The Venice Secret by Anita Chapman

 The Venice Secret by Anita Chapman

One hidden painting. Two women born centuries apart. A secret uncovered.       The Venice Secret by Anita Chapman is published on 7th March 2023 My thanks to Anita who sent me a copy and Random Book Tours for inviting me to take part on the tour.

Synopsis

In 2019, Rachel is stuck in a rut when she discovers what appears to be a Canaletto painting in her grandmother's loft along with a note addressed to Philippa in 1782. With help from Jake at the local art gallery, Rachel endeavours to find out if the painting is an original and uncovers a secret from the past.

In 1780, governess at Chipford Hall, Philippa is offered the role of mistress by Earl Rupert. She escapes to Venice as companion to bluestocking, Lady Cordelia who reveals a secret that changes both their lives. They do their best to keep the secret from Lady Cordelia's social circle, but their nemesis is determined to reveal all and ruin them.

My Review

This is a story of two halves, that are linked through a discovered painting .

 The discovery of a potential Canaletto in her Gran's attic starts Rachel on a quest to find out its authenticity and consequently, her maternal family tree through the help of her Uncle Pete.

Anita skilfully divides the story into alternate chapters; between Philippa in the 1780s and Rachel in the 2010s. By writing the story in this way  Anita allows the reader to move easily between the two eras, without losing track, and so keep both storylines going simultaneously. Philippa's chapters were especially interesting and had me hooked and wanting to find out more.

The Venice Secret can be construed in a number of ways and it is up to the reader to ascertain which aspect, if not all, the title of the book alludes to as Anita keeps adding different elements for the reader to think about as the story progresses.

For a debut novel this shows a well- though out story line and a good linking of past and present times that are merged together throughout the book, in such a way as to keep the reader engaged with both eras, allowing for parallel reading until they finally merge at the end.

I will be interested in seeing how Anita follows on, and develops, her writing skills in her next novel.

About the Author

Anita Chapman enjoyed writing stories from a young age, and won a local writing competition when she was nine years old. Encouraged by this, she typed up a series of stories about a mouse on her mum’s typewriter and sent them to Ladybird. She received a polite rejection letter, her first.

Many of Anita’s summers growing up were spent with her family driving to Italy, and she went on to study French and Italian at university. As part of her degree, Anita lived in Siena for several months where she studied and au paired, and she spent a lot of time travelling around Italy in her twenties.

Anita likes to read journals and diaries from the past, and one of her favourite pastimes is visiting art galleries and country houses. Her first published novel, The Venice Secret is inspired by her mother taking her to see the Canalettos at The National Gallery in London as a child.

Since 2015, Anita has worked as a social media manager, training authors on social media, and helping to promote their books. She’s run several courses in London and York, and has worked as a tutor at Richmond and Hillcroft Adult Community College.

Social media links:

Website (to follow): anitachapman.com (currently found at neetsmarketing.com).

Twitter: @neetschapman https://twitter.com/neetschapman

Facebook Page: Anita Chapman Author https://www.facebook.com/neetschapman

Instagram: @neetschapman https://www.instagram.com/neetschapman

TikTok: @neetschapman https://www.tiktok.com/@neetschapman