Nathan Sutherland, the UK’s Honorary Consul in Venice, is a very engaging character. As the title would suggest, his role as Honorary Consul is unpaid, and generally involves holding ‘surgeries’ for just a few hours each week, at which he offers help to British subjects, most of whom are tourists who have encountered minor problems. He makes his living as a translator, although this is often a source of drudgery as, rather than the scintillating novels that he might have dreamt of working on, he normally ends up translating instruction manuals for electrical appliances.

Although there is no salary, his role as Honorary Consul does bring certain compensations, including invitations to many of the opening parties for the various displays at the prestigious Biennale Art Festival. As the novel opens, he is attending one such event to launch an exhibition by reclusive British artist Paul Considine, whose latest installation involves startling sculptures made from glass. As the party draws to a close, one of the more eminent critics, who has already indicated his dislike of Considine’s latest work, suffers a bizarre accident and is killed. Shortly afterwards a further attack occurs, and this time Nathan himself is involved, sustaining minor injuries alongside Considine’s agent, who is more seriously wounded.

Thereafter the plot follows a sinuous path, offering up numerous potential perpetrators. Jones clearly knows (and loves) Venice, and the setting is captured evocatively. I have read several crime novels set in Venice – the works of Donna Leon and Michael Dibdin leap to mind – but none of them have painted such a joyful picture of life in the city. There is a lightness of touch that makes the books a joy to read, without compromising the rigour of the plot. ( )