Rhys Bowen is such an accomplished author. She writes a variety of styles, three different mystery series and also stand alone novels. This newest stand alone historical novel, The Venice Sketchbook is a delightful though painful story of life in Europe leading up to World War II.
A beautiful love story of Juliet, a young girl of eighteen, who travels to the city of love, Venice, with her aunt. It is 1928. Venice is enticing, sailing through the canals, the delicious food and of course a handsome man who she falls in love with. Her aunt whisks her away before she can get to know this handsome stranger. A few years later, Juliet gets an opportunity to return to Venice as an art student to study and she runs into Leo again. This time though he is from a family of royalty and is betrothed to marry a person who will help cement the family's financial future, he and Juliet are drawn to each other.
The war breaks out and Juliet is caught there. Her life takes various twists and turns that she writes about in her diary.
Years later, Caroline Grant 's great aunt Juliet dies and leaves three keys to Caroline without any explanation. Caroline starts on a trip to Venice to help her get over her divorce and try to find out what the keys are connected to in Venice. As we follow Caroline back to Venice we are reading the diary of Juliet's life and adventures.
The suspense is built as the reader learns more and more about Juliet's life during her year at art school and as the war is encroaching on Italy. The reader will be caught up in the story until you reach the satisfying ending.
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