Изгубеният Монтеверди

Venice #3

by Philip Gwynne Jones, Филип Гуин Джоунс

Ежегодният карнавал във Венеция е в разгара си и улиците са претъпкани с маскирани хора. Но празничната атмосфера бързо се помрачава. По време на смайващо представление в операта "Ла Фениче" в една от ложите е намерен убит мъж. А в портмонето му е открита визитка, която ще промени нечий живот.

Нейтън Съдърланд не иска нищо друго, освен да прекара рождения си ден, слушайки любимата си опера. Плановете му се променят драстично, когато разбира, че лично е замесен в разследването на убийство.

Мистерията около убития мъж отвежда Нейтън по следите на изгубената опера на Монтеверди. Започва надпревара на живот и смърт из улиците на Венеция, които изглежда крият много опасности...


Филип Гуин Джоунс живее в Италия заедно със съпругата си. Обича кулинарията, изкуството, класическата музика и операта. Неговите романи с венециански загадки бързо се превръщат в бестселъри.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Italy, Fiction, Thriller, Audiobook

360 pages, Paperback

First published April 4, 2019

Reviews

[Paromjit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Philip Gwynne Jones evokes a vibrant picture of the historical city of Venice with its backstreets and waterways in this murder mystery that echoes the full blooded emotion and drama of a Italian opera. Nathan Sutherland is a translator and honorary consul at the British embassy providing information on Brexit and Italian citizenship for the ex-pat community. It is his birthday, and his partner, Federica, aka Fede, has got tickets for a night at the opera at La Fenice with the celebrated Thomas Joshua Lockwood. He is overjoyed albeit disappointed that international soprano, Isotto Balden, is unable to perform. A man is stabbed to death in the box opposite, and Nathan had glimpsed a sinister figure there in a horror mask of the plague Dr Beak. His police contact, Vanni, informs him that the dead man was Matteo Zambon, and he just happened to have on his person Nathan's business card. Nathan is sure that he has never met the man but his curiosity is aroused.

To Nathan's astonishment, he meets Isotto, and is starstruck by her celebrity, being a opera lover and entranced by her beauty. She and Lockwood are a couple, and have a story to tell of Zambon, they are certain he had knowledge of the whereabouts of the lost manuscript of 'The Rape of Prosepina' by Claudio Monteverdi. Lockwood is passionately obsessed with getting his hands on the manuscript and hires Nathan to help him locate it. Nathan is aware of the danger, a man has already been murdered for what he knew, but he cannot help but be excited by the prospect of the quest. Lockwood additionally ropes in an old university friend of his, Christopher Maitland, a music teacher at a public school, in Venice for performances by his choristers at St George's Anglican Church. Amidst the revelry of Carnevale with its costumes and celebrations, with its numbers swelled by a mass of tourists, Nathan finds himself glimpsing the menacing Dr Beak far too often, he and Fede are in danger, being stalked and is horrified when another murder takes place. It all ends in a thrilling finale back at La Fenice where it all began.

One of the major highlights of this terrific novel is the author's close and personal knowledge of Venice, its historic buildings, churches, bridges, and architecture. He makes the reader feel as if they are right there in this city with its history, music, festivals and culture, and its mouthwatering food and drink. Nathan is a likeable and quirky protagonist, I particularly loved his relationship with his fractious anti-social cat, Gramsci, with whom he converses on his visitors, music and his life. Music is central to the story, opera in particular, with its colourful, dramatic and heartbreaking storylines that echo in the narrative so strongly. If you fancy being transported to Venice, then this is the perfect book with its intrigue, blackmail and murder. Many thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC.

[Val Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't know why I left this book for so long before starting it. The Venetian Masquerade was so good. I've not read or heard of Philippe Gwynne Jones before and loved this book about Nathan Sutherland, a translator who lives in Venice and gets called upon to investigate a missing murdered stranger who has one of Nathan's business cards. What is the connection? He then becomes involved in trying to find a musical masterpiece and meets some very interesting characters along the way.

This is the third book in a series, but its also a great standalone thriller, and I know now, having read it, I will definitely read the rest.

Am amazing thriller that trails around Venice and will keep you begging for more. It would make a really good tv series.

Philip Gwynne Jones is a excellent author and this book had great descriptive text and locations. I really felt I could be in Venice and would definitely like to go there.

The characters were also excellent and I definitely wont be waiting too long before I read or listen to another book by this author.

I listened to the audio version of this book which really help with some of the Italian names etc which I know I wouldn't have got right if reading to myself. Additionally, the narrator Tim Bruce was a perfect match for this book and I can say without hesitation that it wont be long before I listen to the rest of the series and anything else Philip writes. I believe there may

Any negatives? Not really, Nathan does drink a lot of Spritzes throughout which added an unusual quirk to his character.

A big thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK, Constable for the opportunity to read and review this book

[Karina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nathan Sutherland,honorary consul and part time translator is asked to help the famous conductor, Thomas Lockwood, and his gorgeous talented partner,Isotta Baldan, an opera singer, in their quest for a mythical,but unfortunately lost,opera of Monteverdi. But death seems to follow in the wake of their investigations...
The setting,Venice during carnival, is of course absolutely stunning but somehow I'm missing some personal link to the city. We get all the names of the calle,piazza's...but there is a certain warmth,a deep involvement lacking. The relationship between Nathan and his partner Frederica is a bit soppy,a lot of tesoro,mio cuore,caro mio(and I mean a lot!). There is also a lot foodstuff going on,but there again, I don't have the feeling they are particularly enjoying their food apart from huge amounts of Spritzes (basically vermouth/Campari,white wine/prosecco and sparkling water.) Yes,Spritz is definitely an on going theme!
It is an easy read and it is not a bad story as the mystery of a long lost manuscript is captivating but it is certainly not as sparkling as the already mentioned Spritz.

[Deborah Grant-Dudley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This mystery is less whodunit, and more how will the infinitely flawed Nathan work it out and survive the experience? As usual, he misses some of the signs, and identifies the last clue a little too late to contact the police. So he has to deal with the very urgent, very dangerous situation himself, adding to the already high drama of the it-could-only-happen-in-Venice plot. Which is why I love this character!

[Kristine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a difficult review because I really wanted to like this story, I just didn't really care for the protagonist. Nathan wasn't a particularly likeable character for me. I don't think this borderline obsession over a singer when he had an absolute gem of a girlfriend added anything to the story nor did it do anything to raise him in my favour. I instantly disliked him anyway because the first 2 chapters were of him moaning about foreigners in Venice (rich being that he's British) and his girlfriend giving him a cracking birthday gift for it to be moaned through all night. She could have done better for herself, for sure. We didn't get enough time with the sassy priest, I'm mad about that. I don't think it was necessary to be giving us little tidbits about Nathan's ex-wife - it's a plot line that never developed and wasted space. Revelation of who the plague doctor was could have been a bit more dramatic.

Maybe I'm giving the author a hard time. It's supposed to be suspense but it was kinda bland suspense. I love Venice, though, and the novel did wind you about the streets a lot and made you dizzy trying to remember which way was up, but that's really how walking around Venice is, so that didn't bother me. I'm reading the blurbs on the cover, "great fun" - I don't know when it was "fun"; "an almost surreal climax" - if we're using bizarre as the definition for surreal, I'll give it that. It wasn't a particular exciting climax. I didn't have an "oh snap" moment when it was revealed who was involved, I was just like, meh, we're finally at the end now of this sillyness; and finally "an unputdownable thriller" - again, I'll give it unputdownable, it was interesting enough that I read it in one sitting but mainly because I just wanted to be done. It wasn't horrible, honestly, but it wasn't thrilling. It wasn't believable. I wasn't even moved by the stalker situation. And Nathan is borderline alcoholic - I know that Spritzers are watered down but in the quantity of his intake?! He's like a little puppy and anytime someone breathes around him he perks up and is like "Spritzer?" Poor Fede. Wished she was more appreciated. And more sassy priest.

In sum, just wasn't my thing.

[Alex Donnelly-Palmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Getting better as the series carry on

This is book 3 and a different kind of murder mystery. Love all the Venice which I guess is the whole point of basing it there!

Worth a go for an easy read

[Tripfiction · Rating 4 out of 5]

Masked thriller set in VENICE



The Venetian Masquerade is the third book in Philip Gwynne Jones’ Nathan Sunderland, Honorary Consul series. It is every bit as good as the first two – The Venetian Game and Vengeance in Venice. The formula for all three is similar (and none the worse for that… familiarity provides a comfort zone). There is a very good ‘arty’ mystery, some violence, a great deal of detail about the buildings and canals of Venice (Philip lives there and clearly knows the city extremely well), and references to Nathan’s culinary skills – together with some enticing recipes. It is a powerful mix.

There are rumours that an old, and lost, original score of an opera by Monteverdi (The Rape of Proserpina) exists in the city. This really excites Thomas Lockwood (a very famous conductor) and Isotta Baldan (his live-in partner and equally famous soprano). They are performing at the Teatro La Fenice. Nathan and his partner, Fede, are in the audience for his surprise birthday present… A man in a box opposite them is stabbed to death… The police visit Nathan the next day, the victim had one of his business cards (he works as a translator) in his pocket. Nathan is also approached by Thomas and Isotta who ask him to help find the missing manuscript (his fame as a sleuth has obviously spread…).

All this is set during Carnevale, when Venice is a masked paradise for any killer or villain. One particular person, masked as Dr Beak – an old Venetian character who sorted the living from the dying in the time of the plague – attracts Nathan’s attention. He stalks Nathan and threatens both him and Fede. But who is he, and does he have any connection to the missing score?

The plot develops apace via an intriguing and violent evening at The Masquerade ball and another murder at the Anglican Church of St George (see the map at the beginning of the book to understand the geography…). Something pretty serious is happening. Nathan, of course, works it out and all the pieces fall into place. The finale is on stage at La Fenice during a rehearsal. It is a good and imaginative story, well told.

Nathan and Fede then return to their apartment, their cat Gramsci, and their cooking. All is quiet until Philip writes the next outing for the Honorary Consul. I look forward to it.

[Trevor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not absolutely sure what I made of this book. Initially, I found the chatty, conversational style rather annoying and a bit like a 1970’s sit-com. I think I got used to it as I progressed through the pages and enjoyed a well crafted murder mystery, set in Venice with plenty of food, booze, music and drama. The characters are well written, the plot is good, the location is used to very good effect and overall I enjoyed it.
There are plenty of others in the series, that I may come round to reading, but not just yet.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This third entry in the Venice series is set around the opera in Venice, with a mystery involving a missing operatic score from the 1600's. In investigating it Nathan gets to hang out with an opera star he admires and her director husband, which is exciting until people start dying. Nathan has a few false starts before ultimately solving the mystery. I'm still finding this a fun series in a well described setting.

[Kriste · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third book in Venetian series, I will skip review of the second one as I read then one after other. To start I would like to say I love these series and can’t wait for the next one.

Here I am back with Nathan Sutherland, the honorary council and translator in Venice who finds himself in La Fenice when the murder is committed. Even thought this time he promises his girlfriend Federica not to get involved, he is dragged to solve the murder mystery.

What I like about these books it’s an easy going story, nice characters and lovely place. I like detectives in general, but I like this one because it is different. Venetian series remind me ofAndrea Camilleri’s Montalbano series, I read all of them.

I also like this Italian life style with lovely food and prosecco and spritz and talks with friends about art but not only. Highly recommend.

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm always a bit wary when I read book that are set in Italy, especially in a place like Venice because there's the risk of reading of a place out of a turistic dream.
I loved the way the author writes about Venice, the places, the people, and the food. You can see he knows what he's talking about.
I liked this book, it was an entertaining and enjoyable read.
The mystery was solid and I liked the twists and turns. The characters are interesting and well written.
I was looking for something that was an entertaining read and this book was perfect.
Recommended!
Many thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good story, from an author who understands Venice.
For me, any novel written about Venice falls into one of two categories - did the author get the geography correct or did they not? This author, to my utter delight, not only gets the geography right but also the history, the quirks, and he also writes a good story!
I loved this book, will read others in the series, and watch out for any forthcoming books.
I can’t think that there is a better compliment to an author than that!

[Dolf Patijn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable series. I mainly read the books in this series to be back in Venice for a few hours. The story is okay.

[Circlestones Books Blog · Rating 3 out of 5]

“This may be so, but surely the important thing – the most important thing – is where is the manuscript now?” (Quotation page 104)

Content:
It is Nathan´s birthday, and it is Carnevale in Venice too with lots of masked people everywhere, but still magical. Tonight Monteverdi´s L’Incoronazione di Poppea is waiting at Opera Fenice, but Isotta Baldan, the famous opera soprano Nathan Sutherland was looking forward to finally see on stage has been cancelled again. The singer now playing Poppea is excellent, but she is no Isotta Baldan. So Nathan´s attention wanders, watching two late arrivals, coming into the opposite box. At the end of the opera applause – and a sudden scream. At the opposite box, a person now is flumped forward over the balustrade, stabbed, and in this wallet, the police finds Nathan´s business card. The events somehow seem to be connected to an original manuscript of Monteverdi´s opera Proserpina rapita, lost a long time ago. Nathan is sent on a special quest.

Theme and genre
This thriller, part of a series, takes place in Venice during the famous Carnevale and the story centers around one of Monteverdi´s lost operas.

Characters
Nathan Sutherland works as a translator, but he too is the British honorary consul in Venice and when his help is needed, he begins to investigate, always attracted by mysteries to be solved.

Plot and writing
The story is an interesting mixture of adventures connected to one of the missing works of Monteverdi and vivid descriptions of every day’s life in Venice, between well-known and hidden places. Although there are captivating twists, there also are some lengths.

Conclusion
I definitely enjoy this entertaining, charming series about Nathan Sutherland, but this one could not completely convince me.

[Eyejaybee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across this wonderful series of novels by Philip Gwynne Jones entirely by chance, but have found it highly addictive. Nathan Sutherland is a marvellous protagonist – highly empathetic, and utterly believable – and lives in Venice where he works as a translator, but also fills the office of the United Kingdom’s Honorary Consul. This last, unpaid role involves providing support to British residents or tourists, and usually entails helping visitors who have had their wallets stolen or lost their passports. Occasionally, however, he finds himself dragged into some more complicated business.

This novel, however, starts slightly differently with Nathan joining a couple of friends on atrip to the cemetery island of San Michele on All Souls’ Day. As a consequence, he happens to be present when some workmen inadvertently unearth what proves to be an empty coffin. As the supposed occupant had been a British citizen, Nathan has to review Consulate records to try to unravel the mystery.

Philip Gwynne Jones is masterful at conveying the sights and atmosphere of the various Venetian locations as the story takes the reader all around the city. He is also an excellent PR representative for his adopted city as I am now desperate to visit Venice. He is not just a master of atmosphere, however, and his plots are always unusual but perfectly plausible. His characters are well drawn, too. Nathan is excellent as the well-intentioned but slightly clumsy Consul, while his partner Federica is perfectly charming. Pride of place to my mind, however, goes to Gramsci, the surly and demanding cat with whom Nathan shares his home – one of the finest fictional cats I have encountered.

[Val Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't know why I left this book for so long before starting it. The Venetian Masquerade was so good. I've not read or heard of Philippe Gwynne Jones before and loved this book about Nathan Sutherland, a translator who lives in Venice and gets called upon to investigate a missing murdered stranger who has one of Nathan's business cards. What is the connection? He then becomes involved in trying to find a musical masterpiece and meets some very interesting characters along the way.

This is the third book in a series, but its also a great standalone thriller, and I know now, having read it, I will definitely read the rest.

Am amazing thriller that trails around Venice and will keep you begging for more. It would make a really good tv series.

Philip Gwynne Jones is a excellent author and this book had great descriptive text and locations. I really felt I could be in Venice and would definitely like to go there.

The characters were also excellent and I definitely wont be waiting too long before I read or listen to another book by this author.

I listened to the audio version of this book which really helped with some of the Italian names etc which I know I wouldn't have got right if reading to myself. Additionally, the narrator Tim Bruce was a perfect match for this book and I can say without hesitation that it wont be long before I listen to the rest of the series and anything else Philip writes.

Any negatives? Not really, Nathan does drink a lot of Spritzes throughout which added an unusual quirk to his character.

A big thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK, Constable for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love these stories by Philip Gwynne Jones set in Venice. I have read the previous two and enjoyed them enormously. The lead character Nathan Sutherland, the Honorary Consul in Venice, is an every man hero who stumbles through as best he can with the mysteries that he finds himself embroiled in. With a dash of humour and a wonderful tour through this most beautiful of cities there is much to love. Having said that whilst I still enjoyed this lastest adventure I found it slightly less enjoyable than previous offerings. The backdrop to the story is the Opera Scene and the search for a long lost missing music score by Monteverdi. After a mysterious death at the opera house La Fenice, Nathan is hired by a famous conductor and his equally famous opera singer partner to help them find the missing score. For anyone who has knowledge and /or love of Italian opera this story would be great but for myself with almost no love or knowledge of same it was a tad difficult to follow. But it did not take away from my overall enjoyment of the escapades of Nathan, his girlfriend Frede and the other familiar characters from previous books. This is a good book in the series but I wouldn't recommend it as an introduction to the Nathan and his friends. I look forward to the next offering

[Chloe Morton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although there was lovely descriptions of Venice and Italian food, I felt the plot and overall storyline was significantly lacking. The main protagonist, Nathan, was not the most likeable character as he had a borderline obsession for Isotta despite the fact he had a lovely supportive girlfriend, who he didn’t appreciate at all. For example he moaned all the way through a fabulous birthday celebration she had pulled together for him. It simply made their relationship seem a bit false and unbelievable. Furthermore, he complained continuously about tourists in Venice despite being British himself, which got very tiring as the book went on. I also felt that you didn’t develop any kind of relationship with the characters, to the point where you didn’t really root for anybody. Not much happened throughout the whole book, so the whole story was incredible slow and drawn out. I felt that the unmasking of the plague doctor was incredibly underwhelming, and that the plot itself wasn’t as dramatic as it could have been.

[Cameron Norman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This third in the Venetian series continues with the glorious portrait of Venice told through the eyes and experiences of a transplanted Englishman. The great strengths of Gwynne Jones’ series is that Venice is a major character in the book. It is also the most interesting and adds some of the best of this book and the entire series. The rest of the (human) characters are getting better known with more depth and are people I have grown attached to. The characters are the best part of the story. The actual crime is interesting and the backstory is well-researched and articulated. It is, at times, one that also can lose the reader. I found myself more attracted to the description of Venice, the favourite ‘haunts’ of the characters, and the way the setting mixes with the character and the story. If you love place-based fiction and the wonders of a historically rich place like Venice, this book is a gem. If you’re just looking for a good mystery, this book is good for that, too— just not to the same degree.

[Emelle Gamble · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting series, better with each new book

Jones is the real thing, his Honorary counsel is not your typical hero - he cries on occasion, he doesn’t fight back very effectively against thugs, he drinks too much, has a streak of adolescent laziness, but he’s also patient, kind, moral and in love with a winning local woman he probably doesn’t deserve.

His Venice is not Donna Leon’s, which could be damning with faint praise, but it’s not. It’s not the elegant, dreamy, dying paradise of the master Leone, but it feels like the real thing. And it’s original and believable, and it belongs to Jones. Brava. The twist at the end is first rate, can’t wait to read more.

[Kirsty Darbyshire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Third in a series that I'm enjoying. One of those books I'd hesitate to recommend to anyone else though because I think the things that I like about it are a bit too "it just hits the right note for me" and might not work for others. A couple of months after reading I find that I've forgotten most of the details and am just left with the memory of a good read with characters who are becoming good friends, and that's just fine. I don't feel like I have enough ongoing series in my reading timeline at the moment and this is a welcome addition.

[Lorna Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another thoroughly entertaining entry in this series. Venice is still the star, the descriptions of the city so vibrant and personal, but the rest of the elements of the book are no slouch either. A bit of time has passed since the last book and the recurring characters have all grown and settled and are lots of fun to spend time with. The mystery itself is solid, and although the world of opera does nothing for me, it gives a justification for some rather over the top characters to play out the mystery. A comfortable page turner that was just nice to settle in with.

[Nathaniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was great! So many suggestions of places to eat and drink in Venice, with a huge focus on drinking. It even included some recipes for meals and alcoholic beverages. The Church Pub sounds delightful, I definitely want to visit it and try one of those most precise Negronis. Father Michael sounds like quite a character too! There was also something about a lost score and some murders, but they were most inconsequential. That part was boring and the people concerned in it were incredibly annoying.

[Carolien · Rating 4 out of 5]

A visit to the opera to listen to Monteverdi as a birthday treat ends in tragedy when one of the guests, a stranger to Nathan, is stabbed at the end of the performance. Although he was present on the evening, Nathan doesn't expect a visit from the police who informs him that the dead man had his business card on him. His efforts to determine why the man wanted to use his translation services draws Nathan into a hunt for a lost opera which has already turned deadly. Really enjoyed this instalment in the series.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoroughly enjoyable read. Far better than Jones’ second ‘Vengeance in Venice’ and only narrowly less enjoyable than ‘The Venetian Game’. Loved the historical angle throughout here and once more being immersed in the streets of Venice, locations of visited and others I hope to visit when I return for a third time. Looking forward to reading the newly released ‘Venetian Gothic’ - 4th in the series.

[Jo Hindhaugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This may be my favourite book of the series so far. It's Carnival time in Venice. As a special birthday treat, Federica takes Nathan to the opera to see his favourite singer in a Monteverdi classic. The evening ends in tragedy as one of the audience members is murdered. And thus, Nathan finds himself at the centre of his third investigation. Very evocative of Venice, full of drama and intrigue, and laced with humour: what more could you want? I've already downloaded the next instalment!

[Cheryl McCall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have loved all of the books in this series but this one I found a little hard to follow due to the subject. Opera and music scores are not something that particularly interests me . However, the lovely writing style meant it still flowed with the usual references to Venice and it's culture resulting in a relaxing bedtime read. Nathan, Federica and surly Gramsci are a pleasure to read about no matter what the crime is that is taking place.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun PGJ mystery

This is my third Nathan Sutherland mystery and I keep having fun with them. I think I relate to the guy. I'm not an opera person but I am a Venice person. I like them as much for the plot as the trip planning with all the real-life restaurants etc. that the author names because he (I mean his main character of course... lol) likes them. Sadly some from this book appear to be permanently closed, assumedly because of the pandemic.

[Mick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another entertaining outing for Nathan Sutherland in the lovely environs of Venice. A light read but worthwhile; you're transported to the world's most beautiful city.

Just a caveat: whoever wrote the precis on the back cover made the unforgivable sin of divulging a plot twist that lay, astonishingly, on page 305 (of 351). What were they thinking of? Didn't anyone at the publishers - or indeed, the author - notice this? Very bad form.

[Lis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not usually a fan of this genre I chose this book as post holiday in Venice solace.
What a great tale, with twists and turns and some interesting characters.
But what I loved most was visualising all those squares and streets, all the stunning architecture and character of the real star of the story, the beautiful city of Venice.