This is the second book in the Venetian Mysteries and it is every bit as good as the first! Arnold Clover is back, requested by his Carabiniere friend Valentina Fabbri to assist newcomer Lizzie Hawker research her family's Venetian history and inheritance. Lizzie's father recently died in Britain, and Lizzie has returned to her mother's homeland to decide what to do with the crumbling family palazzo in Dorsoduro, Venice. Lizzie's mother, a Countess, disappeared thirty years and is thought to be dead. Many valuable artifacts from the home are missing, including an infamous painting of Lucrezia Borgia, which has inspired the lust of many men for generations. Lizzie's mother left behind a trail of clues in the form of a story about Casanova, with eight riddles to solve. Lizzie and Arnold become close companions and chase the clues down together, pursued all the while by fierce rival Enzo Canale.

This series gives me everything I want in a mystery novel - tension, atmosphere, great characters, snippets of history and of course, Venice! The locations featured in the book are real, as well as the historical figures. So well-written, you can hear the water lapping as you read. The chemistry between Arnold and Lizzie adds a light romantic element to the novel this time around, which is quite fun and reveals a softer side of Arnold. I found the references to the politics of saving cultural heritage and landmarks in Italy an interesting side topic, and not one that the casual visitor thinks much about. A truly atmospheric and engrossing read - loved it.