The Venice Sketchbook - Rhys Bowen
Please keep in mind that I read this book quite a few months after I read Lost in Paris by Elizabeth Thompson, which also contains a hidden apartment, a family secret, and a rich, powerful family. Lost in Paris is a lot better written and researched, so this obviously makes my review of The Venice Sketchbook a little harsher than it would have if I hadn’t read Lost in Paris.
The Venice Sketchbook is two stories in one: Juliet Browning’s time in Venice, first in the late 1920’s where she meets the enigmatic Leo, and then right before, and during WW2; and then Caroline Grant’s mission in 2001 to lay her Aunt Lettie’s (Juliet’s) ashes to rest, and to find out why her aunt left her some mysterious keys in a box.
Caroline discovers a mysterious apartment that belongs to Juliet, suspended in time, and tries to find out her aunt’s secrets; all the while we follow Juliet on her discovery of Venice, and why she ended up staying there during the war rather than escaping while she could.
If you are just reading for the beauty of Venice, the impossible love story, and some elements of WW2 thrown in then you will thoroughly enjoy this book, even if the writing is rather plain and repetitive at times. However if you are well seasoned in WW2 facts and fiction like I am, then you will notice quite a few omissions and gaping holes in the narrative that leave a lot to be desired. That said, these issues didn’t bother me as much as they would at other times, as I really was just looking for something light and simple to read after a long, difficult semester of school.