A woman born to the lowest possible place in society pulls herself up and away from her roots and secures a position as a lady’s companion. In this role she is taken to Venice where an earl, obsessed with revenge against the man that raped his bastard daughter and tried to kill him, mistakes her for his enemy’s lover. He stages her disgrace as part of his vengeance. After her downfall she seeks him out and demands he make restitution. Discovering his error he offers her the run of his house in return for carnal favours, unable to admit that he feels more than simple lust for her. She agrees resigning herself to the life of a courtesan.
As his plans for revenge unfolds she sees that he will never forgive himself should he be successful and so derails his well set up scheme at the last moment. It is only then that the truth is revealed. The man he believed responsible for rape and murder attempts was in fact innocent. True he is a reprobate and knave of the first order but innocent of the crimes of which he is accused. In fact, in an unexpected twist, the butler (or at least, the estate manager) did it.
Naturally, the courtesan and her earl live together happily ever after.
Another great gothic offering from this author. Dark characters with dark secrets performing dark acts, how could I not enjoy it? The title puzzled me a bit. Though set in Venice music had little or nothing to do with the story at all. But that is neither here nor there.
The motivation behind the actions of both the main and secondary characters is quite believable. The pace is good with the story unfolding steadily only picking up in the final pages where the true culprit is unveiled. I would like to have seen more hints throughout the story as to who the real villain was. It is only in the final chapter that hints are dropped culminating in an exposition and as a reader I felt a little cheated by the way it was handled. However it might have been the author’s intention to spring the surprise twist on the reader at the same time as the main character makes the discovery. I can understand that technique even if it doesn’t particularly appeal to me. Overall I liked this offering better than the previous one (The Veil of the Night). It didn’t have that circuitous feeling that the early work suffered from. For the main part I enjoy this author’s voice and the way it’s developing. I would certainly read more of her work should it cross my path.-Lynn
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