Murder in Venice

Venice Mystery, Book 1

By: Maria Luisa Minarelli, Lucinda Byatt - translator

Narrated by: Fred Stella

Venice, 1752. On a cold December night, a man is found strangled in a dark alley.

High magistrate Marco Pisani is tasked with investigating the grisly murder. When two more bodies are discovered, it is clear there is a serial killer on the loose.

Helped in his investigation by lawyer Zen, daring gondolier Nani and the cunning Chiara Renier, Pisani is determined to uncover the truth before the murderer strikes again. But to find answers, he must move among the city’s criminal underworld of spies, shady taverns and gambling halls.

When the innocence of the victims is called into question, the case is turned on its head. For the first time in his career, the principled Pisani has to ask himself what is more important: following the letter of the law or pursuing justice?

©2015 Maria Luisa Minarelli, Translation © 2019 by Lucinda Byatt. (P)2019 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

awful translation

The book is set centuries ago, but the translator uses modern terms and slang. The original book in Italian might be fine, but this translation is poor.

Couldn't finish

It's rare that I don't finish a book. I just had no interest. It never hooked me. The worst part, though was the story is poorly organized and the reader was flat and didn't have the right intonation. It could be because it has been translated from another language, but it was just clumsy.