The Venice Sketchbook: A Novel

Rhys Bowen crafts a propulsive, unexpected plot with characters who come vibrantly alive on the page. Mark Sullivan, author of Beneath a Scarlet Sky

Love and secrets collide in Venice during WWII in an enthralling novel of brief encounters and lasting romance by the New York Times bestselling author of The Tuscan Child and Above the Bay of Angels.

Caroline Grant is struggling to accept the end of her marriage when she receives an unexpected bequest. Her beloved great-aunt Lettie leaves her a sketchbook, three keys, and a final whisperVenice. Carolines quest: to scatter Juliet Lettie Brownings ashes in the city she loved and to unlock the mysteries stored away for more than sixty years.

Its 1938 when art teacher Juliet Browning arrives in romantic Venice. For her students, its a wealth of history, art, and beauty. For Juliet, its poignant memories and a chance to reconnect with Leonardo Da Rossi, the man she loves whose future is already determined by his noble family. However star-crossed, nothing can come between them. Until the threat of war closes in on Venice and theyre forced to fight, survive, and protect a secret that will bind them forever.

Key by key, Letties life of impossible love, loss, and courage unfolds. Its one that Caroline can now make right again as her own journey of self-discovery begins.