A Lady Emily Mystery (Lady Emily Mysteries) - Death in the Floating City

I was looking forward to the release of this book and I was not disappointed. I have enjoyed Ms Alexander's other books and was happy to catch up with Lady Emily. Good escape from hurricane clean-up.

I was disappointed by this book. The switching back and forth between the 1400's and the 1800's became tiresome. This made both story lines disjointed. I have enjoyed the previous books in the series but this one did not hold my interest.

I love Venice, for visiting or reading about in books. I don't think I'd care to live there, but isn't it beautiful and rather exotic? There's something about taking a gondola instead of a taxi that's just so splendid and all those old buildings right on the water. And I also like very much Alexander's Lady Emily mystery series. So it's a great combination.

This is the seventh addition to the series, following A Crimson Warning: A Lady Emily Mystery (Lady Emily Mysteries). It has lovely atmosphere and two stories in one, alternating between Lady Emily and husband Colin investigating the murder of the patriarch of the Barozzi family and the story of 15th century Besina Barozzi and her star-crossed love affair with Nicolo Vendelino, a member of the family long feuding with the Barozzi family. (A bit of a Romeo and Juliet story, if you will.)

The two stories develop in alternating chapters throughout the book and understanding how the history of Besina and Nicolo ties into the present day helps Emily's investigation of the murder. There's lots of intrigue, sexual infidelity alluded to, feuding families, missing manuscripts and wills, elusive paintings, a mysterious carnival-masked man who seems to be threatening Emily, with a large cast of characters, any one of whom could be the "who" of the whodunit. And all of this is mixed with entertaining tidbits about life in 15th and 19th century Venice.

It's an excellent addition to the series. I cannot say it's my favorite, but it is quite enjoyable. Those readers who have been following the series and have developed an affection for Emily and Colin will be particularly pleased with how this one ends.

Death in the Floating City continues to showcase the writing talent of Tasha Alexander.

The Plot: Look for multiple red herrings as the story progresses. There are two stories in the book: one in the present and one in the past. They are related and are the reason for the murder.

The Characters: Emily has center stage in this story. Colin is there but often in an off stage role. Emma, the old friend who ask for help is not seen very often. The story is sprinkled with interesting characters from now and from the past. As usual in the Lady Emily stories characters are introduced and developed in a way that adds to the mystery. Venice with its history and location is an important character in the book.

The Writing: Very well written. The story moves along at a nice pace and the surprises are there to move everything along.

The Setting: Venice is a great city for a mystery. As you follow Emily you get a very good idea of the layout, the history and the character of Venice. I had a very good feel for the location and how it was important to the story.

The Back Story: This is book seven in the series. Only Emily and Colin were characters from the previous books. That made it easy to get into the story. This is an easy book to read as a stand-alone as the history in previous books is not a big factor in Death in the Floating City.

I found Death in the Floating City to be a great addition to the Lady Emily series. If you are already a fan of the series you will enjoy the story and if this is your first book in the series you will want to find the previous six.

Plot construction is, and has been since I made the acquaintance, Tasha Alexander's strong suit. But I've complained that her use of words is predictable and shallow. Even a stellar plot ineptly described will languish in a slough of verbal mediocrity. Ultimately the books read like a teenage romance. But, there's hope. This time, the plot was particularly arresting, with two equally entertaining story lines running parallel throughout the book, meeeting at the end for a satisfying multi-layered ending. Well done. The words could still use help...but maybe there were a few less of the cheaper "said", "as if" phrases than there have been in the previous six books. There were also a couple of satisfying surprises that hint at some interesting adventures for future installments. Maybe, in fact, if the story is captivating enough, the words matter less...maybe.
If one hasn't been introduced to Amelia Peabody, the heroine created by Elizabeth Peters, I think she's still far out in front of Emily for panache and depth--I'd suggest those first. But, Emily gained some ground with this one.

Death in the Floating City by Tasha Alexander is the seventh installment of the Lady Emily series, which I've mentioned numerous times on the blog as a favorite of mine. I've been anticipating the release for months, but I was still absolutely floored by how seriously awesome it is. THIS SERIES, you guys. So good.

As evident by the title, the book is set in Venice. An old childhood nemesis of Emily's calls upon her and husband Colin to help solve the murder of her father-in-law. What follows is a fabulously twisty path into a centuries-old feud between warring families, complete with its own star-crossed love story. (Yes, feel free to think Romeo & Juliet. Except better.)

The power, intrigue and romance of both 15th and 19th century Venice are woven into every page - and are the core of what makes Death in the Floating City the best book of the series. Seriously, there is no way to read this novel and not want to immediately check under the couch cushions for lost quarters in order to start a "Trip to Venice" change jar. I've actually been there, and I felt its presence just as much while reading this book as when I was standing in front of St. Mark's Basilica.

The first flashback into the late 1400s is just pages into the novel. I must admit, despite my fierce faith in Tasha Alexander, that I groaned. Flashbacks aren't usually my thing - I always feel impatient to get through them to get back to the "real" story. I figured that would be doubly true since I'm so attached to the main characters, Emily and Colin. NOPE. Consider me a convert, because they are fabulous. Full of angst and romance and desperation and tragedy and ALL THE GOOD THINGS that star-crossed love stories are supposed to have (including the ugly cry).

If you aren't interested in starting the series from the beginning, Death in the Floating City can certainly be read as a stand-alone. I would love if you did start with the first book though, I will beg if necessary! Emily is so fierce - determined to be independent (in a learning ancient Greek and Latin, drinking port after dinner, storming city officials to demand the right to vote kind of way). Colin is possibly the most swoon-worthy male specimen committed to print. I'm more than a little in love with him. Why on Earth wouldn't you want to spend an entire series getting to know these people? (WHAT DO YOU MEAN, THEY AREN'T REAL?)

To Sum It Up:

-The beautiful city of Venice obviously inspired Tasha Alexander tremendously, because the setting explodes off the pages and takes what was already a fabulous series to a whole new level.

-Feuding families! A doomed Renaissance love story! A lovely cast of side characters that vary from the scholarly to the scandalous to the unbelievably treacherous. An ending that literally made my jaw drop from shock. I CAN BARELY CONTAIN MY EXCITEMENT OVER THE AWESOME THAT IS THIS BOOK.

-The plot and setting might both be beyond stellar, but Colin and Emily definitely still manage to shine. Two of the best characters I've come across, for sure.

This story was obviously well researched and is full of period and location details...but these details are woven into the book in an organic way that enhances the story rather than distracting from it. Because my local library only has some of the series, I am reading it out of order, but it is clear to me that these traits are to be found throughout the series. The mystery is intriguing and not immediately clear. The background story interwoven with the plot is heart-wrenching and tragic. I was so engaged by it that it saved me from missing Colin too much. The beautiful interaction between Lady Emily and her husband is really one of the best reasons to read this series, and that was lacking a little in this story, although the author clearly had reasons for that. This is also a clean novel, something I appreciate. I recommend this whole series highly.

Lady Emily Hargreaves, accompanied by her husband Colin, is on her way to Venice to help a childhood friend named Emma Callum. A better description would be a childhood nemesis --- Emily and Emma were not exactly the best of friends as children, and Emily did her best to distance herself from Emma whenever possible. However, Emma has asked for her help and Emily can't turn down that plea, even when it comes from Emma. Years ago, Emma ran off with an Italian Count and caused a bit of a scandal at home, but is now in desperate need of Emily's detective skills. Her father-in-law has been murdered in the home she shares with her husband, who is the main suspect but has disappeared. She needs Emily to find the murderer and clear him.

Wary of Emma's motives but still willing to help, Emily and Colin begin their investigation and Emily soon finds herself fascinated by Venice, a city she has never visited before. With few clues besides an old ring to go on, Emily enlists the help of a Venetian historian and his daughter, Donata, to help her navigate the city and open a few palazzo doors for her to ask questions. With the help of Donata, Emily stumbles upon a centuries-old love story that tore two individuals and their families apart. The same feud is still going strong, which doesn't help Emily when she needs questions answered. She begins searching frantically through libraries and family trees for any clue that will help solve the case, while Colin begins a search for Emma's missing husband.

This is my second Lady Emily mystery, and I'm becoming addicted. I need to plan some reading time to go back and start this series from the beginning. While these books do stand on their own, the characters and settings are so good that I want to spend more time in this world. Emily and Colin are incredibly likable characters, and the settings are so lovely that you want to step into the pages. Tasha Alexander does a fantastic job here with the crumbling palazzos, dusty old books, and gondolas gliding along the canals.

What I liked most about the mystery was the way it was wrapped up in a love story a la Romeo and Juliet. Told through letters interspersed throughout the book, the centuries-old love story starts to show up in Emily's mystery in unexpected ways. In the end, Alexander wraps up this one nicely with a sneak peek of what's ahead for Emily and Colin.

I love that I was able to fall into the novel and get lost in the mystery, the romance, and the city of Venice. I was pulled into the story very early and didn't want to leave. There's just enough of everything in this book to make me a happy reader. Obviously, I cannot wait for Emily's next adventure.

Reviewed by Amy Gwiazdowski

After the past few installments of the Lady Emily mystery series, I was getting worried. The series, once so strong, was falling fast. However, with both "A Crimson Warning" and "Death in the Floating City", Tasha Alexander has redeemed herself and brought a great series back on track.

When Emma Barozzi's father-in-law is murdered at their Venetian palazzo, her husband Paolo disappears. Desperate to locate him, she contacts Lady Emily Hargreaves, an old nemesis who, with her husband, Colin, has become an amateur crime-solver. While Emily does not have good memories of her childhood rival, she is eager to help, and she and Colin descend on the floating city to sort out a mystery that, it becomes quickly apparent, is rooted in the past.

Signore Barozzi's family was once very influential in Venice, but over the years the fortune has dwindled. Along with his dead body, he was found clutching a ruby ring that Emily discovers belonged to a 15th-century ancestor, Besina Barozzi and may link the family's fortune to that of an N.V. With the help of a local historian's daughter named Donata, the duo look into the past to solve the mysteries of the present, which quickly grow to include a slashed painting and stolen letters. Unfortunately, the further Emily digs, the more the past becomes important - and the more danger she seems to be in.

"Death in the Floating City" manages to inject some much-needed life into the Lady Emily series. It's intriguing and weaves the past and present into a delight.

Death in a Floating City is my favorite Lady Emily story so far. I loved the Venice setting and the past/present storyline. The past told such a heartbreaking love story that really drew me in. I love the chemistry between Lady Emily and Colin. I have just started this series and cannot wait to read the rest!

An enjoyable read of a delightful and well-written book. Tasha's attention to historical detail presented to me a multitude of here-to-fore unknown treasures of Venice, one of my favorite cities in the world. Her clever interplay between two time periods deepened the intrigue of the story, making it difficult to set her book down. The insatiable persistence, yet enduring femininity, of Lady Emily is inspirational. The subtlety of the clues are carefully disguised in the normality of the characters. Tasha has an enviable gift for weaving a multitude of details into a beautifully rendered mystery.

This was an interesting way to relate the story. The current time (1800's) and an earlier time (1400's) that combined created an interesting story. The current murder had its roots in the family history from many generations before.