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The Cemetery of Secrets
 
 

The Cemetery of Secrets [Kindle Edition]

David Hewson
2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)

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Product Description

Product Description

In the ancient burial ground of San Michele on an island off Venice, a young woman's casket is prised open, an object wrenched from her hands, and an extraordinary story begins.

Young academic Daniel Forster arrives in Venice working for the summer in the library of a private collector. When his employer sends him to buy a stolen violin from a petty thief, he ignites a chain of violence, deception, intrigue and murder. Daniel is drawn into the police investigation surrounding a beautiful woman, a mysterious palazzo and a lost musical masterpiece dating back to 1733.

Separated by centuries, two tales of passion, betrayal and danger collide transporting the reader from the intrigue of Vivaldi’s Venice to the gritty world of a modern detective. From the genius of prodigy to the greed of a killer, The Cemetery of Secrets builds to a shattering crescendo – and one last, breathtaking surprise.

'Richly enjoyable . . . sophisticated and beguiling'
Sunday Times

Book Description

In the ancient burial ground of San Michele on an island off Venice, a young woman’s casket is prised open, an object wrenched from her hands, and an extraordinary story begins. Young academic Daniel Forster arrives in Venice working for the summer in the library of a private collector. When his employer sends him to buy a stolen violin from a petty thief, he ignites a chain of violence, deception, intrigue and murder. Daniel is drawn into the police investigation surrounding a beautiful woman, a mysterious palazzo and a lost musical masterpiece dating back to 1733. Separated by centuries, two tales of passion, betrayal and danger collide transporting the reader from the intrigue of Vivaldi’s Venice to the gritty world of a modern detective. From the genius of prodigy to the greed of a killer, The Cemetery of Secrets builds to a shattering crescendo – and one last, breathtaking surprise. 'Richly enjoyable . . . sophisticated and beguiling' Sunday Times

Product details

  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • File Size: 974 KB
  • Print Length: 384 pages
  • Publisher: Pan Books (1 Oct 2010)
  • Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.à r.l.
  • Language English
  • ASIN: B0044KLPB0
  • Text-to-Speech: Enabled
  • Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #83,915 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
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More About the Author

David Hewson
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I'm finding it hard to write a short summary of what this book is about, and I don't think the author could quite make up his mind either.
On the cover it's described as 'A Venetian Mystery', and reading the first chapter is like watching the opening scene of a movie: we're in a cemetery, a small-time crook has been paid to open a coffin, and he steals what's inside.
But then the narrative splits in two, and it loses focus and gets confusing almost immediately.
Both stories are set in Venice, one modern day and the other nearly 300 years before when Vivaldi and Canaletto were at work in the city. At the centre of each story is a naive young outsider and his love affair with a beautiful and talented musician, who is being threatened by a powerful and manipulative older man. Both stories involve betrayal and murder, and the ownership and performance of a special piece of music.
He's really good at creating an atmosphere and some intriguing characters, but this is a book that doesn't really work for me. There's enough material in the historical sections to make an interesting novel and I wish he'd just stuck to that. I didn't find the modern murder mystery plot nearly as convincing, the love affair and the final revelations are very cheesy, and you can see that it's been a bit of a stretch to maintain the parallels between the two stories.
And there's one big problem, of course - it all revolves around this life-changing musical masterpiece played on a wonderful violin which we can never hear, and there are only so many ways that the author can describe it to us.
But you really feel like you're in Venice when you read this book, and the same places feature in both narratives, which is very neat.
I'll have to try his other books now, this one's had some very mixed reviews.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Firstly I would like to say that I think its unfair of other reviewers to give this book such a low score as they were not scoring the story but the fact that they didn't realise that this was the book 'Lucifer's Shadow' under a different title. I understand that this must have been annoying for them but still its a great book and their review scores may have stopped other people reading this good little book.
Now for my actual review...
I really did enjoy this exciting story set in Venice and the descriptions (nicely descriptive but not too flowery or lengthy) really made me want to visit Venice and see some of the places mentioned. The book cleverly jumps between two timelines, the 1700's and present day. The two stories are intertwined and mirror each other very interestingly.
I don't want to give too much of the plot away but basically this is a good page turner, well written and has a satisfying ending.
Its not a ridiculously complicated plot and is nice and easy to read but has real suspense and intrigue at the same time.
I would definately recommend it. I now am very interested in David Hewsons other works and look forward to reading them!
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Those who have enjoyed Hewson's Nic Costa series may not thank him for allowing the same story to be published under seperate titles. The Cemetery of Secrets is not part of the page turning Costa series. It is, in my opinion, a dull read. Lucifer's Shadow is the very same book! Another favourite author, Donna Leon is guilty of the same crime...not easy to forgive especially when a book isn't up to much and you have purchased it twice!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Challenging read.
The style of this book could cause confusion due to the frequent skips between timelines. But well worth the effort. Read more
Published 1 month ago by BeeMS
Immerse yourself in Venice
This is a good story with a lot of twists and turns. If you like Venice there is detail about places you might have heard of. A well written and interesting storyline.
Published 14 months ago by Mrs. V. Thomson
The mystery is how anyone gets to the end
This book is set in Venice and David Hewson describes the city and its atmosphere well, which is sadly the only plus point in the book for me. Read more
Published 19 months ago by CJ
Good, but confusing...
This book is set in Venice, one chapter in modern times and one set in the 18th century. The story involves a musical composition which has been lost for hundreds of years, and a... Read more
Published 19 months ago by miss_spookiness
A good holiday read
Unlike David Hewson's other books, this one works throughout on two different time lines. The story is good, sometimes confusing until one gets used to the time lines. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Mrs. Priscilla S. Dicketts
A very mature novel
This book is one of David's earlier novels, Lucifer's Shadow, re-released with a new title.

If you are a fan of Nic Costa, as I am, you will be pleasantly surprised by... Read more
Published on 24 Feb 2010 by Mike
Brilliant read
I really enjoyed this book, if you like your mysteries set in Venice (Donna Leon) but with a twist this is perfect. Highly recommend.
Published on 16 Jan 2010 by Ruby Ruby
Beware book already in print under a different name
I agree with Mr Mulholland, this book has already been published under the title "Lucifer's Shadow", this was not made clear when ordering. I am quite annoyed about this. Read more
Published on 11 Oct 2009 by Mrs. P. M. Spink
Great is you have not already got it
This was the book which really made me get into David Hewson before the Nic Costa series. It was originally issued as Lucifer's Shadow and I have a copy of that title. Read more
Published on 8 Oct 2009 by Mr. M. Mulholland
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