"Celebrated and virtuoso novelist Banville entwines his gift for historical crime fiction with his most cunning literary artistry in this fever-dream of a tale. Banville is at his Jamesian finest in this beguiling novel of diabolical gambits." --Donna Seaman, Booklist (starred) "An intricate puzzle investigating the erotic yet toxic relationship between a perfidious woman and her susceptible victim." --Barbara Conaty, Library Journal "An English writer and his secretive bride make a fateful visit to Italy in Banville's eerie latest. Will linger in readers' minds. He keeps the reader guessing." -- Publishers Weekly "A trip to Venice takes a dark turn for a British writer and his American wife. Banville once again proves himself a master of suspense, and he captures a noir version of Venice perfectly.

Evelyn is a fascinating character: monstrous, certainly, but is he really being manipulated? Is he manipulating the reader? It's an open question, and a testament to Banville's considerable skill as a storyteller. Dark, twisty, and consistently smart: vintage Banville." -- Kirkus (starred review).