Piatkus Fiction

Come to Venice. Please, Phoebe, do not fail me.

’Lingers in the heart long after the final page is turned . . . a must read for anyone who wants to be absorbed as well as utterly enchanted’ Carol McGrath

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 . . .

Why do readers love Charlotte Betts?

’Lush, romantic and full of intrigue’ Tracy Rees, Richard & Judy bestselling author

’A deeply romantic novel whose vivid characters will linger in your mind’ Margaret Kaine

’Romantic, poignant and gripping . . . a fabulous holiday read’ Deborah Swift

’A stunning and captivating read . . . full of drama, love, loss and life’ Book Literati

’Romantic, engaging and hugely satisfying’ Katie Fford

’A compelling story, beautifully written and brought alive with rich historical detail’ Liz Harris

Charlotte Betts began her working life as a fashion designer in London. A career followed in interior design, property management and lettings.

Always a bookworm, Charlotte discovered her passion for writing after her three children and two step-children had grown up. The Apothecary’s Daughter is 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. The Spice Merchant’s Wife was published in 2013 and won the Festival of Romance’s Best Historical Read Award in 2013.