tale

Enjoyed the food and the imagery of Venice. But utterly terrible sound editing. You could hear each time a recording session ended and started. Destroyed the flow and enjoyment of the book. No idea how any publisher signed off on this. Real shame.

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5 people found this helpful

A Death in Venice. Excellent

I listened to this story in several long chunks and enjoyed every minute of it. Great historical details, an interesting plot and very skilled narration. The murder happens fairly early on in the story and the author does well to keep the investigative narrative going for so long. The final denouement took me by surprise and I certainly didn't see it coming!

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1 person found this helpful

Brings Venice to life!

This was a super story, well plotted, complex and gripping. I suspected the final reveal from fairly early on but that didn’t spoil the pace or tension. The narrator would have earned 5 stars if he had pronounced campanile with 4 syllables and not used 3 to make it rhyme with stile

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Loved it

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, well written and very well read, can’t wait to hear the next one.

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Not much happened

Disappointed with story, nothing exciting like previous books
Kept on waiting, waiting & waiting
More like a stroll around Venice

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3 people found this helpful

An unusual and fascinating murder mystery

David Hewson hits the target once more with a wholly Venetian murder mystery. The rhythm is unusually slow but never boring. The main character – instead of the customary detective or policeman/policewoman – is a modest, retired English archivist, Arnold Clover, just widowed. Honouring the dream he and his beloved wife shared, he recently moved to Venice. Unexpectedly, the past catches up with him in the person of the controversial television historian Marmaduke Godolphin, who involves him in the search for documents which would cast new light onto two famous murders of the Sixteenth Century, those of Alessandro de’ Medici in Florence and of his killer, Lorenzino de’ Medici, in Venice, involving none other than Michelangelo. But Godolphin ends up killed on the same spot of Lorenzino and Carabinieri Captain Valentina Fabbri asks Clover for assistance to identify the culprit.
Narrated in the first person, the plot unfolds between present day with Captain Fabbri and the recent past, during the days before Godolphin’s demise, with many insights into the far past of the Medici days. While the murder mystery is pure fiction, the historical facts are accurate. The rhythm is deliberate and allows the reader to better “taste” every scene, nuance, fact, painting a very precise picture of what happens, against the backdrop of a Venice that appears almost like another character, with depictions from which you can gather not only the author’s excellent knowledge of the town, but also his love and admiration for it. The mystery unravels little by little, with some interesting twists that enrich the narration.
Richard Armitage’s voice, with its thousand nuances, makes the listening a true delight. Some minor spelling errors – usually the wrong tonic accent, and some –chi and –che read the Anglophone way –tchi and –tche instead of –ki and –ke – are truly of little consequence and, as a matter of fact, quite charming.

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Thoughtful and absorbing book

Intriguing story and characters brought to life by marvellous narrator. Author David Hewson always good.

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Enjoyable

I enjoyed this story but at times felt it was a little dull. Happily recommend however.

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Atmospheric but dull

Good sense of location (Venice) but too much detail - began to read like a guide book. Characters not convincing. Didn’t find them likeable or interesting. Clover very dull. Plot unlikely, convoluted. Finished the book - but almost didn’t! Might try one more by this writer.

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2 people found this helpful

unusual crime story.

This was a slow burner for me. After 10 hrs of listening, there was no real crime committed in the story which was a disappointment and there was more of a history lesson in art and Venice and some of it was relevant. other times the author went on too long regarding places, the past and even the food !! I couldn't fault Richard Armitage's performance, he did an excellent job as always. Story could have finished a few chapters earlier. but i still enjoyed the book .

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1 person found this helpful