The Devil in Dorsoduro

In Venice, the beauty hides secrets that are steeped in darkness.

It’s August, and the city is melting under the heat. As locals flee for Ferragosto, retired archivist Arnold Clover plans to enjoy the rare silence – until his friend in the Carabinieri asks him to check on an elderly English woman. He expects little more than locked shutters and unanswered letters. Instead, he finds her dead inside her remote and faded mansion— surrounded by strange symbols and ritualistic objects that suggest her interests ran far deeper than history books.

Left with nothing but unanswered questions, and the woman’s devoted dachshund, Bruno, Arnold is drawn into a shadowy world beneath Venice’s postcard beauty and begins to ask questions. Between bookshops, cafés and walks along the canals, he peels back the layers of his mysterious old friend’s life — and discovers a Venice few tourists ever see. A city where old beliefs linger, alchemy and folklore are taken seriously and powerful figures hide dangerous secrets.

As rumours spread, Arnold realises this murder was no isolated tragedy. Someone wanted the woman silenced. And now, as he follows the trail, is he putting his own life in danger?

The Devil in Dorsoduro is a stylish and suspenseful European crime novel filled with atmosphere and intrigue, perfect for fans of Donna Leon and Philip Gwynne Jones.

“If you like your crime fiction smart, absorbing and full of surprises The Devil in Dorsoduro is definitely the book for you. Old Venetian sins clash with the stark reality of a very modern crime amid the canals and palazzos of one of the most romantic and intriguing cities in the world. Arnold Clover, David Hewson’s clever British ex-pat, knows Venice well and leads us not only into the city’s less than fragrant underbelly but also back into a past that is both little known and magical. I was entranced.” – Award-winning author Barbara Nadel