The Lost Daughter of Venice latest book by Newbury’s award-winning historical novelist
NEWBURY author Charlotte Betts’ new novel – The Lost Daughter of Venice – will be published in two weeks time.
The Lost Daughter of Venice is a new standalone historical novel from the multi-award-winning author of The Apothecary’s Daughter.
Set in beautiful Venice, it will appeal to fans of Natasha Lester, Tracy Rees and Santa Montefiore.
What made Charlotte look to Venice for inspiration?
“I’ve always been intrigued by the contrast between the magnificent architecture and the faded grandeur of Venice,” she told N2.
“It’s the perfect setting for the bittersweet story of Phoebe Wyndham, a First World War widow, when she’s confronted by a traumatic secret from her past.
“Besides I believe a young widow deserves a fresh start in one of the most romantic cities in the world!”
So did she take the opportunity for a research trip to the Floating City?
“I always like to visit the location of a new book but, sadly, this time it wasn’t possible. I’ve always dreamed of drifting down a Venetian canal in a gondola and that’s still on my bucket list.
“Friends were happy to share their impression of the city with me and I read guide books, essays, travelogues and novels, both modern and of their time.
“YouTube videos were helpful for absorbing the atmosphere and sounds of Venice.
“Then I researched post-war Venice and merged everything together to write Phoebe’s story.”
Charlotte began her working life as a fashion designer in London, then a career followed in interior design, property management and lettings. Always a bookworm, she discovered her passion for writing after her three children and two stepchildren had grown up.
The Apothecary’s Daughter was her debut novel and won the YouWriteOn Book of the Year in 2010, the Romantic Novelists’ Association Joan Hessayon Award for New Writers in 2011 and the RoNA’s Historical Category award for 2013. The sequel, The Painter’s Apprentice, was published in 2012 and shortlisted for the Festival of Romance’s Best Historical Read Award in 2012.
Charlotte has had one book a year published for the last 12 years, although that doesn’t mean she has a whole year to write a story.
“Research can take several months and, the first draft about six or eight months. When that is finished, I’ll redraft it several times before submitting it to my publisher. Then I follow editorial suggestions, copy-edits and proofs,” she explains.
The lost daughter of Venice will be published by Piatkus on July 13 (Paperback £9.99, eBook and Audio available).
‘Come to Venice. Please, Phoebe, do not fail me.’
Venice, 1919. Seventeen years ago, the grand Venetian Palazzo degli Angeli was Phoebe Wyndham's home; now, the neglected walls of the palazzo are just a haunting reminder of all she has lost.
Arriving back in Italy after a plea from her estranged relative, the Contessa di Sebastiano, the recently widowed Phoebe is shocked to discover her aunt is dead and the palazzo now belongs to her.
All she wants to do is sell the property and return home. However, when a dark family secret is exposed, the shocking deception rocks Phoebe to her very core, and she vows not to leave the City of Water without first unravelling the truth from the lies.
As Phoebe searches for answers, she finds herself growing closer to two very different men. But, when her camera catches something more sinister than the faded grandeur of Venice, Phoebe begins to question who she can really trust and whether her aunt’s death was truly an accident after all.
TRISH LEE
