The Palace of the Drowned

Frankie Croy is a writer whose fame has faded considerably since the publication of her very successful debut novel. After reading an unflattering review of her latest book, she experiences a public nervous breakdown and temporarily leaves London for Venice to save her crumbling reputation and overcome a creative crisis. In this ghostly city, where endless labyrinths of streets and canals can drive one mad, Frankie meets a girl named Gilly, who claims to be her fan and diligently seeks to win her friendship. But what of Gilly's stories is true, and what is false? What are her true motives? Is someone else living in the deserted old palace where Frankie has settled? Or perhaps this is all just a game of her disturbed imagination? The masterfully described Venice, treacherous and sinister, serves as a full-fledged character in this elegant psychological thriller, the events of which could undoubtedly not take place anywhere else.