Vengeance in Venice (A Jane Wunderly Mystery) by Erica Ruth Neubauer #Review #ARCGiveaway @KensingtonBooks

This review was supposed to be posted yesterday, but due to circumstances beyond my control, I was unable to do that.

Vengeance in Venice (A Jane Wunderly Mystery)
Historical Cozy Mystery
7th in Series
Setting – Venice, Italy
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kensington
Publication Date ‏ : ‎ March 31, 2026
Print Length ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
Hardcover
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1496757882
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1496757883
Kindle
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1496757890
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0FGST2GZK
Audiobook
ASIN B0GD8P7N7R

At long last, Jane and Redvers have arrived in Venice, the famed city of love, for their honeymoon. But behind a mask at a costume ball on the Grand Canal hides the gaze of a heartless killer…

Venice, 1927: As romantic as it is mysterious, the Floating City is a dream destination for the newlyweds, but they’ll soon discover the twisting canals hide more mystery than they expected. It begins when they are invited to an elaborate party at Clara Morton’s stunning palazzo on the Grand Canal. The affair is as eccentric as the hostess, who is dressed as Medusa, and features everything from snakes to her pet cheetah to tarot card readings.

The fete also features a fresh corpse—Clara’s ex-husband, found dead in the garden with marks around his neck. The hostess accuses the tarot card reader, who happens to be an acquaintance of Jane, claiming the woman foretold the death of someone close to her. Jane and Redvers come to the young woman’s aid as they learn she was far from the only partygoer with a motive. As the couple follows a labyrinthine trail of scandalous affairs, brazen blackmail, and people who are not who they say they are, they hope that Venice will disclose her secrets before they both end up in over their heads . . .

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Jane and Redvers are finally on their honeymoon at one of the most romantic places on earth, but they are not alone in the Floating City. No, Millie and Lord Hughes arrive to attend a party hosted by Clara Morton, and they have invited the newlyweds to accompany them to her palazzo on the Grand Canal. The place is quite bizarre, as is their hostess, who is dressed as Medusa with live snakes. She also has a pet cheetah that she takes for nightly walks.

The gala includes something Jane and Redvers were trying to avoid: a dead body. Found in the garden with suspicious marks on his neck, he is identified as Clara’s ex-husband, poet Christopher D’Annuzzio. Clara quickly points a finger at Deanna Parks, the tarot card reader she had hired for the party.  Jane had met Deanna and her husband, Charlie, in Egypt.  They are vaudeville performers who will take any job they can get. Charlie always has big ideas. Deanna had revealed her cards warned that there would be a death of someone close to Clara.

Jane and Redvers want to help Deanna, and of course, Aunt Millie needs to investigate the death as well. With plenty of suspects, they will be able to keep her busy while they wade through the quagmire of secrets, lies, torrid affairs, and false identities to get to the truth and prove that Deanna is innocent.

Traveling with Jane and Redvers is always a good time. They are the ideal couple. Jane is an independent woman whose confidence grows in each story. Redvers has the knowledge, experience, and connections needed to handle everything thrown at him. He also loves his wife very much and is attentive to her needs. Jane needs vast amounts of coffee to start her day, and he lets her sleep in when he can, much to Aunt Millie’s dismay. I love how they know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and help each other. Yes, Redvers has weaknesses, one of which reared its head in this story. Lord Hughes is a laid-back gent who knows who he married. Aunt Millie demands to be involved and informed. Redvers and Jane are accustomed to her ways, and sometimes her connections are appreciated, but they know how to divert her with other tasks when necessary. Lord Hughes smiles, winks, and nods. He knows his assignment.

Now, almost as soon as Clara Morton entered the picture, her free-spiritedness and eccentricities brought Annie Mame, played by Rosalind Russell, to mind. Her palazzo, parties, travels, marriages, and friends made me feel she and Mame would be grand friends. Kate Conrad, an artist, has a romantic relationship with Clara and has painted several portraits of Clara in many states of undress. Clara’s cheetah, Carmine, was a cool cat. I love big kitties; it would be awesome to have one for a pet.

This mystery was a scandalous one. Clara insists she didn’t kill her ex-husband and names several people who could have killed Christopher D’Annuzzio. All had affairs with Clara, Christopher, or both. All the swapping of partners gave Jane pause, but she soldiered on. I enjoyed traveling around Venice and beyond on a gondola or rented boat to visit the suspects and follow the clues. The actual cause of death was held back. Through his employer, Redvers found out, and that gave them another avenue to pursue. There is a surprising development that twists up the mystery, sending Jane, Redvers, Millie, and Hughes off to revisit some of the suspects. Everyone was holding back information. A confession seemed to wrap up the case, but  Jane starts to question her theories. More secrets are revealed, and then final clue fell into place for Jane. A chase ensued, and a fight was had; a sad but satisfying conclusion was reached.

Vengeance in Venice is my new favorite of the series. A tight, well-plotted, and well-written mystery with a plethora of suspects pulled me into the story. Epic twists tightened the pull. The author’s detailed descriptions of time, place, people, and food revealed her in-depth research and talent, creating a solid story that held me tight to the very last page. Genuine characters, humor, and light romance keep the book in the cozy realm.

Investigating a murder is no way to celebrate a marriage. I am excited for Jane and Redvers next adventure. Will they ever get a honeymoon and time to spend alone? I wonder what Ms. Neubauer has in store for her characters next.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to Kensington and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

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About the Author

Erica Ruth Neubauer spent eleven years in the military, nearly two as a Maryland police officer and one as a high school English teacher, before finding her way as a writer. She has been a reviewer of mysteries and crime fiction for Publishers Weekly and Mystery Scene Magazine for several years and is a member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. When she’s not writing, Erica Ruth enjoys traveling, yoga, and craft beer. She lives in Milwaukee, WI.