Blurb:
‘Welcome to the asylum…’
2015
Their troubled past behind them, married couple, Rob and Louise, visit Venice for the first time together, looking forward to a relaxing weekend. Not just a romantic destination, it’s also the ‘most haunted city in the world’ and soon, Louise finds herself the focus of an entity she can’t quite get to grips with – a ‘veiled lady’ who stalks her.
1938
After marrying young Venetian doctor, Enrico Sanuto, Charlotte moves from England to Venice, full of hope for the future. Home though is not in the city; it’s on Poveglia, in the Venetian lagoon, where she is set to work in an asylum, tending to those that society shuns. As the true horror of her surroundings reveals itself, hope turns to dust.
From the labyrinthine alleys of Venice to the twisting, turning corridors of Poveglia, their fates intertwine. Vengeance only waits for so long…
My Review:
The Venetian is a hauntingly eerie and heart breaking story mostly set on a tiny island that in the past had been used to quarantine plague victims, and later used as a mental asylum. Honestly, I think I have a serious phobia of mental asylums. I believe it may be an innate fear of being locked up in one. I visited what remains of Bodmin Jail a few years ago, and I felt as uneasy reading this book, as I did walking around Bodmin Jail *shudder*.
This book made me feel claustrophobic, on edge, trapped and even sick with fear at times. I loved the characters and found the story to be very emotional in places. Much to my relief, I loved the ending, and was able to finish this book with a smile on my face and a night free from nightmares. Phew!
I’m a bit hit and miss with supernatural ghost type stories, as they don’t always scare me enough, but I really enjoyed The Venetian, due to it well and truly freaking me out. This is the third book I’ve read by this author, and it is definitely my favourite so far. I can’t wait to read the next standalone book in The Haunted World Series.
5 Stars
Where to find this book:
LittleMissNoSleep Daydreams of Books 
I’m totally with you on mental asylums they scare the bejeezus out of me!
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I’m not even sure why I’m so afraid of asylums. It’s definitely something to do with a fear of being locked up and no one believing I’m sane. I really struggle with the feeling of being trapped when I read psychological thrillers or films along those lines. Most of my family think I’m crazy, so that probably doesn’t help matters, lol 😉 I’m assuming I watched something from a very young age that is hiding deep down inside my mind. At least I can remember my fear of sharks and the sea is due to watching JAWS with my dad when I was 4 years old. I even remember eating chips and ketchup while watching it 🙂
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Mine is definitely from having bipolar and being terrified I will be locked up for good! That fear never seems to go away and those old school asylums are absolutely terrifying, I can’t even get my head around how awful it would have been to spend your life in one! I’m so glad I wasn’t born a hundred years earlier!
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That’s not surprising, with you having bipolar. That would be enough to give me nightmares! Just the thought of the old asylums is deeply disturbing. The things many of them were put through is harrowing! Fingers crossed neither of us happens to travel back in time and accidentally end up locked away in an asylum 😉
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Thank you so much for a great review! I must admit, asylums fascinate me too, I’m currently re-visiting another for my latest book – researching the stories of former inmates has been nothing less than heartbreaking. Once again, thank you for a great review and glad no nightmares in the end. xxx
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You’re very welcome, Shani 🙂 I loved the whole creepy atmospheric feel to the story, and the parts of the book set in the asylum in the 1930s were heart breaking. Have fun researching for your next book 🙂 xxx
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