Sophie Masson’s Elizabethan romantic mystery, The Madman of Venice (Aug 2010), is the perfect companion for a summer trip, poolside escape, or as an enjoyable journey from the summer doldrums
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The canals of Venice in 1603 are exciting, mysterious, and dangerous. Celia, the spunky, smart daughter of a prosperous London merchant, and Ned, her father’s like-able but somewhat stubborn clerk, find themselves quickly caught up in two mysteries: the deadly pirate attacks that have been plaguing English ships; and the search for Sarah Tedeschi, a Jewish girl who has vanished from the Venetian Ghetto after being accused of witchcraft by the powerful Countess of Montemoro.
As Celia and Ned, along with Celia’s father, aunt, and Dr. Leone, an interesting family friend, plough headlong into the intrigue of Venetian politics, they gradually realize that they have romantic feelings for each other. Their budding romance is an important aspect to the story, but it takes a backseat to the pair’s search for clues and willingness to dive headlong into danger to solve the mysteries that they soon discover are linked together.
Romance plays an important, but not featured role in the story, enabling this book to have crossover appeal to both boys and girls. The plot is richly layered with a myriad of colorful, realistic characters and lots of engaging, effective plot twists throughout. Masson’s real gift lies in creating a pair of like-able protagonists whose strengths balance each other to move the narrative forward at an engaging pace. Furthermore, Masson does a fantastic job of creating a Venice that feels real; it’s rich with vibrant detail and so clearly described at times the reader feels like we’re hiding in the dark alley with Ned, or being amazed right along with Celia by the overwhelming color and variety in the bazaar. Plot references to Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice are delicately laced throughout the novel, and clever readers can enjoy how Masson explores many of the same themes Shakespeare does, but with lively, youthful dialogue and easily accessible teen characters.
- Posted by Cori