A noble family, a legendary painting, a cursed palazzo.

When Arnold Clover is recruited by Lizzie Hawker to help her look into her family inheritance, he cannot begin to guess the journey he is about to embark on.

Lizzie's mother, an Italian countess, disappeared thirty years ago, presumed dead. Her father has just died and now the family home, a leaning palazzo in Dorsoduro that is full of secrets, has fallen to Lizzie. When her mother vanished so too did a priceless painting of Lucrezia Borgia - but it quickly becomes apparent that Lizzie and Arnold are not the only ones interested in finding it.

The search for the lost Lucrezia quickly becomes a race through the secret history of Venice, one with potentially deadly consequences.

"An atmospheric thriller studded with lurid tales of Venice" - * Kirkus Reviews *

"A murder mystery, an eye-opening tour of Venice, a lesson in Italian history and a titillating tale of love, loss and revenge, this is one for fans of the unusual" - * Booklist *

"A genuine love letter to the parts [of Venice] most tourists never see" - * Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine *

"Praise for David Hewson: A winning combination of research, make-believe and mouthwatering cuisine. Fans of Donna Leon's Commissario Brunetti, Michael Dibdin's Aurelio Zen and Henry James's The Aspern Papers will love it" - * The Times *

"Hewson's inventiveness never flags" - * Sunday Times *

"Hewson keeps the reader guessing . . . Relentlessly tightening the suspense until the end" - * Daily Telegraph *

"A murder mystery, an eye-opening tour of Venice, a lesson in Italian history and a titillating tale of love, loss and revenge, this is one for fans of the unusual" - * Booklist *